150 Movie Production Logos Explained!

Did you know that those little company logos before movies actually mean something? I break down the meaning, origins, and fun stories behind some of the most famous (and forgotten) production company logos of all time.
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[@jackvlahos407]

Dan: “I’m getting married and going on my honeymoon so there might be a drop in content.” Also Dan: Here’s a 2 hour video

[@LebahG4nteng]

More like, 10 hours of researching plus prepare a script and 2 hours to record 😂

[@chrisobrien64]

I just love when creators give you something you never knew you wanted. Way to go Dan ❤

[@Karin-fj3eu]

Big mood on this one!

[@andeekumar2817]

Gay ahh comment

[@edvaira6891]

Yeah…honestly ASTONISHED how much I’m enjoying this!!

[@tammygant4216]

I know right!!

[@HannahDoesThings]

This is the most Dan Murrell video ever. I can't begin to understand the amount of effort and time it took to put this together, but it is clearly a labor of love that other film nerds (like me) will cherish. Thank you, Dan!

[@KellicTiger]

One of two thoughts this was either a brake glass in case of being out for a while..... AKA honeymoon. Or this was something that was in the works for a while as they realized they were going to be on their honeymoon.

[@dropkick79]

The Dan Murrell logo consists of his name in bold, red font. Scattered around the background we see a collage of notable film images. These include the Jaws, The Bride of Frankenstein, Shaun of the Dead, Rear Window, Robo Cop, Jurassic Park, and more. This collection consists of classics, and no doubt favorite movies/moments hand selected by the man himself.

[@MysteryMii]

Only Dan can make a movie-length video about the logos you see before a movie.

[@teruphoto]

2 hours of opening credits...Cinema Sins are gonna love this.

[@heatheraggus7501]

This is going to be better than a lot of 2 hour movies! Thanks Dan!

[@Billmao]

The guy knows we're gonna miss him on his honeymoon so he drops a 2 hour video on logos, I love you Dan.

[@Ductos]

The "Artist's Rendering" of the Weinstein brothers got a huge laugh out of me everytime 😂

[@ad3z10]

The one animation studio I feel was missing was Aardman, they tend to present their logo in a creative way every film but the logo has been the same for as long as I can remember. A lot of these actually made me feel quite nostalgic as I hacen't seen them since I used to watch films with my family growing up (either on the TV or VHS).

[@moviereedviews]

This is one of those videos that explains why I'm a film nerd. "Yes, I watched a 2 hour video on KZbin about studios logos."

[@Fuuntag]

Just when I thought Dan couldn't do any better after his “If I Ran Marvel”, video he goes and does this ❤ An absolute masterpiece of an idea. 😊

[@AndyCleveland]

I can't imagine how much time, research, editing, etc. went into creating this wonderful video for movie nerds like us, but I greatly appreciate every second of it. Way to go Dan!

[@TheSchylli]

Who knew this is what I needed to watch this week? I didn't! But Dan did.

[@animemangalover94]

Love this video idea, so fascinating! Holy cow the irony of United artists eventually being bought by mgm, wow. P.s. the stars the Orion logo are specifically the stars that make up the constellation of Orion, which always used to confuse me as a child because by themselves they don’t look at all like a man, let alone a hunter.

[@kaiju-nostalgeek]

The WB logo with the As Time Goes By theme at 1:54:00 , Dan used Superman Returns as the source, as it is the customized version where the music ends with a cue from John Williams' Superman theme.

[@TheClockchan]

These logos felt so mysterious as a kid! It always felt like a very small peek into a secret world of movies I couldn’t fathom. Who knew people made movies and they didn’t just pop into existence on a whim! There’s something neat about hearing about their history as an adult.

[@OrionInSpace]

This is such an interesting and different type of video idea and I love it! I hope it does well because 2 hours for breaking down movie production logos is dedication and passion.👏

[@InsertCleverNameHere0]

This video concept is the platonic ideal of the phrase "graphic design is my passion"

[@dillanconrad]

I don't exactly know how to put it into words but this is unironically my absolute favorite two hour video on KZbin that has ever been produced. Thank you so much Dan for providing something so niche, yet exactly what many people need, even though they may not know it yet.

