What is a film Ident?

Film idents are the 5-20 second clips that show who produced a film.

7 Great Film Company Idents:

The Criterion Collection:
It’s simple, it’s clean, it evokes a running film projector, and it serves as the intro to some of the best films in history:

Metro Goldwyn Mayer (M.G.M.):

This one has been around forever and ever, dating back to 1917. MGM currently is on their fifth lion, who has been used since the 1950′s.

20th Century Fox:

Much like MGM’s lion, the fanfare and spotlights on the oversized studio name is as iconic as they come in movie theaters. 

                                  

Columbia Pictures:

                                  

Paramount Pictures:

Paramount has stayed true to its brand, featuring the mountain peak and the stars seemingly forever. Like Columbia, the only difference is that it’s been polished and updated to add depth and motion:

                                   

Disney:

Disney is one of the few major studios who HAS changed their ident quite a bit, going from a simple white-on-blue vector drawing to this more majestic piece. I have to confess, I preferred the simpler, less over-the-top version:

                                    

Dreamworks: