Tobis (Germany)

The original Tobis Film was a German film producer and distributor founded in 1927 by the merger of several studios. It remained the second biggest studio after UFA (part of "the big four") until the fall of Nazi government, when it was closed and the facility merged into UFA. Late in 1971 the former Tobis employee Horst Wendlandt founded a new company with the same name, though it's not connected with the original studio.

1st Logo (1927-1945) Logo: We see depending on the film's background, but mostly black, the text "TOßIS" in white. The first-to-last four letters are diagonal, left and right. Below it it's the text "zeigt:".

Variant: The pentagon outline would appear since 1941. Sometimes STUDIO would appear in below.

FX/SFX: None, but sometimes with the opening background of the film.

Cheesy Factor: The B looks more like an Eszett. Music/Sounds: None or the opening theme of the film.

Availability: Very rare, bordering on extinct. Seen on many old German movies and it's original releases.

Scare Factor: None to medium, depending on the opening background of the theme. Surely this is nothing compared to it's sucessor.

2nd Logo (1970's-2000's) Logo: On a black background, the line is drawn. Then the letters rise from it, reading "TOB S," which every letter lacks a bottom portion (except for B, which has a transparent half). A cartoon rooster flies in and watches around, standing between the "B" and the "S". The background becomes gradient blue and the letters turn black (except for B, which has is bottom portion the same color. The bird then lays a small egg, which forms "I". Then the rooster walks away, and the logo shines.

Variant: The background is beige or plain blue, and "TOB S" be formed by emerging on it.

FX/SFX: Line forming, words emerging from the line, rooster walking and laying an egg.

Cheesy Factor: Destroys the scale. The picture is simple enough, the rooster animation and fanfare go back for decades, and roosters dont lay eggs!

Music/Sounds: A violin note, followed by a very dramatic fanfare. Halfway through, we hear the rooster. The early version doesn't have the violin note.

Availability: Seen on older German movie releases. Was spotted on Theory of Flight.

Scare Factor: Medium to high. The overly dramatic music and rooster may give someone the scares, but this logo is more weird than scary!

3rd Logo (1980's-2000's)

Nicknames: "Tobis Elephant", "Better Than That Rooster!"

Logo: On a white background, the word "TOB S" from before emerges from it, with the bottom of the "B" is represented by lines. An elephant appears running, and drifts and stops on the place of the "I". The elephant kisses the B, as the B later turns red and a heart appears floating above the elephant. The elephant's trunk raises, facing the heart, making the "I".

FX/SFX: Cartoon animation; seems a bit more polished than before.

Music/Sounds: A violin note (similar to the beggining of the previous logo). Deep string/drum hits when the elephant runs, a braking sound, the kiss, and the elephant's sound, as the fanfare turns into a calm note with a "shining" synth.

Availability: Used in tandem with the previous logo and was seen on older German releases, such has Otto.

Scare Factor: Minimal. Far better and more adorable than the 1st rooster logo. However, the scare factor rises again with the other one that follows.

4th Logo (Early 2000's-Late 2000's?) Nicknames: "The 2nd Tobis Elephant"; "Looks Can Be Decieving"

Logo: The signature "TOBIS" text from the previous two logos emerges by sliding in from a clear blue surface. The camera stops zooming back, and the reflection of the "B" fades in on that surface. An elephant appears illuminated by a spotlight, moving with jumps. The elephant then looks at us. It starts jumping to the left, and then to the bottom of the screen. The elephant then starts to jump at the camera while yelling "Yah!", making it crash with the screen and a shattering glass effect happens.

FX/SFX: The text emerging, reflection fading, the elephant, and the shattering glass, all in good CGI.

Cheesy Factor: Only one problem, the elephant broke the screen, as well as the fourth wall.

Music/Sounds: A 2-note dramatic string theme when the logo appears. A dark sounder when the reflection appears. The sounds of jumping, the elephant yelling and the glass breaking during the rest of the logo.

Availability: Very rare.

Scare Factor: Medium to high, the unexpected end may catch first-time viewers off-guard, even for those who were expecting the elephant to do something else. The darkness of the background and silence also do not help. Some may still find the elephant cute, however.

5th Logo (Late 2000's-present) Nicknames: ''Country Rooster", "Shadow Rooster", "Weird Rooster II", "The Rooster That Layed Eggs II"

Logo: On a sky blue-white gradient background, we zoom away from a shadow of a rooster walking on the shadow "TOB S", again without bottom parts. When the rooster's foot walks past the gap between the "B" and the "S", he stops for a bit and flaps his wings. Then he lays an egg, and then the "I" forms upward, lacking the bottom like the other letters. Then the rooster flies away, and the text "TOBIS" unveils itself and becomes gold. Then the logo shines.

Variant: There is a short version of the logo that starts when the logo shines.

FX/SFX: The rooster walking, laying an egg, and flying away; the logo unveiling itself and shining.

Music/Sounds: A catchy country music, which stops for a second when an egg is laid. A rooster crowing and flapping are also heard.

Availability: Seen on German movie releases. The short version can be seen on trailers.

Scare Factor: Minimal. The music and action are calm enough compared to the 4th logo.