CinéGroupe (Canada)

Background :
CinéGroupe was founded in 1974 by Jacques Pettigrew and Michel Lemire. No logo was used until 1987.

1st Logo (October 17, 1987-December 25, 1997)
Nickname : "The Bird", "Cheapo Bird", "Polka-dots and Purple Clouds"

Logo : On a background consisting of a cloudy purplish sky and multi-colored dots covering the ground, we zoom out from 2 silver film canisters, with purple film rolling in them, like a projector. As we zoom out, we see a bird with a filmstrip in his mouth, being projected like a slideshow image. The bird promptly comes out in a cheap 3D effect. The canisters flip around with a flash of light while the bird, holding a film canister in its' mouth flies to the left of this text:

CINÉ

GROUPE

The word CINÉ-GROUPE is in a Gotkitch font with the U and P connected.

FX/SFX : The projector, and the bird emerging and flying.

Cheesy Factor : The bird looks cheap, but the animation itself is nice.<

Music/Sounds : A somewhat easy-listening type-tune.

Availability : Might be seen on Sharky & George on some foreign networks. It was also seen on some Just For Kids Video releases of Ovide and the Gang.

Scare Factor : None to minimal. This is a clean logo, and is a favorite of many.

2nd Logo (November 27, 1997-October 22, 2001)
Nickname : "The CGI Bird", "The Badlands Bird", "The Sunset Bird", "Cheapo Bird 2.0"

Logo : On a black background, we see the bird from the previous logo, with a white dot in the near center of the viewer's right. The bird pulls on the dot which causes an orange cloudy background to spring up (which looks like a sunset, or the background of the "Badlands" star system in Star Trek). The bird then leans upwards and opens it's beak to catch a film canister. The letters CINEGROUP "bounces" into place next to the bird. The U and P aren't connected, but the N and E are. The bird slightly leans over the logo, and blinks with the film in it's beak.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor : Very fast animation. The design is essentially an upgraded version of the 1st logo.

Music/Sounds : A short orchestral tune followed by an electric guitar tune with a "ding" when the bird blinks.

Availability : Seen on some shows during this period, such as the the first season of The Kids From Room 402, and the infamous Mega Babies.

Scare Factor : None to minimal. This is a clean logo, and is another favorite of many.

3rd Logo (2001-2002)
Nickname:  "Rolling Filmstrips", "The Letter", "Giant C", "The Electricity", "The Simple Bird"

Logo:  On a dark bluish-black BG, we see various filmstrips with the new logo on them. Letters are swirling around. We then see a big C coming from the left, swiveling to the center. It zooms forward as the filmstrips disappear, leaving it on a black BG with a spotlight lighting up a portion of the ground. The C moves up into the spotlight as various letters become CinéGroupe underneath it. The C now has a simplified version of the bird, minus wings and film canister, wedged in the center. The words then flash in the center as blue electricity moves to the left and right, turning the words blue.

Variants: FX/SFX : The filmstrips rolling, "C" and letters swiveling, and letters crackling and turning blue. Very impressive.
 * A more common short version only has the letters turning to blue.
 * A prototype variant exists where the same animation happens in the beginning, albeit with a different finished product. The background has more lighting (which resembles a dark, cloudy night BG), and the words are a much darker blue color, which doesn't produce electricity.

Music/Sounds : A majestic synth theme with a swoosh for the C swiveling, and electricity sounds for when the letters turn blue.

Music/Sounds Variant : The short version has a 3-note version of the music, and the electricity sounds.

Availability : Rare. It was last seen on Sagwa, The Chinese/Siamese Cat (when last reran on PBS Kids Sprout or local stations), The Kids from Room 402 (when seen on Teletoon and Fox Family), the first season of What's With Andy? (first on ABC Family in 2001-2002 and then on Toon Disney for a brief time in 2005, and reruns on Teletoon), and other shows. Should be preserved on DVDs of shows during this period. Do not except this to see on "Heavy Metal 2000" as the film itself, the logo wasn't shown and seen on The Shape Show on Treehouse TV.

Scare Factor : Minimal to low.

4th Logo (2002-2008)
Nicknames:  "The Simple Bird 2.0", "The Abstract Bird"

Logo : On a black background, we see a teal blue sphere quickly fly past the camera, and the rest of the CinéGroupe logo "wavers" into existence. The word "Ciné" is now a shade of teal blue while "Groupe" is white and the bird is now even more simple, with no legs and no "C" surrounding it. The logo tilts up as the sphere makes contact with the rest of the logo and creates a lens flare, and the sphere becomes the "eye" of the bird.

Variant : The logo simply shines on most shows.

FX/SFX : The sliding of the logo and words.

Music/Sounds : A waving electronic tune (the variant uses a zip-esque note instead).

Availability : Seen on shows such as Tripping the Rift and later seasons of What's With Andy?.

Scare Factor : Low.

CinéGroupe Star
Background : CinéGroupe Star was a joint-venture between Star Records and CinéGroupe to release episodes of shows on videocassette and DVD. The partnership ended in January 2004.

(August 2002-January 2004)
Nickname : Glitters

Logo : On a black background, we see the words CinéGroupe and STAR in their respective font sliding in. Then a bird appears at the front of the words. The logo goes out as the bird goes away.

FX/SFX : TBA

Music/Sounds : A wavy, cosy tune.

Availability : Seen on every VHS and DVD released by CinéGroupe Star.

Scare Factor : None.