Background: This is a company of American actor/director Spike Lee. It was named after historical event: in 1865, General Sherman ordered the distribution of 40 acres lots to some freed black families on the Georgia coast, and also distributed some army mules.
1st Logo
(1986-1992)
Logo: On a black background, we is a circle, with a "4" inside, an "o" up right to the number, and an "a" down right to it. Below the logo are the words
A Forty Acres and A Mule Filmworks Production
Variant: The words were updated later to read
40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks YA-DIG SHO-NUFF
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Uncommon. Can be seen Do the Right Thing, She's Gotta Have It, School Daze, and Malcolm X, among others. The version without the logo appears onJungle Fever.
2nd Logo
(1994?-)
Nickname: The Hammering
Logo: This is a spoof of the Mark VII Limited logo. On a wood background (in either gray or brown), a hand holding a stamper places it on the surface. With a hammer, it knocks the stamper and pulls it away, revealing the same logo from the previous logo. The company name, "BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY", "YA DIG" and "SHO NUFF" wipe in later.
FX/SFX: Live action and the animation of wiping.
Music/Sounds: Robot-like sounds, followed by a loud "BANG!". Sometimes, the wiping of the company name and all that jazz have "freezing" noises.
Availability: Appears on films by Spike Lee, like Bamboozled, Crooklyn, He Got Game and Love & Basketball.