History Main / VanityPlate

* '''Central:''' Started off as in 1982 as a sphere which split open with a ray of light to resolve as a white ball with the left part shadowed in a crescent shape. Replaced with a different [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV1ooMptQWc "sphere"]] in 1983 with the crescent part of the sphere in the colours of the rainbow, sometimes referred to as "Moon". The well-loved amongst fans [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODtBOTkaEDs "Cake"]], an abstract version of "Sphere with segments cut into the sphere, first appeared in promos and idents in the region in 1985, before replacing the sphere as an short-lived animated endcap, in proper vanity plate fashion in 1988.

As the internet rose in the 1990s and 2000s, a community emerged centered entirely around these production logos; while originally it began on Usenet groups where [[TheSixties sixties]] and [[TheSeventies seventies]] kids got together and discussed unintentionally creepy logos from their childhood, since the 2000s the logo fandom mostly consists of children, teenagers and young adults who share similar sentiments and have extensively documented '''MANY''' of these; [[https://avid.miraheze.org/wiki/Main_Page AVID]] (the Audiovisual Identity Database, formerly the Closing Logo Group Wiki or "CLG Wiki") has information on practically ''every vanity plate EVER'', and new vanity plates, or rare versions of existing ones, continue to be found to this day. [[https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Logopedia Logopedia]] includes vanity plates in its database.

* Creator/RovioEntertainment has used a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsA2XFRu2WA&t=4s dancing flame logo]] at the start of their game trailers and animated shorts since late 2012. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKJCdAJcZgo only update]] to it was in 2016 to feature the new corporate logo with the edges of the "R" symbol smoothed out and the text recolored red to match.

* '''Grampian:''' The first ident was an abstract depiction of a hilly landscape which then reformed into the station's St Andrew's flag logo, all very patriotic. They later went for a sub-ATV morphing of components of the station logo when the station began colour broadcasts. They later used one of the first CGI frontcaps in the ITV network, with balls and diamonds tumbling around the screen before the station logo resolved.

* '''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRhPeN_FE7U Georgian Bay Ltd.]]''' was the vanity card behind ''{{Series/Webster}}'' on ABC and in syndication from 1983-89, in association with Creator/{{Paramount}} Television; it was also the vanity card of the married co-stars of that show, Alex Karras and Susan Clark. Specifically, the logo consisted of a circular image of a Canadian forest on a white background (Susan Clark is Canadian, from Ontario), with a white moon at the top left of it, two white trees to the right, and a hill of snow at the bottom; the Georgian Bay Ltd. name slid out from the right of that, with "In Association With" appearing at the bottom, which then gave way to the Blue Mtn. logo of Paramount Television. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRhPeN_FE7U In the fourth season]], the IAW line was removed from this, and moved to a co-vanity card, Emmanuel Lewis Entertainment Enterprises, Inc.; this would be used for that fourth season with the Blue Mtn. of Paramount Television, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgIVKM4UsdM and with the then-new CGI Mtn. in syndication from 1987-89]].

* '''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRhPeN_FE7U Georgian Bay Ltd.]]''' was the vanity card behind ''{{Series/Webster}}'' on ABC and in syndication from 1983-89, in association with Creator/{{Paramount}} Television; it was also the vanity card of the married co-stars of that show, Alex Karras and Susan Clark. Specifically, the logo consisted of a circular image of a Canadian forest on a white background (Susan Clark is Canadian, from Ontario), with a white moon at the top left of it, two white trees to the right, and a hill of snow at the bottom; the Georgian Bay Ltd. name slid out from the right of that, with "In Association With" appearing at the bottom, which then gave way to the Blue Mtn. logo of Paramount Television. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgIVKM4UsdM In the fourth season]], the IAW line was removed from this, and moved to a co-vanity card, Emmanuel Lewis Entertainment Enterprises, Inc.; this would be used for that fourth season with the Blue Mtn. of Paramount Television, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgIVKM4UsdM and with the then-new CGI Mtn. in syndication from 1987-89]].

