20 Favorite Movie Studio Idents

Here are 20 of my all time favorite movie studio idents, picked not only for their cool concepts and graphics, but also because of the brands and types of films they represent, and their association with some of my favorite movies. Yes, I love Japanese and Hong Kong cinema.

20) Studio Ghibli
Simple, represents them perfectly, and you know some jaw-dropping animation is in store:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_DUHlhhdg4



19) Anglo Amalgamated
Crazy British studio indent, sometimes before a Carry On movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jOUtdV1OdE



18) Disney/Pixar
Just because of Pixar's track record of great movies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkJo70xpGM0



17) RKO Pathé
Because it's a big chicken dominating the globe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L26AK-y3WJU



16) Paramount Raiders of the Lost Ark dissolve
You knew this movie would be awesome from the very 1st frame:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXojqJqm5U8


Old Paramount technicolor looks cool too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teCAv1p84lU


15) Win's
Just because a Stephen Chow movie or some other great Hong Kong movie is coming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D67SdfUWZ8


14) Nikkatsu
I love this because it looks animated at first, but it's actually some guy spinning radiating metal spines below the frame.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk6H4r7FfVI


This one's cool too. Yakuza on the way!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjOPcDlhpIk



13) Cinema City
Awesome Hong Kong action and comedy coming up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwbOkal0mtw



12) Warner Brothers 1970s
A departure from the Warner Brothers sheild logo, I love the simplicity and the saturated color of this one, especially on a big screen when the theater just glows red:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vtq3mCAd8M


The Warners/7 Arts logo was cool too, before movies like Bullitt and Dirty Harry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH2wxPbj5IQ


11) Toei
I love the vibe of the crashing waves, and it usually means an awesome Sonny Chiba movie is about to start:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNqT8jFgfpQ



10) The Archers/Rank Org.
The Michael Powell Archers bullseye is an exceptional graphic indent!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egY5MRKDsXU



9) Daiei
Toho lite! I love the color of the sky, very cool:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2let9_daiei-motion-pictures_ads



8) MGM Lion 1928
A classic, of course:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa2dX-tX0yQ



7) 20th Century Fox (Cannonball Run version)
Who doesn't love this, especially the Burt Reynolds laugh at the end?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW5ElNgnJ8w



6) American International
Usually precedes an awesome exploitation/b movie, Roger Corman movie, monster movie, etc.:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xohQ-ifgH1E



5) Shaw Brothers
Completely classic! It looks like they just glued their Warner Brothers-style logo to the bevelled glass of a shower door and got some colorful lights to shine behind it. What a great fanfare!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVEWGINMtHc



4) RKO
What captures the awesome deco design of the radio age better than this?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VNnsepByso



3) Golden Harvest
Tympani drum and fanfare herald the start of the best kung fu and action movies ever! (3rd indent’s the best):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_glrJgBTsk



2) Universal
This just sparkles with greatness, especially when a classic horror movie is about to begin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aop_7Q3PoW0


Universal (1928 plane) is completely wonderful too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdVZgZZAao0



1) Toho
I just love the look and color of this stunning, shimmering indent, and it doesn't hurt that it precedes some of my favorite monster and samurai movies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS6SzPT9-Jk


Toho (Scope version):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPLuSX8_o4M