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Pioneer/Geneon Entertainment
Background: Pioneer Entertainment began as a spinoff of the Japanese firm Pioneer Electronics. Although the company made releases in various genres (including music and special interest), it became best known as an anime producer and distributor. In 2003, Pioneer sold its entertainment division to another Japanese conglomerate, advertising giant Dentsu Incorporated. Dentsu renamed the company Geneon, which is a portmanteau of the English words generate and eon. (The name is meant to signify innovation and longevity.)
Pioneer LaserDisc
1st Logo
(Jun. 1980-Mid 1980s)
Logo:
FX/SFX: The stars, the Milky Way, the logos zooming forth, the sparkles, and the cycloid. These were top-notch effects for 1980!
Music/Sounds: The side 1 opening features a gentle synthesized tune that gives off the feeling of being in space, which gets faster and louder as the logo zooms forth. This ends with a weird flourish sound as the cycloid appears, followed by a 9-note synth fanfare. The end of side 1 varient has a acending "wooga-wooga-wooga" sound that repates 4 times, along with acending synth notes. The side 2 opening had a extended version of the first part of the side 1 opening music. The end of side 2 variant has a similar sound to the side 1 opening, ending with an 8-note synth fanfare.
Availability: Rare; seen on Pioneer LDs of the time.
Scare Factor: Low for the side 1 opening variant, and minimal to low for the side 2 closing variant.
2nd Logo
(Mid 1980s)
Logo: On a black background, the word "LaserDisc" is seen on screen, with the usual Pioneer logo underneath. A red line draws from left to right, then sends off a big flash.
FX/SFX: The line drawing in.
Music/Sounds: A thumpy and whiny Moog synthesizer jingle with a "whoosh/ding" at the end.
Availability: Very rare; this can be found on the LaserDisc called LaserDisc: What It Is, How It Works.
Scare Factor: Low to medium for some, due to the dark atmosphere and rather creepy music.
3rd Logo
(Late 1980s-2001)
Logo: On a black/blue gradient BG, we see the words "PIONEER ARTISTS" in the Pioneer font with a blue TV tube shape containing a white Pioneer logo on the left. The words "LaserDisc" is seen below with a line through it. Below all that is a red line with "digital SOUND" at the bottom right with the line in between.
Variant: If side 1 on the disc comes to an end, the logo appears with the words "End of Side 1" appear in the bottom left.
FX/SFX: Completely still, except for the "end of side" caption fading in.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Seen on Pioneer LD releases from the time. The format still continued to be supported in Japan until 2001 with the last release being Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Pioneer stopped making LD players around January 2009.
Scare Factor: None.
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Pioneer Entertainment
1st Logo
(1993-1999)
Logo: On a black background, a ring of sparkles moves to the center of the screen to encircle a tuning fork. Then, the ring and tuning fork zoom out to the left to make room for "PIONEER". Sometimes the words "The Art of Entertainment" would appear below in italics. The whole thing turns white when this is done.
Variant: Variants with the logo colored gold and blue with white outlines have been used.
FX/SFX: The circle and the tuning fork merging into the Pioneer logo.
Music/Sounds: A whimsical tune on synths.
Availability: Can be seen on Pioneer Entertainment VHS tapes and DVDs of the era.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
(1999-2001)
Logo: On a white background, we see "Pioneer" in red. The font is more futuristic-looking than in the previous logo, and it's now in italics.
FX/SFX: None; it's a still logo.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Can be seen on Pioneer Entertainment VHS tapes and DVDs of the era.
Scare Factor: None.
3rd Logo
(2001-2003)
Logo: Same as the second logo, except the background is now black.
FX/SFX: None; it's a still logo.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Can be seen on Pioneer Entertainment VHS tapes and DVD's of the era.
Scare Factor: None.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Geneon Entertainment
(2003-2007)
Logo: On a black background, a la the 2000 UA logo, streaks come from all sides of the screen to form a stylized red and gray G. "Geneon" fades in below in a futuristic font.
FX/SFX: The streaks.
Music/Sounds: A calm synth/violin stinger, with a 5-note woodwind ditty at the end.
Availability: Can be seen on Geneon Entertainment DVDs of the era. Also seen on Adult Swim broadcasts of Samurai Champloo and Paranoia Agent, as well as FUNimation rereleases of Geneon DVDs, such as Black Lagoon.
Scare Factor: None; it's actually a nice logo.
The Beginning of the End: In late 2007, Geneon USA ceased to operate as a label. However, as noted above, it still exists as a licensing entity.
In late 2007, the struggling Geneon USA stopped manufacturing and distributing DVDs, although the company still exists as a licensing entity. In 2008, it licensed several of its titles to FUNimation. Geneon Japan continues to distribute DVDs in various genres, including some mainstream Hollywood films.