* '''Georgian Bay Ltd.''' was the vanity card behind ''{{Series/Webster}}'' on ABC and in syndication from 1983-89, in association with Creator/{{Paramount}} Television; it was also the vanity card of the married co-stars of that show, Alex Karras and Susan Clark. Specifically, the logo consisted of a circular image of a Canadian forest on a white background (Susan Clark is Canadian, from Ontario), with a white moon at the top left of it, two white trees to the right, and a hill of snow at the bottom; the Georgian Bay Ltd. name slid out from the right of that, with "In Association With" appearing at the bottom, which then gave way to the Blue Mtn. logo of Paramount Television. In the fourth season, the IAW line was removed from this, and moved to a co-vanity card, Emmanuel Lewis Entertainment Enterprises; this would be used for one season with the Blue Mtn. of Paramount Television, and with the then-new CGI Mtn. in syndication from 1987-89.

** The Creator/DreamWorksAnimation variant begins with the boy floating up to the moon on colorful balloons, then letting go of the balloons, which fly up and pop to create the letters of the logo. The music that plays is the [[BootstrappedTheme unofficial theme]] of Creator/DreamWorksAnimation, [[WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} "Fairytale".]]

* '''Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions''' was the vanity card behind ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' from 1982-93, in association with Creator/{{Paramount}} Television (on at least two productions, ''All Is Forgiven'' from 1986 and ''The Tortellis'' from 1987, they were called Charles/Burrows/Charles Company). The logo was simple: on a blue background, the words "Charles," "Burrows," "Charles" and "Productions" (in a typewriter-style font) came in alternating fashion, first from the left, then from the right, then from the left again, and finally from the right again (the appearance was also from top to bottom, in addition to the left/right alteration). On the shows where they were Charles/Burrows/Charles Company, the Charles, Burrows and Charles names appeared as normal, but "Company" faded in at the bottom in a sort of CGI fashion.

** Creator/{{Disney}} releases have used [[http://www.closinglogos.com/page/Walt+Disney+Studios+Home+Entertainment plenty of logos]] that differ greatly from the standard vanity plate. The following are the base versions of the logos:

** There also exist logos for films co-produced by Sega. The first one is an [[DarkerAndEdgier uncharacteristically dark and tense logo]] with the Sega logo glitching on a black background with tense sounds, that was used for the ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' movies ''[[ClipShow Evangelion: Death (True)]][[superscript:2]]'' and ''[[GrandFinale The End of Evangelion]]'' as well as ''[[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Adolescence of Utena]]'', [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools so this logo actually fits]] the ''Evangelion'' films' DarkerAndEdgier tone, not so much ''Utena''. A second one slightly similar to the ''Evangelion''/''Utena'' version with the Sega logo appearing out of a ''[[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]]'' ring and blue electrical effects around the logo was only used for the [[NeverLiveItDown now-infamous]] first trailer of ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'' featuring the [[UnintentionalUncannyValley original design]] of Movie Sonic. A third logo starting with footage from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1'', before zooming out to reveal more footage from various Sega games (as well as other vanity plates for their older consoles) and then transitioning into a mosaic of the Sega logo while a choir chants "SEGA!", was made for the final release of ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'', and would later be reused for [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022 its sequel]] as well as a sped-up version for ''WesternAnimation/SonicPrime'', where the sound is instead the 1-Up jingle from ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic '06]]'' and a ring sound.

** In the '70s and early '80s the Warner Brothers logo went from the "WB" shield to a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfuOw9QE2lY stylized "W"]] following with a general trend within the industry at the time (this stylized "W" appeared by first fading in small in red on a black screen and zooming in, with "Warner Bros." fading in in white below it around 3/4 of the way through, before having the same stylized "W" zooming in in white on a red screen, stopping in the middle, and having a black TV tube-like shape fading in behind it; the byline "A Warner Communications Company" appeared at the same time below, and after a few seconds, "Presents" appeared below that as well). It reverted back to the "WB" shield in 1984 though the logo lives on in the now unrelated music conglomerate Creator/WarnerMusicGroup.

