Images by Eric S.
Written and Compiled by: Eric S. and Codyfinke2


Ambrose Video
(1987-????)


BFS Video
1st logo
(1989-1996)

Nickname: “BFS in Space”

Logo: On a blue space background with white stars zooming towards us, “BFS Video”, which consists of “BFS” in bold Helvetica font with segmented lines (like in the CBS-Fox logo), and a thinner “Video” font, zooms out to the bottom-right corner of the screen, tilted on its side. It then zooms back in towards us and rotates slightly and then settles in place. A few seconds later, the logo shifts up, and a warning message starts scrolling below the logo.

SFX/Cheesy Factor: The animation’s too simple, but you gotta give them credit for including a scrolling warning text underneath the logo!

Music: A dramatic synthesized orchestra fanfare.

Availability: Check an old mom-and-pop store or E-Bay for this logo. You might spot it on VHS releases of BBC (i.e. Blake's 7) and ITV’s shows from the UK.

Scare Factor: Median, the logo coming out of nowhere in the beginning might scare more than a few.

2nd logo
(1996- )


Blockbuster Video
(1994)


Availability: Can be found on "Halloween" and "Night of the Living Dead."

BMG Video
(1986?-2005)



Film Classics Video
(????-????)


Goldhil Video
(1994-1999)



Availability: Can be found on various tapes of "The Big Comfy Couch"


HGV Video Productions (Canada)
(1989-2001)

Nickname: “Pink Stripes and Big HGV”

Logo: On a black background, five pink stripes come from the left, a white “HGV” comes from the right, and “Video Productions, Inc.” comes from the bottom, all moving at the same time. As soon as they meet in the center, “Presents”, in white, fades in below.

SFX: The moving parts of the logo, “Presents” fading in.

Cheesy Factor: Not much effort here, unfortunately.

Music: Same music heard on the 1980s Goodtimes Home Video “Rainbow” logo, a synthesized percussion tune.

Availability: Don’t look in America for this logo, as HGV is Goodtimes’ Canadian counterpart. Maybe check eBay.co.ca for some tapes here. Of course, being that America and Canada both use NTSC, you can play an HGV tape here in the US.

Scare Factor: The music may startle some.


Hosca Home Video Productions
(1987)

Nickname: “Searchlights In Space”
Logo: We start with an animated space background with two planets (the Earth and the Moon) with an Orion right at the top, along with a cheesy light blue-green city skyline with buildings at the right and a huge blue Tron-like pattern of what seems to be a "Vortex" in the bottom. Then, one bright red searchlight shoots up from the right corner of the skyline and a light, bright green searchlight shoots up from the left, between the earth and theOrion, and both searchlights move from the left to the right. Next, a grey humpback whale with a dark blue suit appears, holding a cue card that reads "HOSCA" with a red film canister superposing as an O. Also, the words "HOME VIDEO PRODUCTION INC." right at the bottom. Then, the logo now fades out.

SFX: Two bright searchlights appears in the background.

Cheesy Factor: Cheesy, but shoddy animation, mixes with an IBM-Compatible computer. Also, what does a Humpback Whale have to do with this?

Music: A 8-note trumpet fanfare fades in, followed by the next 8-notes throughout at the end.

Availability: Consider this very short-lived, as this logo appeared on one VHS copy of "Micro-Commando Dia-tron - 5".

Scare Factor: Low


Human Kinetics
(????-????)


ImaVision
(????-????)


J2 Communications
(1987-1991)

Kodak Video Program
(1987-????)


Major League Baseball Home Video
(????-????)


MPA Video
(????-????)


MPI Home Video
(????-????)


NTA Home Entertainment
(1983-????)


Nu Ventures Video
(????-1996?)


Parade Video
(Late 1980s-Early 1990s)

Nickname: “Pink Outline Letters”

Logo: On a navy blue-black gradient background, we see an odd pink shape on the screen. As it turns out, the pink shape is the Parade logo, in an outlined pink Haettenschweller (spelling, please!) font zooming out from the top screen and centering itself (the bottom part of the odd shape is the reflection) on the screen. Once centered, the white word “Video” zooms out on the bottom and positions itself under “Parade”, then we fade out.

SFX: The pink “Parade” shaping itself as it zooms out from the top of the screen to the center, and “Video” zooming out. That’s psychedelic, isn’t it? :-D

Cheesy Factor: Somehow, it needs a little more work in effort though. :( Too bad, ‘cause this one of the more cool logos I’ve seen.

Music: A cheery low-bass synthesizer tune, which sounds a little like Frank Gari’s “Turn To/Stand Up” promo music.

Availability: This can be found on a lot of women’s workout videotapes (hmm… could this be why “Parade” is colored pink?). I dunno if the company still exists, though. The best place to find it is to look on E-Bay.

Scare Factor: Low, “Video” zooming out may scare some.


Pearson Television Video
(????-????)


Pioneer Laserdisc
(????-????)

Questar Home Video
(????-????)

Sterling Home Entertainment
(1994-1999?)

Superior Home Video
(????-????)

UAV Corporation
(1991-1998)



View Master Video
(1985-1990s)

Background: Although View-Master is now owned by Fisher-Price (then owned by the then-known Tyco), most of them were co-produced by Warner Bros. Records (now Warner Music Vision), especially the Kidsongs series, by Together Again Productions, Inc.

Nickname: "View-Master Filmreel"

Logo: On a maroon-colored background, with a grid on the base, we see a 2D filmreel turned sideways, panning out, with a silver "View-Master" in 3D on it. Then, it pans toward us, and after it pans torward us, the filmreel disappears, the name "View-Master" to turn white with black on the 3D, and "Video" in script under it. The "V" in "Video" is extended.

FX: The animation in the logo.

Music: A rock theme, which is the theme to the Kidsongs video series. A male announcer would say: "View-Master Video, a leader in children's entertainment, and Warner Bros. Records, a pioneer in the music video industry present a Together Again Video Production of Kidsongs."

Availability: Seen on Kidsongs VHS releases from the era.

Scare Factor: Low.




View Video
(????-????)