Logo descriptions and capture by EnormousRat and CTWPerfection
Background: Genius Products (also known as "Genius Entertainment") was an entertainment company based in Santa Monica, CA, which distributed material from The Weinstein Company, Classic Media (now "DreamWorks Classics"), Sesame Street, The Discovery Channel, and ESPN, among other companies. In 2005, it announced a joint venture with The Weinstein Company to distribute its films on video, which was fully transacted in July 2006. In 2009, Genius Products Investments acquired 60% of Genius Products, LLC, with TWC owning 15% and Genius Products, Inc., holding 25%. Later that year, Vivendi Entertainment (now "Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment") acquired the home video distribution rights for many of Genius' titles, and sold the home video rights to Sesame Street to Warner Home Video. On September 15, 2009, TWC terminated its 70% stake in Genius Products, later striking distribution deals with Sony Pictures (from 2009–10) and Anchor Bay Entertainment/Lionsgate (from 2010–17).
1st Logo (2003–2008)[]
Logo: On a waving red curtain background, the words "genius entertainment" in white zoom-out and the dot of the "i" in "entertainment" flashes and three abstract sunrays appear on top of it making the dot cot-out. Then the background changes to black and the company name fades out.
Variants:
- An extended version appears on most early non-Weinstein Company titles, in which the logo fades in earlier. On most titles, the logo fades in during the point where the company’s name begins to zoom out.
- A prototype version exists. The red curtain background is different and still, two cameras are shown on the top left and top right corners of the screen, and the text is black with a yellow outline. The text “Presents”, the copyright info, and the company’s website address appear below the logo in white Times New Roman Bold.
Technique: 2D computer animation. None for the early variant.
Music/Sounds: A chime/harp theme composed by the late James Horner.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- On most Weinstein Company DVDs, the final note is abruptly cut off.
- On titles with the extended variant, the theme begins later.
- The prototype variant contains a catchy tune that segues from the company’s first warning screen, composed by the late Jaclyn Linetsky.
Availability:
- Appears on most early Weinstein Company, Dimension, and Dragon Dynasty DVDs, including The Libertine, Lucky Number Slevin, Scary Movie 4, the 2006 Genius/TWC DVD releases of Lassie and The Thief and the Cobbler, Chestnut: Hero of Central Park, Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing, Come Early Morning, Lovewrecked, The Protector, Miss Potter, Thunderpants, Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker, Redline, School for Scoundrels, Black Christmas, Arthur and the Invisibles, The Ex, Hannibal Rising, Breaking and Entering, and Bobby.
- The only Weinstein Company DVDs not to contain this logo include Derailed, Wolf Creek, The Matador, Transamerica, Mrs. Henderson Presents, Hoodwinked!, and Doogal. It also doesn’t appear on the earliest Sesame Workshop or Big Idea DVDs distributed by the company.
- Also shown on public domain DVD cartoons such as Popeye, Betty Boop and Friends, Superman (though Warner Bros. Entertainment owns the masters of the 1941 cartoons due to the fact that Superman is a trademark of DC Comics), Casper and Friends, Felix and Friends, and The New Three Stooges, among others.
- It also appears on most Genius Products, Big Comfy Couch, RHI Entertainment, ESPN, WWE, Porchlight Entertainment, AMC, TLC, Baby Genius, Classic Media, BKN, Discovery Channel, and Discovery Kids DVDs from the period.
- The prototype variant appears only on the 2003 DVD release of Bozo the Clown: Shows 4-6 and PSP UMDs released by Genius Products.
2nd Logo (2007–2011)[]
Logo: We see golden lowercase "g" slowly panning around with some shades. The letter suddenly lights on, and we see it is inside a huge lamp. Other letters appear to the right, with "genius" in red and "products" in white, every of them in 3D. The lamp disappears, but the reflection of "g" is seen at the background. The logo shines.
Technique: CGI.
Music/Sounds: Light synth music (chimes, strings, and a cymbal crash) composed by Jamie Christopherson with sparking electricity.
Availability: Uncommon.
- Can be seen on most Genius Products releases from the period, mainly later Genius-era Weinstein Company, Dimension, and Dragon Dynasty DVDs such as D.O.A.: Dead or Alive, 1408, the Unstable Fables trilogy, The Nanny Diaries, Planet Terror, Death Proof, Halloween, Who’s Your Caddy?, The Longshots, The Flight Before Christmas, and The Great Debaters.
- Also appears on the game Line Rider 2: Unbound for Wii and Windows.
- The only Classic Media release to contain this logo was Casper’s Haunted Christmas.
- It doesn’t appear on any Sesame Street, Play With Me, Sesame, Elmo’s World, Pinky Dinky Doo, or Big Idea releases they distributed. In the case of the latter, the logo doesn’t appear on the DVD cases either.