[@LebahG4nteng]

I'm so addicted to studio logos for some reason. Whenever i'm bored in class, i've always liked to draw movie studio logos on my paper. I'm so close to getting 100% perfect at drawing a Warner Bros logo on my paper lol

[@Nisarga7]

Love it when Dan releases videos like this. My inner geek is so satisfied right now💃

[@zypher8677]

As a graphic designer myself, I love the creativity and imagination in production logos. Much like commercial jingles they're an often underappreciated form of art. Glad to learn about the history of them in this video! Thanks Dan! Also I think my favorite is the Columbia Pictures logo.

[@mercurywoodrose]

The studios put so much attention into their calling cards. They want their audience to think of them when they’re watching a good movie, Columbia is pretty classy.

[@LebahG4nteng]

I'm so addicted to studio logos for some reason. Whenever i'm bored in class, i've always liked to draw movie studio logos on my paper. I'm this close to getting 100% perfect at drawing a Warner Bros logo lol

[@CannonKnight]

I have always found movie studio logos fascinating not only because are they the view few animated logos, but they also often are a snapshot in time. It's pretty incredible Columbia, Univeral and MGM have been around for a century, and seeing how MGM's logo basically hasn't change and Univeral's changed dramatically is pretty interesting.

[@LebahG4nteng]

I used to draw movie studio logos when i'm bored in class. It took me about more than 15 times to get the Warner Bros logo perfectly shaped in my drawing book lol

[@studiobeaming]

Thank you for making this, Dan. When you mentioned at the end that this was a 2 hr video, I was gob smacked. I had no idea we'd been watching for 2 full hours. Like a good feature length movie, it was fascinating and didn't feel its length at all.

[@ieatgremlins]

I love this idea. I actually really enjoy the studio logos before a film. I particularly love the Scott Free logo/animation. I am posting this before watching the video but, knowing the quality of your work, I know it will be phenomenal. Thank you, Dan.

[@rachelh2816]

Scott free's logo is amazing. I like a lot of the water logos too. Also Regency, Revolution, and Skydance. Sometimes logos don't have to be elaborate to be memorable.

[@LebahG4nteng]

Amblin Entertainment is a unique one by taking the most iconic scene in E.T. and made it as the studio's biggest trademark

[@ieatgremlins]

@@LebahG4nteng that was a wonderful move.

[@zeadsi]

This is honestly one of my favorite film-related videos at this point in time. Something I never thought I wanted but glad I got.

[@brianscli9567]

Just got done watching. This was right down my alley, how could I not watch the whole thing? What I found most curious was all of Dan’s “OMG” replies to the many Odysseus comments 😂 I mean was he just trolling on a mass scale all of the folks who corrected him? I think we’ll never know I learned a lot of interesting things from this video, but I don’t think I realized before just how etched in my brain some of the musical cues here are, I mean obv I know them like the back of my hand but, they’ve even influenced the music I enjoy more than I had ever considered. Some beautiful, iconic work done by so many artists. Good on you, Dan, this was great

[@WhatsYourGhostStory]

One of my first industry jobs was working for Revolution Studios as an intern for a development executive. They were riding the high Blackhawk Down and were in production on XXX, Anger Management and so much more. I was able to work on set for them for Daddy Daycare and Hollywood Homicide. So, thanks for including them... and for not bringing up Gigli ;)

[@bennettdavishoff]

How was the CEO Joe Roth? Was he cool?

[@WhatsYourGhostStory]

@@bennettdavishoff He seemed cool, laid back. I didn't spend a ton of time with him. More with Todd Garner, who was a bit more intimidating, but also certainly kind to me, but I spent the bulk of my time with their development execs, who were all awesome and very charitable with their time & advice.

[@DarthHomercles]

Was the world asking for this video? Nope. Am I glad Dan made it? Heck yeah!

