A2 - Analysis - Logos

Paramount

In terms of denotation, the Paramount logo mainly features a mountain, surrounded by a ring of stars. Inside the ring, the word Paramount is written, and underneath the ring is the words “A Viacom Company”. The use of a mountain could connote that Paramount is the peak, and the top of the film industry. The stars which zoom around the mountain also connote that Paramount is among the best companies, as it gets to work with so many stars. In addition, using a circle suggests that there are no flaws or weak links in all of their series of films produced. In recent years, a disc has been placed behind the mountain so it is encircled by the stars on DVD versions, and recently on films such as Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, the number 100 has been placed between the two sections of text, to signify the company is in the year of its 100th anniversary. Unlike the other logos I have analysed, this logo uses the diegetic sound of the stars flying past the screen to form a ring above the mountain.

Some of the films/brands featuring the Paramount logo include The Godfather, Indiana Jones, all of the Star Trek films, and Marvel films.

Warner Bros.

The Warner Bros. logo features a badge with the letters WB, with a band around it reading “Warner Bros. Pictures”. Compared to the Paramount and the 20^th Century Fox logos, the Warner Bros. logo looks rather childish and more like a cartoon than a professional creation, which is a reference to their original products. This connotes that Warner Bros. caters for a younger audience than the other companies. However, the logo has been modified for more adult and darker films made by Warner Bros., such as the later Harry Potter films. The camera usually zooms through the logo to move on to the other titles.

Some of the films/brands that use the Warner Bros. logo include Harry Potter, Batman, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry.

20^th Century Fox

The 20^th Century Fox logo mainly features the words 20^th Century Fox, on a building, as a giant sculpture. Spotlights are shown shining up and around the logo, which could connote that only the stars/brightest actors work with 20^th Century Fox. The colour gold is used heavily in the logo, which connotes wealth and royalty, suggesting that 20^th Century Fox is one of the kings of the film industry. The sound played during the pan of the logo uses noticable brass instruments, which is commonly associated with royalty and those who have power, as well as connoting joy.

The 20^th Century Fox logo features in brands/films such as Star Wars, Die Hard, Planet of the Apes and Avatar.