VT4/VIER (Belgium)

VT4 is a Belgian television channel that started airing in 1995. As VIER, it is currently one of the major broadcasting television network in Flanders and has received sister channels in the form of Vijf and Zes.

1st Logo (1995-1997) Background: VT4 is a Belgian television channel that started airing in 1995. It is currenntly one of the major broadcasting television network in Flanders and has received sister channels in the form of Vijf and Zes.

Logo: Here you can see some standard variants of the logo. Trivia: Despite what the startup variant seems to tell, VT4 is in actuality more dubiously legal rather than outright illegal. The network executives did not have rights to air television in Belgium at the time the logo was made, but did have the right to air television in London and used old BBC headquarters to air television from there to Belgium.
 * Startup: First we see a green lightning flash which forms turning on a half-black half-white decoration screen. After a couple of seconds, the police comes to inform that this channel is illegal for over a while, and gets more angrier (probably that people doesn't ask his question). Then switches go off, clocks go round, antennas start receiving signals and we cut to the television in full view. Then it starts showing random imagery from penguins, dogs and cats to people in a snowsuit, dancers and a feather, all of these which are very hard and overly emphasized to describe the difficult details this logo has. It all ends when a woman with green eyes opens them, Then we cut to a transition to a half-black, half-green circle with an abstract green 4 (or a diagonal line that turns to the left and then turns to the downwards side of the screen, in an smart definition of the word), and the company's name from the time on the bottom.
 * Closedown: The green eyed woman in the startup closes her eyes. Many people from the startup variant start doing their acts in reverse against the white background. In some transitions the TV will also show up. All antennas close it's transmission for the day and after not only that, but which the TV after a lot of bruise closes down at last, then the woman at the start closes her eyes again followed by the logo getting shown.

FX/SFX:Live-action. Very likely an early example of digital filmmaking.

Cheesy Factor: The logo concept is blatantly taken from the Swedish TV channel Femman (now Kanal 5). A few logos make it clear. The startup also contains a lot of noise and images with no seeming coherence between the image and background noise whatsoever.

Music/Sounds: Availability: Extinct.
 * Startup: TBA
 * Closedown: TBA

Scare Factor: 2nd logo
 * Startup: Medium to nightmare. This variant contains a lot (and we mean a VERY LOT) of sudden transitions that is definitely going to catch people off guard whenever they aren't expecting it, have all-seening eyes or have hypersentitive ears. The calm rock music which cuts to the police, would also contribute with the scare factor, along with the loud and random noises which have no sense at all. It's lower for those who used to it. This is in par with the Ka2 logo.
 * Closedown: Low to medium.

(1995-1997)

Logo: We see a watermark set to a psychedelic, VTM-like but brighter background. On the watermark the message "Iedereen zet 'm op" is revealed. After which we cut to 3 women showing 4 fingers saying "vier". This is followed by the line "U toch ook" and the logo.

Variant: There is also a variant in which only the logo gets shown against the same decoration. After a while the text

appears for when the channel re-airs the next time.

Music/Sounds:

Normal variant:A synth theme

Closedown: Seems to be pop-music

Availability: Extinct

Scare Factor: None

3rd logo

(1997-2001)

Logo: After quick flashing, the VT4 logo is set against a blue background.

Music: A mix of piano and electric guitar.

Availability: Extinct.

Scare Factor: Low to medium, the sudden animation and the loud music could be an issue to some, but it is relatively calm

3rd logo

(2000-2001)

Logo: A picture of a celebrity copy-pasted over an entire line. Below the logo of the company appears.

Music: A flute piece.

Availability: Extinct.

Scare Factor: None.

4th logo

(2002-2003)

Logo: A few drops of water get thrown into water, forming a 4 into the place where the drops fell.

Sound: Water drops, at the end there is also a tense drum-like sound.

Availability: Extinct.

Scare Factor: Medium, the whole thing is very tense.

5th logo

(2003-2004)

Logo: A scene that involves water drops plays. Within those water drops is the logo, after which the camera zooms in on it.

Sound: A soothing musical theme.

Availability: Extinct.

Scare Factor: None to Minimal, the thrown water may disturb first-time viewers somewhat, but the music does a good job at calming them down.

6th logo

(2005-2009)

Logo: Women are underwater while the logo quickly flashes to the side.

Variant: There is a variant in which the water gets polluted with trash. At the near end there is a PSA from the Flemish government that trash belongs in the trash can and nowhere else.

Availability: Extinct

Scare Factor:

Normal variant: Medium, the fact that the people in the logo appear to be drowning will definitely be an issue for some. The music does however calm it somewhat down.

Trash variant: High, the water is a lot less clean in this variant and the sudden warning may also catch people off-guard.

7th logo

(2009-2012)

Logo: Circles get embedded in each other and form the VT4 logo.

Variant: Tons of variants were used to promote new material, including.

Knight and Day: The 2 actors are presumably running from incoming VT4 balls.

Shrek Forever After: Shrek swings over a VT4 board and skates on roofs with it. Then he glides over the logo while farmers try to hit him with hay forks.

Super Mario Galaxy 2: Mario flies next to the logo, causing it to spin. Then Yoshi, while riding on Mario, uses it to run very fast.

Music: Guitar

Availability: Extinct

Scare Factor: None.

8th logo

17/09/2012

Logo: A whole presentation introducing their new ident. After a button is pressed that officially signals the start of the new network a logo is shown. There is a central screen acting as a timer, while black and white footage of all kinds is shown on the screen. At the 10 mark the logo turns blue. At 5 seconds the thing turns pitch-black. After zero, you see a women on the microphone saying that it starts, after which the logo gets shown.

Music: "Tonight" by David Bowie.

Availability: Has only appeared for one day.

Scare Factor: Low to High, some of the black and white scenes are disturbing and the sudden pitch-blackness is definitely going to unnerve, but it was anticipated.

9th logo

2012

Logo: Several live-action scenes are shown, while the logo forms itself.

Availability: Extinct

Scare Factor: None

10th logo

(2013-present)

Logo: The logo gets recreated in full live-action in several parts of Flanders while people walk besides or even in full-view.

Music: The same tune, but always with different instrumentation.

Scare Factor: None.