[@B-RollBooks]

This was the most delightful trip down memory lane while also teaching me about the newer production companies. What a strange, beautiful idea for a KZbin video. Well done, Dan.

[@thorman2005]

I watched the WHOLE video... and would love a "DAN TIER RANKS THE LOGOS" video. Please please please!!

[@DrAjaoMedia]

More of this Dan! Such a simple concept but more than worth its feature length.

[@Jayk129]

Great video Dan. And wow what a very specific subject I thought for sure I’d be the only person in the world who’d want to watch a two hour video about logos, but no there was like 10k views when I watched it (still on launch day). For the record my hands down favorite (no one comes even close) studio logo is the 80’s era Tri-Star logo with the running Pegasus. My number two is the original View Askew logo.

[@Shelter71]

I love that Tri-Star logo.

[@danielneil237]

Man and I thought I was the only one obsessed with film logos and their variations depending on the movie. Great video, Dan.

[@Sleepy_Spaghetti]

I love studio logos! Especially those from the 80’s-90’s.

[@AndyVonTube]

This is just such a 'Dan' Project... and I couldn't stop watching till the end. Well done and thank you for putting so much work into something this inconsequential. :)

[@fernandorosas1173]

Your dig at Quibi during the DreamWorks segment made me laugh. 😂 Thank you.

[@Iamsnuggles]

Dan you gotta make a part 2 I’ve honestly never been more entertained by movie logos before.

[@Milosh111]

That was unexpected and great! Two hours flew by. Some other production companies that come to mind... Artisan Entertainment (some trashy horror films, but also Requiem for a Dream!), Alliance (lots of Canadian films), Protozoa (Aronofsky), Ghost House (Sam Raimi)... but as you said, to list all of them this video would've been twice as long (and I would still watch it!)

[@tristanmayer5373]

No better day than Dan Murrell nerd out for two hours on an extremely specific topic I didn’t even know I was interested in

[@ulkeshn4724]

The order of company names really give a strong finish to this video.

[@cobymclaughlin3453]

I didn’t know I wanted a 2 hour video of Dan dealing down film production logos but boy am I glad we got it😂😁

[@lydia1634]

It is the most Dan thing ever to make an in depth, highly researched, 2 hour video in response to a bunch of comments correcting an obscure reference. We appreciate your bitter deep dive!

[@Shelter71]

I love how in the beginning of this video I could *hear* the fanfares for each company in my head.

[@cameron2069]

Studio logos were actually the reason my little neurodivergent brain got interested in film, so this is a real full circle moment for me, thanks Dan! Especially whenever they would do a twist on it for certain movies, think the green Matrix-style WB logo or the Dr Seuss-ified Universal logo in The Cat in the Hat (not high art, I know😂)

[@LebahG4nteng]

I'm so addicted to studio logos for some reason. Whenever i'm bored in class, i've always liked to draw movie studio logos on my paper. I'm so close to getting 100% perfect at drawing a Warner Bros logo lol

[@paradisecity0406able]

Wow! I never knew I needed this until now. Thanks Dan!

[@egmorox13]

I wonder if there may have been a moment of hesitation clicking the upload button, “will people really watch a 2 hour video covering the history of production logos?”. I hope you know this was the first thing I saw when I opened KZbin this morning, and I never clicked on a video quicker. Thank you for this video!!

[@chrispapciak887]

Oh my a whole 2 hour video with Dan! Excited to watch this. And a big shout out on Film Theory again with MatPats new Marvel episode yesterday. And its in alphabetical order! How my brain loves this list

[@munbok]

I'd wanted to skip this video because of the runtime but the moment I pressed 'play', I was hooked. I can't believe the video is 2 hours long! That's the fastest 2 hour KZbin video I've ever watched! And coming from Asia, thanks for mentioning Golden Harvest, Shaw Brothers and Studio Ghibli!

[@antoniobronx4955]

Love this! I’ve always appreciated a good movie logo and a good 10 second theme. Ends up being a mini history of Hollywood, especially given how many studios have gone under. And seeing the iterations over the years brought back many movie memories for me. Great job, Dan!

