Version User Scope of changes
Oct 9 2009, 3:57 PM EDT (current) Newave 1 word added, 1 word deleted
Oct 9 2009, 1:47 PM EDT Shadeed329 1 word added, 1 word deleted, 1 photo added, 1 photo deleted, 1 widget added, 1 widget deleted

Changes

Key:  Additions   Deletions
Logo descriptions by Bob Fish and Eric S.
Logo captures by Eric S. and V of Doom


Background: Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, Jr. decided to expand his very successful record company into film and TV production in 1967 (the first production was the TCB: Takin' Care of Business television special starring Diana Ross and the Supremes and the Temptations broadcast with great rating success on NBC). There is a Motown logo on this special but the footage is currently unavailable to us. Motown also co-produced movies with Paramount (Lady Sings the Blues) and Universal (The Wiz, Bingo Long and the Travelling All-Stars) in the '70s, but its logo does not appear in feature films (only in-credit mentions).
This page describes the best-known logos from Motown Productions.

1st Logo
(1971-1978)
Motown Productions - CLG WikiMotown Productions

Nicknames: "M of Doom", "Flashing M"

Logo: Against a black background, An abstract, trapezoid-shaped white M from the Motown logo flashes in the center of the screen, while multicolored lines and polygons gradually converge on the M. As the colored lines fill the M, the M turns sky blue and zooms in the reveal a blue background. Finally, the the Motown M reappears in center with the words "MOTOWN Productions Inc." with Motown in a larger font.

Variant: On Jackson 5ive (the Jackson Five's 1971-73 Saturday morning cartoon series), a blue version of the logo was seen, with a Rankin/Bass script logo and co-production/IAW credit.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor
: The flashing M, the multicolored lines, the zooming M. All are typical effects of the Scanimate era.

Music/Sounds: A somewhat dramatic fanfare, accompanied by "beeps" for each time the M flashes.

Availability: Extinct; will probably never be seen again.

Scare Factor: Medium to high; while the fanfare is fairly tame, the flashing M and beeps are an unpleasant combo, and the zoom at the end resembles an inverse Viacom "V of Doom".



2nd Logo
(1983)

Nickname
: "CGI M25"

Logo: TBA

FX/SFX: TBA

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct; only seen on the Motown 25 TV special.

Scare Factor: TBA




3rd Logo
(1983?-1989)
Motown Productions
Nickname: "Flying Parallelograms"

Logo: On a black background, we see nine neon parallelograms-- three red, three blue, and three green-- zoom out toward the screen to form the Motown logo, which turns a golden color. A glowing blue square surrounds it, and "MOTION"MOTOWN PRODUCTIONS" appears below in white.

FX/SFX: The parallelograms flying to form the logo; nice '80s computer effects.

Music/Sounds: The end theme of the show.

Availability: Extinct; was seen on the Lonesome Dove miniseries.

Scare Factor: None.




4th Logo
(1992)

Nickname: "Marble M"
Motown (1992)
Logo: On a black background, we see a large, gray marble brick with the same abstract M as before with "MOTOWN Productions inc." underneath it. The marble brick simultaneously turns away from us while light is being emitted from the abstract M.

FX/SFX: The marble brick turning, the light coming from the M.

Music/Sounds: The end theme of the show.

Availability: Uncommon; only appeared on the TV special, The Jacksons: An American Dream, which is reran on VH1, TV One, and TV Land.


Scare Factor: None.


Final Note: Motown Productions became De Passe Entertainment.