Alliance Entertainment Corporation (Canada)

 Logo descriptions by Nicholas Aczel and Sean Beard

 Logo captures by Eric S., V of Doom, Subzero917, Dean Stewart Rumsey, and snelfu

 Editions by V of Doom and Eric S.

 Video captures courtesy of Eric S., Subzero917, and File Preserver

1st Logo (1985-1988)
Nickname: "The Shining Text"

Logo: On a shady blue gridlined BG, the metallic stylized text:

ALLIANCE

appears in the center of the screen, and the underlined text "ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION" uncovers below it. The "ALLIANCE" shines.

Byline: During 1985-1986 had the joint byline "An RSL • ICC Company" written below "ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION." Dropped in 1986 as the merger between two of producer Robert Lantos’ movie companies, RSL • ICC and French-Canadian film distributor Vivafilm Ltée., was completed.

Variant:The RSL • ICC byline slides down as well as "Entertainment Corporation" from "ALLIANCE" meanwhile the name is shining on this variant.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The graphics look quite ugly, and the light effects look cheesy.

Music/Sounds: Played over the ending theme of a show.

Availability: Seen on earliest episodes of Night Heat from the 1980s as well as other shows of that time.

Scare Factor: Medium. The terrible look of the logo may not sit well with people.

2nd Logo (1987-1991)
Logo: We see a bright iris, then we see on a black-blue gradient background, is the word "ALLIANCE" is in the same style as before. The word "ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION" fades in below. The logo shines.

FX/SFX: The iris, the shining.

Music/Sounds: The closing theme.

Availability: Uncommon, at least in America. Seen on a daily basis on reruns of Night Heat on Canada’s TVtropolis and DejaView channels (which were owned by CanWest Global, who bought out Alliance Atlantis's cable networks, and are now owned by Shaw Media), and should be intact on all other Alliance shows of the period whenever rerun on Canada’s many cable networks.

Scare Factor: Low. However, it can't be mind-blowing enough if you except the follow-up logo.

3rd Logo (1991-1998)


Nickname: "The Metallic A", "The Frontier of the Australian Logo", "The Alliance A", "The Alliance Boomerang"

Logo: We see a dark night sky with mountains of metallic silver gemstones below, one of which streaks brightly. The screen cuts to a bird’s eye view of the gemstones. One of the pyramid-shaped gemstones rises into the air. We cut to a side view of the gemstone turning in the sky, then a facing view of the gemstone turning up on its side until it shapes a long isosceles triangle. A spark flies from the bottom left of the triangle. When the spark reaches the top, it brightens and the triangle turns into a boomerang-shaped metallic A with the text "ALLIANCE" written below in a Times New Roman font. The spark reaches the top and streaks again.

Variants:


 * On French-language theatrical films, the text "VIVAFILM" appears under the Alliance logo.


 * There exists a short version that starts when the "ALLIANCE" text appears.


 * Another short version exists that starts when the gemstone is turning up.

FX/SFX: Very, very good CGI animation, which looks very ahead of its time.

Music/Sounds: A deep whoosh as we see the mountains, followed by 2 dings with an odd choir-like effect to them. Then, as the gemstone rises in the air, we hear a lush fanfare with synth string notes and a hit at the end with a ding. Sometimes, the fanfare is heard with a synth piano.

Availability: Common. Seen on movies and TV shows from the era. This logo also seen a 1996 Sci-Fi Channel airing The Odyssey.

Scare Factor: None. This is a beautiful logo with beautiful CGI animation to boot.