Video Classics (Australia)

1st Logo

(Early 1980s)

Logo: We see a wide variety of clips from the Video Classics range including an eagle, surfing, a woman's nude butt in a shower and a science fiction film. The clip fades out and a purple box with the words "VIDEO CLASSICS" comes in via a trail effect.

FX/SFX: The clips. The trail effect left by the logo.

Cheesy Factor: The clips look like they come from obscure titles and the box reeks of cheesiness. Also, the nude butt is very not safe for work. It is also possible that they distributed pornos too!

Music/Sounds: An new wave piece with a male announcer saying "Video Classics presents the finest range of home video movies available in Australia. Video Classics are all top quality movies duplicated to the highest standards available in the world. For further details on the other video movies available, please contact your local dealer, or ring Sydney 926400 for these details."

Availability: Extremely rare bordering on extinct. Found on early releases by the company. Might have been used in tandem with the logos below.

Scare Factor: Low to High. The clips might not be what you expect and the box looks menacing.Also the nudity may scary you.

2nd Logo

(Early 1980s, Alternate A)

Nicknames: "The Pink Spotlight", "TV Static"

Logo: Against a black background, we see a pink line being drawn from right to left. It stays on screen for a few seconds, then it shrinks, and "VIDEO CLASSICS", in a rather blocky font, and viewed from an angle, appears via a "TV static" effect, then transforms into a pink outline logo. A purplish-pink spotlight shines through the logo, and we fade out.

FX/SFX: The line drawing and shrinking, "Video Classics" fading in...

Cheesy Factor: ...more typical 1980s effects.

Music/Sounds: A low electronic piano glissando as the line draws in, then a sweeping synthesized noise when "Video Classics" fades in, followed by a "sparkly" synth theme.

Availability: Seen on old Aussie PAL tapes. This is one of four logos from that era.

Scare Factor: Medium for the dark background, font, and opening music (the rest of the jingle's OK, though).

3rd Logo

(Early 1980s, Alternate B)

Nickname: "Wireframe Parallelogram"

Logo: On a black background, several lines wipe in from left-to-right, colored red, yellow, green, and white on the top and bottom, forming a sideways parallelogram. "VIDEO", in a typewriter font and also in a sideways parallelogram, zooms out, and when it settles, "CLASSICS" is written in a blue cursive font below.

FX/SFX: The lines wiping in, "Video" zooming out.

Music/Sounds: An analog synth bassline accompanied by synthesized chirps when lasers pass by, a "whirring" sound when "Video" zooms out while the bassline fades out, then a four-note synth fanfare as "Classics" is being written out.

Availability: See above for details.

Scare Factor: Medium; "Video" zooming out may spook a few.

4th Logo

(Early 1980s, Alternate C)

Nickname: "Australian Map and VHS"

Logo: Positioned against a black background, we are in a tilted position, as we see what appears to be a wireframe grid of octagons, with a mirror image on top. It rotates into place, and we see blue outlines of video tapes flying (think the Prism Entertainment logo). We pass over what look like two white circles in the middle of the grid, then the picture flips up to reveal it is the map of Australia (with the Tasmanian island below), and the circles shoot towards us (some thought that the circles actually represent the cleaning heads of a VHS). Then, the Video Classics logo, in a rather old-fashioned, but modern font, fly upward and downward, and another logo zooms in, and a flash occurs. The logo shines all over, and an gold-colored light coming out the "O" engulfs the logo before we flash into the word "PREVIEW".

FX/SFX: All the animation in the logo. Very modern for its time...

Cheesy Factor: ...though the grid screams 1980s.

Variant(s): An abridged version exists, starting at the point where the words "VIDEO" and "CLASSICS" fly upward and downward.

Music/Sounds: An ominous theme before building up into a two-note fanfare, a bang, and finally, a quiet synth arpeggio.

Availability: See recent logos.

Scare Factor: Low; the animation and music may spook a few.