Pioneer LaserDisc
1st Logo
(Jun. 1980-Mid 1980s)
- Opening of Side 1: We start off with a zooming starfield. After several seconds, a greenish image of a rotating Milky Way galaxy appears. Then, the Pioneer logo, consisting of a combination of a tuning fork and a capital omega (Ω) with "PIONEER" to its right, appears and zooms up. As we get close to the O, the Milky Way fades out, and the logo begins to give off a blue light trail effect. We zoom through the O, and some sparkles appear. A white circle zooms out, which turns into a rainbow-colored cycloid shape, which disappears off the screen as a laser forms the words "LaserDisc" in a metallic italicized font. Then, a laser comes in from the left and carves a line through the word.
- End of Side 1: On the same starfield as before, "SIDE 1" appears on screen, followed by "END" flashing in below "SIDE 1". The text fades out, and then the starfield.
- Opening of Side 2: The opening logo for side 1 plays again, but this time, instead of a green Milky Way galaxy, "SIDE 2" fades in. Then after a little bit, the logo fades out.
- End of Side 2: Essentially, a reversed and abridged version of the side 1 opening logo: we see the words "LaserDisc" set against the starfield again. A blue line shoots through from the left, remaining on the screen. Then, the words disappear, and the sparkles zoom toward the screen, cutting to the Pioneer logo (with blue light trail) zooming out. The green Milky Way galaxy appears again.
FX/SFX: The stars, the Milky Way, the logos zooming forth, the sparkles, and the cycloid. These were top-notch effects for 1980!
Music/Sounds: The side 1 opening features a gentle synthesized tune that gives off the feeling of being in space, which gets faster and louder as the logo zooms forth. This ends with a weird flourish sound as the cycloid appears, followed by a 9-note synth fanfare. The end of side 1 varient has a acending "wooga-wooga-wooga" sound that repates 4 times, along with acending synth notes. The side 2 opening had a extended version of the first part of the side 1 opening music. The end of side 2 variant has a similar sound to the side 1 opening, ending with an 8-note synth fanfare.
Availability: Rare; seen on Pioneer LDs of the time.
Scare Factor: Low for the side 1 opening variant, and minimal to low for the side 2 closing variant.
2nd Logo
(Mid 1980s)
FX/SFX: The line drawing in.
Music/Sounds: A thumpy and whiny Moog synthesizer jingle with a "whoosh/ding" at the end.
Availability: Very rare; this can be found on the LaserDisc called LaserDisc: What It Is, How It Works.
Scare Factor: Low to medium for some, due to the dark atmosphere and rather creepy music.
3rd Logo
(Late 1980s-2001)
Variant: If side 1 on the disc comes to an end, the logo appears with the words "End of Side 1" appear in the bottom left.
FX/SFX: Completely still, except for the "end of side" caption fading in.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Seen on Pioneer LD releases from the time. The format still continued to be supported in Japan until 2001 with the last release being Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Pioneer stopped making LD players around January 2009.
Scare Factor: None.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Pioneer Entertainment
1st Logo
(1993-1999)
Variant: Variants with the logo colored gold and blue with white outlines have been used.
FX/SFX: The circle and the tuning fork merging into the Pioneer logo.
Music/Sounds: A whimsical tune on synths.
Availability: Can be seen on Pioneer Entertainment VHS tapes and DVDs of the era.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
(1999-2001)
FX/SFX: None; it's a still logo.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Can be seen on Pioneer Entertainment VHS tapes and DVDs of the era.
Scare Factor: None.
3rd Logo
(2001-2003)
FX/SFX: None; it's a still logo.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Can be seen on Pioneer Entertainment VHS tapes and DVD's of the era.
Scare Factor: None.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Geneon Entertainment
(2003-2007)
Logo: On a black background, a la the 2000 UA logo, streaks come from all sides of the screen to form a stylized red and gray G. "Geneon" fades in below in a futuristic font.
FX/SFX: The streaks.
Music/Sounds: A calm synth/violin stinger, with a 5-note woodwind ditty at the end.
Availability: Can be seen on Geneon Entertainment DVDs of the era. Also seen on Adult Swim broadcasts of Samurai Champloo and Paranoia Agent, as well as FUNimation rereleases of Geneon DVDs, such as Black Lagoon.
Scare Factor: None; it's actually a nice logo.
The Beginning of the End: In late 2007, Geneon USA ceased to operate as a label. However, as noted above, it still exists as a licensing entity.
kidinbed |
Latest page update: made by kidinbed
, Jul 22 2009, 12:22 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
The Geneon logo is also seen on a few rereleases, too.
- kidinbed
13 words added 2 widgets added 2 widgets deleted view changes - complete history) |
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Keyword tags:
anime
entertainment
geneon
pioneer
More Info: links to this page
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| marklungo | Geneon lives! (In Japan) | 0 | May 18 2008, 4:33 PM EDT by marklungo | ||
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Thread started: May 18 2008, 4:33 PM EDT
Watch
"In late 2007, Geneon ceased to operate as a label."
While that's true for the American subsidiary, the Japanese parent company still exists. They're at http://www.geneon-ent.co.jp .
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