* '''Roundelay''' was the vanity card of David Jacobs, executive producer of ''Series/KnotsLanding''. It started in 1980, and its first version (which started in Season 2; Season 1 simply had a text credit on the closing credits) was simply the Roundelay name in a blue neon semicircle that curved up and then back down; that had "A Roundelay Production In Association With" below it, before going to the Lorimar logo of the time. In 1985, Michael Filerman became a co-ep with Jacobs, and his initials "MF" in yellow-green were added under the Roundelay semicircle; the line on the previous version was updated to read "A Roundelay-MF Production In Association With," which would, for one season, be followed by the previous Lorimar logo, and in later years, the Lorimar-Telepictures and Lorimar Television logos. This logo also appeared on ''Series/{{Dallas}}'', but not on the series itself; rather, it was on the 1986 prequel movie ''The Early Years''. Later series that Roundelay had a hand in would simply have the Roundelay text credit of before, before the logo made one final appearance on ''Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-De-Sac'' in 1997.

** In the '70s and early '80s the Warner Brothers logo went from the "WB" shield to a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfuOw9QE2lY stylized "W"]] following with a general trend within the industry at the time. It reverted back to the "WB" shield in 1984 though the logo lives on in the now unrelated music conglomerate Creator/WarnerMusicGroup.

** There also exist logos for films co-produced by Sega. The first one is an [[DarkerAndEdgier uncharacteristically dark and tense logo]] with the Sega logo glitching on a black background with tense sounds, that was used for the ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' movies ''[[ClipShow Evangelion: Death (True)]][[superscript:2]]'' and ''[[GrandFinale The End of Evangelion]]'' as well as ''[[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Adolesence of Utena]]'', [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools so this logo actually fits]] the ''Evangelion'' films' DarkerAndEdgier tone, not so much ''Utena''. A second one slightly similar to the ''Evangelion''/''Utena'' version with the Sega logo appearing out of a ''[[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]]'' ring and blue electrical effects around the logo was only used for the [[NeverLiveItDown now-infamous]] first trailer of ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'' featuring the [[UnintentionalUncannyValley original design]] of Movie Sonic. A third logo starting with footage from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1'', before zooming out to reveal more footage from various Sega games (as well as other vanity plates for their older consoles) and then transitioning into a mosaic of the Sega logo while a choir chants "SEGA!", was made for the final release of ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'', and would later be reused for [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022 its sequel]] as well as a sped-up version for ''WesternAnimation/SonicPrime'', where the sound is instead the 1-Up jingle from ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic '06]]'' and a ring sound.

** There also exist logos for films co-produced by Sega. The first one is an [[DarkerAndEdgier uncharacteristically dark and tense logo]] with the Sega logo glitching on a black background with tense sounds, that was used for the ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' movies ''[[ClipShow Evangelion: Death (True)]][[superscript:2]]'' and ''[[GrandFinale The End of Evangelion]]'' as well as ''[[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Adolesence of Utena]]'', [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools so this logo actually fits]] the ''Evangelion'' films' DarkerAndEdgier tone, not so much ''Utena''. A second one slightly similar to the ''Evangelion/Utena'' version with the Sega logo appearing out of a ''[[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]]'' ring and blue electrical effects around the logo was only used for the [[NeverLiveItDown now-infamous]] first trailer of ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'' featuring the [[UnintentionalUncannyValley original design]] of Movie Sonic. A third logo starting with footage from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1'', before zooming out to reveal more footage from various Sega games (as well as other vanity plates for their older consoles) and then transitioning into a mosaic of the Sega logo while a choir chants "SEGA!", was made for the final release of ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'', and would later be reused for [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022 its sequel]] as well as a sped-up version for ''WesternAnimation/SonicPrime'', where the sound is instead the 1-Up jingle from ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic '06]]'' and a ring sound.

