Wienerworld

Background

Wienerworld is a independent music company based in the United Kingdom, founded in 1981 and also distributes DVDs and Blu-Rays.

1st Logo (1981-1985)

Nickname: "White Focus"

Logo: On a black background, a off-white object is seen in the middle of the screen. It resembles a word, but there are heavy distortions in the form of out-of-focus copies that are above and below it. The distortions then contract into the middle, clearing up and fading to the text "WIeneRWoRLD" in a font that resembles ITC Lubalin Graph Demi. The 1st "W" is larger and has 2 "shadow" lines under it, and "PRESENTATION" can be seen in a ITC Avant Garde font below the logo.

FX/SFX: The focusing.

Music/Sounds: A soft 8-note violin piece, with the last 4 notes played with a doubled set of tones and the last note held out. A deep-sounding man (who's either Don LaFontaine or a soundalike) then says "A Wienerworld presentation.", though this is rarely omitted.

Availability: Extremely rare. Can be seen on releases from them at the time. The voiceover-less version can be seen on Genesis: Three Sides Live.

2nd Logo (1985-?)

Nicknames: "Blue Score", "The Wonder of Wienerworld"

Logo: On a black background, 5 white bars slide in at a diagonal angle, reaching from the bottom right to the top left. A treble clef then slides in blue, along with several notes before the Wienerworld logo comes in, this time in blue and in 3D. The logo then zooms out and straightens out to the front, with the musical score sheet disappearing bar by bar. A yellow bar with "PRESENTATION" then emerges from the darkness, with the text in a black Avant Garde font, but thicker, and a blue rectangle appears behind it.

FX/SFX: The sliding bars, the logo settling.

Music/Sounds: A synth version of the previous logo's tune, followed by a set of descending synth tones. The same man says either the same thing from before or "The Wonder of Wienerworld.", depending on if it was used in the opening or closing of the video.

Availability: Rare. Seen on more recent releases, possibly even current ones. It could be seen on The Roy Oberon Story and Marilyn Monroe: Say Goodbye to the President.

Legacy: Simple, yet solid animation that holds up after almost 4 decades.