VidAmerica

Credits

Captures by
Eric S.

Editions by
Eric S.

Background

VidAmerica (short for Video Corporation of America, their owners) was a video distributor founded in 1979 as a video renting, subscription-based company. However, due to missing tapes cropping up each week of delivery, it was scrapped in 1980 as they became a specialty distributor, as well as providing blank tapes and tape services. They also distributed some United Artists movies in 1980. They also signed a pact with Vestron Video to distribute their tapes; These duties were later handed over to Vestron's offshoot label, Lightning Video. VidAmerica was then purchased in 1986 by a consortium controlled by billionaire investor Ronald O. Perelman (his holdings also included Revlon, Four Star, and New World Entertainment), but were made independent a few years later. VidAmerica collapsed in 1992 after Vestron Video filed for bankruptcy and their library was sold to United American Video Corporation, which lead to the formation of Sterling Entertainment Group.

1st Logo (1979-1980)

• 
  Opening variant
• 
  Closing variant (A)
• 
  Closing variant (B)

Visuals: On a black background, different boxes appear in different parts of the screen, those being:

• MOVIES (people underneath a marquee reading "CINEMA," on an orange background in the upper left)
• SPORTS (a man playing golf, on a green background in the lower right)
• FAMILY (a clown juggling, on a light blue background in the lower left)
• ADULT FILMS (two people's heads, on a dark blue background in the upper right)
• SPECIALS (two masks, representing comedy and tragedy, on a darker orange background in the bottom middle)
• The VidAmerica logo, a symbol made of an octagon and 8 V's (in brown, on a white background in the upper middle)

After the symbol is shown, it spins toward the camera until it covers the entire screen, then it crossfades to white, with a white version of the logo spinning and zooming back. From underneath it, the logo zooms out, as well as "Vid" and "America", and "The Videocassette Rental Club" cuts in underneath "VidAmerica" just as it stops spinning. "PRESENTS" soon fades in underneath.

Closing Variant: At the end of the tapes, "a Presentation from" zooms toward the screen, and then crossfades to the logo.

Technique: A mix of computer graphics, Scanimation, and possibly chroma-key model work.

Audio: A bombastic disco fanfare, with prominent horns.

Availability: Seen on the earliest home video product offered by the Video Corporation of America (all for rental), including United Artists features such as Hair.

2nd Logo (1980-1984)

Visuals: On a black background, the VidAmerica logo, now without "The Videocassette Rental Club", dives down from the top of the screen as a trail of VidAmerica logos in a range of orange to purple comes down with the logo. After the logo stops diving, it repositions itself to the middle of the screen, with the trail now encompassing the top portion of it, and "Special Interest Video Software" in smaller lettering appears below, also in white.

Technique: Model work (possibly) and computer graphics.

Audio: A disco-style fanfare.

Availability: Can be seen on some videotapes and CEDs from the time, such as Hey Abbott!, The Unseen (which had the 1976 Viacom "V of Doom" at the end of its respective tape as well as the videotaped variant making an appearance at the start) and Baseball: Fun and Games. It may be on a 1980 VHS release of Casablanca produced under their deal with United Artists, but it is unknown at the present time.

3rd Logo (1984-1992)

Visuals: On a violet background, several shiny VidAmerica logos fly diagonally over the setting, colored in a lighter shade of violet. After 5 seconds, one of the logos turn gold and then repositions itself to the bottom of the screen. The logos continue to move.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A synth tinkling sound, along with an orchestral note held out for the appearance of the gold VidAmerica logo.

Audio Variant: A closing variant was used for early releases that feature this logo. This time, the jingle ends with one last twinkle.

Availability: Seen on any VidAmerica release from the time. Most releases of cartoons from VidAmerica (e.g.: Speed Racer, Felix the Cat) had this logo.