TF1 Video (France)

Background
TF1 Video is a video division of the TF1 Groupe.

1st (known) Logo (1990-1998)


Nicknames: "VHS City", "From Night to Day"

Logo: Starting off on a angled shot of a blank tape, the camera zooms out to reveal several of them stacked onto a double-layered disc, which itself is against a dark purple background. The sky starts to brighten up to a dark blue sky with clouds as a spotlight in the shape of the 1990 TF1 wordmark appears over one stack and scrolls up it, and the camera catches a glimpse of it coming from the TF1 logo itself, which contains a / rectangle surrounding it. As it scrolls off the tape stack and the camera rotates around (as well as the sky completely brighten up by now), the word "VIDEO" scrolls to the left on another stack, coming from an unknown source, before the camera starts rising up the stack and the TF1 logo flies up and tilts slightly from behind it. The camera faces straight towards the logo and 5 lights flash in below it, forming "V I D E O" in a spaced-out, rather thin version of Impact, and several sunshafts fade in behind the logo.

Variant: The earliest tapes just had the logo on a marble/cloudy blue background with "presenté" below all spaced out. This was found on a tape of 1989 : Les Grands Événements de l'Année.

FX/SFX: Great CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A synth trumpet/string fanfare, with a final note that's held out until the logo fades out.

Availability: Uncommon. It can be seen on VHS releases of TF1 programming at the time and some other general stuff. Releases include Ma Vie est un Enfer, Zeus et Roxanne, among others.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1998)
Logo: On a gradient background, the TF1 Vidéo logo zooms out from the bottom of the screen, and slightly tilts. A flash later occurs, making the TF1 logo disappear. The DVD Video logo zooms in and rotates.

Trivia: This was a logo created specially for the first DVD releases by the company.

FX/SFX: Simple animation.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. Seen only some early DVD releases from the company. Also, don't expect this to appear on a VHS.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (1998-2010)


Logo: Against a space background, we see a bright blue explosion with several lasers shooting at the screen. At the end is a bulging blob, which forms a half, half  rectangle. The lasers form the white letters "TF1" on the rectangle. A red bolt of electricity forms the words "V I D E O" below. The URL "www.tf1video.fr" forms below.

Variant: Sometimes, the URL would not form below; instead, the logo would fade out, and the URL would form in the center of the screen.

FX/SFX: The lasers, the formation of the logo, and the bolt; great CG effects.

Music/Sounds: Several whooshing and zapping sounds accompanying the effects.

Availability: Seen on French SECAM videos and Region 2 DVD's from the time.

Editor's Note: A great-looking logo for the time, though the dramatics might put off a few.

4th Logo (2010-)


Logo: Against a dark blue background, multiple parts move and form the rectangular shield, accompanied by streams of liquid metal, which form letters. Then 5 glowing spheres appear one-by-one outwards below, and morphing into "V I D E O" and the glow dissipates. Meanwhile, the letters color white, while the rectangle colors into and.

FX/SFX: Great HD animation.

Music/Sounds: Peaceful ambient sounds with some deep beats and a synth tune that slightly resembles the Village Roadshow jingle.

Availability: Seen on French DVD and Blu-ray discs.

Editor's Note: None.