Think about all the great film company logos. From Paramount to Warner Brothers to 20th Century Fox, there’s a lot to pick from. However, what exactly makes these logos so great?
Is there a secrete recipe to creating an iconic film company logo? If you combine some of the best existing logos you’d get a combination of animals, clouds, planets, and dynamic lights. Yet, something tells me just throwing all these elements together won’t result in a good logo, let alone a great one.
Studios place their logos in the beginning of the movie to brand the film. It’s their way of saying, “Hey we made this movie … just letting you know.” However, for an audience member this is the first image of the film that they see. While some studios let their logos run like unskippable ads, smart studios let filmmakers weave their logo into the narrative of the film.
For example, the Harry Potter film series progressively desaturates the Warner Brothers logo as the series’ tone gets more serious. Additionally, WALL-E helps the Pixar lamp change it’s lightbulb during the Pixar title card. Before the real story has even begun we know how sweet and caring WALL-E is. By giving filmmakers creative freedom to alter their logo, film companies can ensure that the film is more engaging and that their logo sequence is more memorable.
For an in depth break down of what makes a great film company logo check out the video above to see Little White Lies’ latest video essay.