[@MichaelWutsch]

I honestly love when the movie incorporates the studio logos into their openings. I still remember the chiils when I saw the black and white logos and heard war speeches in the background during the opening of Overlord

[@LebahG4nteng]

The first four Indiana Jones movie was pretty unique one too. The Paramount logo then transition to an actual mountain from the Paramount logo by taking the name and the stars off and there you have where it began the movie

[@tomwaterloo3]

I don't know how you pulled this off, Dan. But that was the fastest 2 hour video I've ever watched.

[@jameslevario2254]

Dan could read a phone book and I'd still be invested

[@TheCasualduke]

This is exactly the type of content I subscribe to Dan for. Great video!

[@HelloMisterJAMWAH]

Bravo, Dan. As a huge ident and logo nerd, this was like the Superbowl for me. Not only did I watch it twice, but I'd happily watch a sequel with home entertainment logos. That CBS FOX intro on Star Wars VHS releases was legendary.

[@jensmartinaarseth]

Surprisingly interesting, and for those of us who lived through VHS / Betamax this is such a trip down memory lane. Great as always, Dan!

[@_ezrah]

I didn't know I wanted this video!!! Thanks, Dan! Also my fave logo was MGM. The lion roaring was my fave as a kid Edit to add: I clicked on this video so fast and told my husband - this is a Dan video!

[@lydia1634]

I've been doing a deep dive with the podcast You Must Remember This, about Hollywood history, and now I recognize a ton of these logos and names! It's really cool to have that kind of a background now.

[@DDavEE]

Watched the whole 2 hours and just wanted to say THANK YOU for taking the time to make this video.

[@Hikerdude-sp1hz]

Loved this video! The little trivia for each logo was fascinating and I listened to this over my commutes the last few days 👍

[@californiumblog]

This. Is. AMAZING! What a great primer! I would watch an entire series based on this!

[@eleven2614]

The two brothers that shall not be named actual graphic depiction is what killed me on this video. And yes, I watched the full 2 hours. And ideas for a sequel, if you ever want to do one (for some reason): - Big Ideas - Bad Hat Harry - Angel Studios - Alliance Atlantis - Netflix - Pureflix - Toei Animation - A Band Apart - Jerry Bruckheimer - Grindhouse

[@IsraelOrtegaPikos]

Fantastic, insanely thorough work, Dan. Thanks. I noticed that BEACON is missing, although you mention it during the LAKESHORE clip. I remember Beacon from “Air Force One”.

[@dslay3916]

This was incredible! Thank you so much for all the work and time you put in to make this!❤

[@Varekai0723]

I'm loving all the well-deserved shade towards the Weinsteins. Also, the MGM lion's roar is really that of a tiger.

[@haunted_autumn]

You have outdone yourself, sir. This film nerd salutes you! Bravo!!

[@brucemichaelwentworth3857]

Great video! Need you to "bank" more interesting topics like this! Might I suggest annual honeymoons?

[@waynesmiley2207]

That Dark Universe mention felt like a dig at an already defeated adversary 🤣This was a video that I didn't realize I was curious about until now. Thank you Dan 🙂

[@kirkcorner5792]

I love these logos and hearing the history behind them. Thanks for the video!

[@oldschoolabrahamhicks2742]

LOVED THIS! Always wondered about these logos before the films AND why there so many- played the entire 2 hours of this! x

[@ShrankTheFirst]

What I failed to anticipate were the waves of nostalgia I was hit with repeatedly during this video.

[@sparkax]

Awesome video!!! I love learning little bits of trivia related to a lot of the behind the scenes, production of movies, and just the history of Hollywood!! Why does the Dreamworks have a kid in moon? How many different variations of the Warner Brothers logo have there been? Cool stuff like that!!!

[@IronicShenaniganz]

Those artist renderings were *chef's kiss*

[@lisamortini8567]

It's shocking how many of these logos I know / remember vividly. Fab video!

