Strand Home Video

Background
Strand Home Video (formerly Strand VCI Entertainment) was the North American division of Video Collection International that distributed special interest and children's videos. The company was launched in 1988 but didn't release anything until January 1990. In December 1993, the company was acquired by, and in 1994 absorbed into Video Treasures.

(January 1990-1992)


Logo: On a white background, an amber rectangle slides in from the left and goes under a translucent white rectangle, followed by many more rectangles sliding in from all sides but the left, while "ENTERTAINMENT" in a dark gray Triple Condensed Gothic font scrolls from right-to-left across the screen. Eventually, the rectangle slowly turns dark grey, while the "ENTERTAINMENT" text appears at the bottom of it in black, slowly turning white. A red rectangle, plastered with "STRAND V⯁C⯁I" in a white Times New Roman font (but with the "V" in golden yellow), flies up and rotates to a sharp angle to the left, flying back onto the board into a similar position as the Video Collection logo, and the "V" turns dark grey as soon as it stops

Variant: Sometimes, a white "V" flies up just as a yellow rectangle slides in and covers up the golden "V" as the red rectangle flies into place. The white "V" then fades to the normal grey.

FX/SFX: The sliding rectangles, the panel flying up.

Music/Sounds: Three light synth chords and a reversed cymbal, then an orchestral hit with a loud bang, ending with a synth chord.

Availability: Uncommon. Notably seen on 1990-1992 Thomas the Tank Engine releases in the U.S., but was also seen on The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Runaway Ralph, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and The Jungle Book anime.

Editor's Note: The "V" turning from gold to grey is odd, but the print logo does show the "V" as grey. The variant appears to fix the golden "V" by layering a white "V" over the animation, but the delay makes it hard.

(1992-1994)


Logo: On a starry sky background, a globe of Earth flies in from the bottom right corner of the screen, rotating clockwise and donned with dark grey oceans and grey continents. As the globe freezes on a tilted North America, a grid pattern is wiped in from top to bottom. Then, a shiny black rectangle drops down from the top of the screen as it rotates around. Along with the rectangle, a red sign with a silver border "STRAND", in a Windsor Elongated font, flies and rotates in from the right of the screen and the silver text "HOME VIDEO", in a Futura font, come in from both sides and flip around once. When they all meet up, the logo flashes a thin white outline and freezes into a 2D image.

Variant: A placeholder variant appears on Wild and Wacky Sports Moments, Volume 1, where the logo forms on a grey background. First, the rectangle (with "HOME VIDEO" already attached) slides up, followed by the "STRAND" rectangle flying in and rotating in from the right.

Trivia: Since Strand Home Video was the American counterpart of The Video Collection, a white star appears on the globe right where London is.

FX/SFX: The globe spinning, the CGI rectangles, and the forming of "HOME VIDEO".

Music/Sounds: Same as the 1986 VCI logo.

Music/Sounds Variant: The placeholder uses the Strand-VCI Entertainment music.

Availability: Uncommon.
 * Can be seen on later Thomas the Tank Engine releases in the US from 1992 to 1994.
 * Also seen on Kino's Storytime.

Editor's Note: This is a favorite of Thomas the Tank Engine fans who grew up with their tapes.