Southern Star Video (Australia)

Background : Southern Star Video was the home video division of Southern Star Entertainment. It was originally formed 1983 as ”THG Video" to  released select Taft (-Hardie), Worldvision, and Hanna-Barbera product on VHS in Australia, which "THG" is an abbreviation for its then-current owner "Taft-Hardie Group". It was later renamed to "Taft Video" in 1987, before they wee settling on the name "Southern Star Video" after a management buyout by Neil Balvades, the head of the group in 1988. Most of its output were distributed in Australia by CIC Video (formerly CIC-Taft Video).

THG Video
(1983-1987?) Logo : On a blue background, the white words "THG VIDEO" flip and zoom in to us in a futuristic font. Then it fades out, and it segues into the warning screen from the CIC-Taft Video logo.

FX/SFX : The zoom-in of the words.

Music/Sounds : None.

Availability : Seen on Australian tapes released by the company, such as The Three Musketeers.

Editor's Note : None.

Taft Video
(1987?-1989?) Logo : On a blue background we see hundreds of white words that say "Taft Video" squeezing and moving around changing dimensions. Once this animation is complete it loops again as from the center of the screen another "Taft Video" zooms in, colored orange and rotates until it stops. The background overlaps the finished product and stops.

FX/SFX : The moving of the background the zooming in of the company name.

Music/Sounds : None.

Availability : Extremely rare. This comes after a CIC Australian warning screen and precedes a quiet Worldvision Home Video logo. Can be found on a late 1980s reprint of Oliver and the Artful Dodger.

Editor's Note : None.

Southern Star Video
(1989?-1994?) Logo : It's just the 1989 Southern Star Entertainment logo but with "VIDEO" in a plain serif font underneath the logo.

FX/SFX : Same as the 1989 logo.

Music/Sounds : None.

Availability : Rare. Has been spotted on Australian VHS releases of the Timeless Tales from Hallmark series distributed by Rainbow Entertainment. It was also spotted on the VHS of Meet the Feebles. It was also shown on Australian VHS tapes of RHI Entertainment material.

Editor's Note : None.