** There also exist logos for films co-produced by Sega. The first one is an [[DarkerAndEdgier uncharacteristically dark and tense logo]] with the Sega logo glitching on a black background with tense sounds, that was used for the ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' movies ''[[ClipShow Evangelion: Death (True)]][[superscript:2]]'' and ''[[GrandFinale The End of Evangelion]]'', [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools so this logo actually fits]] the films' DarkerAndEdgier tone. A second one slightly similar to the ''Evangelion'' version with the Sega logo appearing out of a ''[[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]]'' ring and blue electrical effects around the logo was only used for the [[NeverLiveItDown now-infamous]] first trailer of ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'' featuring the [[UnintentionalUncannyValley original design]] of Movie Sonic. A third logo starting with footage from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1'', before zooming out to reveal more footage from various Sega games (as well as other vanity plates for their older consoles) and then transitioning into a mosaic of the Sega logo while a choir chants "SEGA!", was made for the final release of ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'', and would later be reused for [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022 its sequel]] as well as a sped-up version for ''WesternAnimation/SonicPrime'', where the sound is instead the 1-Up jingle from ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic '06]]'' and a ring sound.

* '''Creator/DreamWorks''' and '''Creator/DreamWorksAnimation''':

** Originally it was for "Ghost Planet Industries", way back when ''WesternAnimation/SpaceGhostCoastToCoast'' and its spin-off, ''WesternAnimation/CartoonPlanet'', were their only shows in production. Their plate is a blurry picture of the Williams Street studio, with a low tympani roll and a few ominous gongs. (The audio is actually ripped off of Mark VII Limited's plate from the 1960s above.) In recent years, the plate is followed by a split-second (sometimes longer) flash of a skull and crossbones image (with the Creator/CartoonNetwork logo for its teeth, which also looks like a censored bar, fittingly enough) on a white background, with a voice speaking or shouting, "Skull!"

** There also exist logos for films co-produced by Sega. The first one is an [[DarkerAndEdgier uncharacteristically dark and tense logo]] with the Sega logo glitching on a black background with tense sounds, that was used for the ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' movies ''[[ClipShow Evangelion: Death (True)]][[superscript:2]]'' and ''[[GrandFinale The End of Evangelion]]'', [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools so this logo actually fits]] the films' DarkerAndEdgier tone. A second one slightly similar to the ''Evangelion'' version with the Sega logo appearing out of a ''[[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]]'' ring and blue electrical effects around the logo was only used for the [[NeverLiveItDown now-infamous]] first trailer of ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'' featuring the [[UnintentionalUncannyValley original design]] of Movie Sonic. A third logo starting with footage from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1'', before zooming out to reveal more footage from various Sega games (as well as other vanity plates for their older consoles) and then transitioning into a mosaic of the Sega logo while a choir chants "SEGA!", was made for the final release of ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'', and would later be reused for [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022 its sequel]] as well as a sped-up version for ''WesternAnimation/SonicPrime''.

* Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions was the vanity card behind ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' from 1982-93, in association with Creator/{{Paramount}} Television (on at least two productions, ''All Is Forgiven'' from 1986 and ''The Tortellis'' from 1987, they were called Charles/Burrows/Charles Company). The logo was simple: on a blue background, the words "Charles," "Burrows," "Charles" and "Productions" (in a typewriter-style font) came in alternating fashion, first from the left, then from the right, then from the left again, and finally from the right again (the appearance was also from top to bottom, in addition to the left/right alteration). On the shows where they were Charles/Burrows/Charles Company, the Charles, Burrows and Charles names appeared as normal, but "Company" faded in at the bottom in a sort of CGI fashion.

