Gramercy Pictures

Logo descriptions by kidinbed and LogosForTheWin
Logo captures by thehugetvfan, EnormousRat, V of Doom, and LogosForTheWin
Editions by thehugetvfan and V of Doom
Video capture courtesy of phasicblu

Background

Gramercy Pictures was founded in May 1992 as a joint venture between PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures (hence the name of the company, because both names are connected: the "GRAM" for PolyGram and "ERCY" for Universal, although the name could also be a reference to Gramercy Park in New York City), at the time Universal and MCA were owned by Panasonic Corporation. Gramercy served as Polygram Films' US theatrical distributor and as Universal's art-house division. The Seagram Company would sell half of the studio to PolyGram on January 11, 1996, thus Gramercy became fully owned by the latter. When Seagram (then parent owner of Universal) bought PolyGram, they acquired Gramercy, but sold it (along with October Films) to Barry Diller's USA Networks (which Seagram owned a partial stake in), who renamed the combined operations USA Films (now "Focus Features"). In May 2015, Comcast revived the label for genre films. After the failure of Ratchet & Clank, the company shuttered for a second time.

1st Logo (1993-1997)

Nicknames: "Spotlight on Statue", "The Spotlight", "G"

Logo: We see an outline of a circle, then a flash that illuminates it. The circle zooms out to form a statue that holds his arms up. A yellowish spotlight then shines on him, and then a blue spotlight shines on him as well. The two spotlights move a bit and form an abstract "G" under the statue. The statue and abstract "G" zoom out and the text:

GRAMERCY

P I C T U R E S

fades-in.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The animation is a tad choppy and unrefined.

Music/Sounds: Either a dark and dramatic piano tune with an ominous synth or the opening theme of the movie. In some cases, such as Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, it's silent.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On Grace of my Heart, the music is custom-made, consisting of a dark pound, then a soft yet very majestic string and piano fanfare.
• On MGM-HD's print of A Home of Our Own, it has the roar track from the 2001 MGM logo!
  It is believed this oddity is present on its 2001 DVD.

Availability: Uncommon. Appears on Gramercy films from the era, including Dazed and Confused, Grace of My Heart, Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, Mallrats, Double Dragon (GoodTimes DVD), and Commandments, among others. The Gramercy/PolyGram combo is preserved on MGM prints of Dream Lover, Possee, A Home of Our Own, Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh, Romeo Is Bleeding, Canadian Bacon, and Dead Man Walking. In the case of PolyGram films, the print logo appears on VHS/DVD covers of some of their films. 

2nd Logo (1997-2000)

Nicknames: "CGI Spotlight on Statue", "CGI Spotlight", "G II"

Logo: A flash illuminates a circle, as before. Then, the circle zooms out into a statue. The statue looks more abstract than in the last logo. While the statue zooms out, two spotlights form an abstract "G" and keep on zooming out. The text shown above also zooms out, and the logo is more gold-like than before. The byline "a PolyGram Company" (in its corporate font but stretched to fit the width of the words above), fades in below.

Closing Variant: At the end of Clay Pigeons, the print logo is used. The text "A GRAMERCY RELEASE" appears above the logo.

FX/SFX: This is another successful logo update. The animation is much cleaner and is in excellent CGI.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. Can be found on the VHS of Going All the Way. The still version can be found on several USA PolyGram trailers from the time, such as Bean, The Big Lebowski, Elizabeth, The Last Days of Disco, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, among others.

3rd Logo (June 5, 2015-April 29, 2016)

Logo: A flock of yellow-green dots fly and go round over a bluish darkness. They form two dim circles, rotate several times and more circles appear until they all become the big "G" from the logo, and the name and a Comcast byline appear below.

Variants:

• On London Has Fallen, the logo got some glitches and flickering effects.

Closing In-Credit Logo:

• Most times, the closing already-formed logo is white and is scrolled up along with the credits.
• At the end of Ratchet & Clank, the print logo is used.

FX/SFX: CGI-Effects Animation.

Music/Sounds: The opening theme of the movie.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On Sinister 2, the logo has the static sound over it, that plays over the EntertainmentOne and the BH Productions logos.
• On the London Has Fallen variation, the opening theme is heard, along with newsfeed over it.
• At the beginning of Ratchet & Clank, the logo is silent.

Availability: Uncommon. The logo debuted on Insidious: Chapter 3 and was also used on Self/less, Sinister 2, The Forest, and Ratchet & Clank.

Scare Factor: None.