[@vincentpilon2641]

Damn Dan, can't believe you failed to mention Chuck Norris while talking about the Cannon group! Great video! Don't know how many hours you spent researching that, but you brought me right back to a time where a logo at the start of a movie would prompt me to turn to my friends in the theater and shout the company name before the logo was fully visible... Great job man!😃🎬

[@4outof10]

Just an incredible amount of research has gone to make his video and I really appreciate it. Fascinating subject. Thank you for all of your work.

[@JHarv_]

FANTASTIC video, Dan. Thank you for all the time and effort putting this extensive piece together. Loved it. As a horror fan (and love for both the Halloween franchise and Mike Flanagan’s work), I’d love to see some more on Trancas International and Intrepid Pictures. Keep up the great work. Enjoy the honeymoon. And safe travels!

[@ahunt1054]

The artist rendering of the Miramax bros -- chef's kiss.

[@fionagilbert2247]

I am so impressed with the amount of research and preparation that must have gone into this and yet it didn’t feel long and was the exact right amount of information per company. Thanks, Dan!

[@AlMoSiCe210]

Dan Murrell is the best at what he does. To make an idea as unasked for as this compelling [from the clever shade thrown on the Weinsteins to the impassioned delivery of the time capsules that familiar to certain generations]. All because a good number of folks "Well, actually"ed Dan for the TSG logo to the point when Dan was like, "It became personal for me 🫤" and made this video. Well done. Well done.

[@mellyna1715]

Thanks Dan for putting together all this super interesting info any cinephile will love😊

[@lordsaile]

Damn Dan! Good stuff. Especially loved the artist renderings of the Weinstein brothers, spot on.

[@miserychord11]

Amazing job. And so many more companies out there! Gaumont - luc bessons company for one. So def worth investigating a part.2. But Pat yourself on the back for an incredible edit job!

[@nicdennis]

Oh man! I was really hoping you would show the Scott Pilgrim version of the Universal logo and theme. My favorite!

[@johnnypopstar]

My favourite thing with this video (and I'm still only an hour in so this may yet change) is watching the logos animate in and trying to anticipate what Dan's description of some of these more abstract ones will be.

[@joshuabmcclellan]

Thanks for the hard work on this Dan.

[@riddler9857]

That's why we love you Dan. You give me something I didn't think I needed. Great video

[@shelby127]

Such a Dan video and I am SO here for it. Love this kind of content

[@jasonbhunt]

Love the video! One that you could add in a sequel is Rank Film - the one with the man hitting a large gong.

[@AustinIsTheGreatests]

lol, I love this video. It gives me so many more movies to watch. I think you should sit down and do a tier list ranking all these logos in a video.

[@johnp9477]

Dan, you have created a KZbin channel that is impressive and most excellent.

[@lniqueo06]

Another perfect piece of Dan M content. Dan brings a new meaning to movie magic. I will watch a video that long if it is worth it, and this delivered!

[@laurencelikestopgun]

I always have a soft spot for the Paramount logo for some reason

[@travisgilbert1716]

I started watching this to have something on while working on random things on the computer. then I got hooked and just watched and learned. One Note I have, on Orion you say "as stars in space spin around" those stars are the Orion constellation. Great info here, so much nostalgia that I didn't know I had for some of those older variants of logos.

[@Phantomwaxx]

Hall of Fame entry alongside the Star Trek Next Generation video. Bravo, Dan.

[@ClefCrescendo]

You mention the newer CGI Touchstone logo debuting in 2003, when it is also on the 2002 film "Signs". I don't know if that's where it debuted, but it's definitely there. Great video though!

[@Kasino80]

This is going to be a video I put on when going to sleep. Just Dan talking for two hours.

[@kwameryan]

I‘ve always said that I‘d happily listen to Dan read the phone book. This incredible (and really original) video now removes any and all remaining doubt as to the truth of that assertion. It’s brave, bold and Murrell-style bloody brilliant, especially when you reveal the great composers behind some of the most iconic logos!

[@TullyQuinn]

This is by far the nerdiest endeavor I've seen you do