* '''Creator/ColumbiaPictures''': Following its 1924 reorganization from "CBC Film Sales", a logo featuring the goddess of Liberty (a female Roman soldier holding a shield and a grain of wheat) was introduced. The arrival of talkies in 1928 saw [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpIEeoDVtT0 the debut]] of the famous "Torch Lady", a representation of Columbia (the AnthropomorphicPersonification of America) holding a torch similar to the Art/StatueOfLiberty; it was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGp_PqjrKDk revised]] in 1936 and then left unchanged for 40 years outside of minor changes like the lady's American flag draping becoming a plain one in 1942 due to the United States Flag Code forbidding the use of it as clothing. 1976 saw Columbia, like many studios, try out a new stylized logo with the "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t04eWLp6_Bk Abstract Torch]]", which starts out with the classic "Torch Lady" and ends with a blue abstract sunburst shape created through backlit cel animation and rostrum camera tricks. Coca-Cola's acquisition of Columbia in 1982 saw the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9M9HsoyzT4 return]] of the classic "Torch Lady", using the first part of the "Abstract Torch" logo without the zoom-in. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejCcaGOUG40 current]] "Torch Lady" logo that debuted in 1993 begins with a zoom out from the torch and ends with a result that looks like an update of the 1936-76 version. Many actresses have been claimed to be featured as the "Torch Lady", including Claudia Dell, Evelyn Venable, Jane Bartholomew and Amelia Bacheler; Jenny Joseph was used as the basis of Michael Deas' painting used in the current version (which was once rumored to feature Creator/AnnetteBening); [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDUT2-1HSkQ this interview from 2012 from WWL Eyewitness News in New Orleans takes us inside how Deas and Joseph designed today's Columbia logo.]] ''{{Film/Superbad}}'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqUbiXS4CV4 resurrected]] the 1976-82 "Abstract Torch", albeit with a Sony byline added to the beginning and the background turning to yellow at the end to fit with the opening credits, while ''Film/AmericanHustle'' in 2013 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj4rhgWlKe0 played it straighter]], by setting the "Abstract Torch" animation to a jazzy music track, and having the byline "A Sony Company" under the actual Abstract Torch.

* '''Litton Entertainment''' is a syndication company that airs live-action educational programs across all of America's broadcast networks, rendering them the figure of blame for the end of Saturday Morning Cartoons in America. With its current logo, a spark flies across the screen from left to right, then flies closer to the screen, turns, and flies from right to left, revealing a dark cloudy/sunset background as well as the word "LITTON", which is tilted to the side a bit but turns around to face the viewer. "ENTERTAINMENT" fades in below, and the logo shines. The logo also calls out Litton's parent company Hearst Entertainment at the bottom.

* '''Creator/{{Paramount}} Pictures''': A mountain surrounded by stars (usually 24, in reference to the number of big movie actors they had signed in UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfHollywood), also known as "Majestic Mountain" or "Paramountain". During the Gulf & Western era, the mountain faded into a simplified dark-blue-and-white icon on a light blue background; this version of the logo was retired in 1987, replaced with an updated version of the "Majestic Mountain" which continued to be used following Viacom's acquisition of Paramount. The modern version usually features animated stars as they fly into the scene, complete with MidflightWaterTouching, and take their place in formation around the mountain.

** The final Saban Entertainment plate, used from 1996 to 2002, features children in odd-looking clothing lying on the ground, which fades to show them holding a large, golden cloth, which fades to show them floating above an Earth globe with yellow water and red and green land, over a sky background. The children are holding balls of various colors, and golden light rushes around the globe until the globe and kids disappear, with the light forming a simplified version of the logo from 1988, with "SABAN" below it. This reveals that the clouds in the sky are being sucked into the center.

** A special variant for ''Film/TheCovenant'' took the “S from Hell” name [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLeYMIKDnQo quite literally]], as it is tinted orange, made to look like fire, and fades out like a flame.

** There are many different variants of the THX logo, but the most famous one that many people remember seeing at the start of several Disney, Sony and MGM movies on VHS is one where a blue rectangle fades on screen, then text about how the movie is digitally mastered appears, followed by the THX logo fading in as well and shining. In theaters, the rectangle sequence is longer and "The Audience is Listening" is shown instead. On UsefulNotes/LaserDisc, a plaque under THX that reads [=LaserDisc=] and has an indent between Laser and Disc is attached.