Visuals: On a black background is drawing of a mountain above a few clouds surrounded by 27 stars. Over the mountain is scripted text reading:

Paramount

Pictures

Trivia: This logo is said to have been originally sketched by founder William W. Hodkinson during a meeting with Adolph Zukor. It is also said to be based on Ben Lomond Mountain in Utah, near where Hodkinson spent his childhood.

Variant: The color of the logo may vary depending on the film.

Technique: A still painting filmed by a cameraman.

Audio: None or the closing theme of the film.

Availability Notes: Many of their films released during this period were either destroyed or in the public domain, making this difficult to find.

2nd Logo (February 16, 1919-June 11, 1927)

Visuals: On a black or gray background, there is a snow-capped mountain poking out of a cloud at the bottom on a circle containing a sunset background, surrounded by a ring of 24 stars. There is stacked text in a fancy script font (slightly different from before) overlapping the mountain reading:

A

Paramoun

Picture

Essentially, this is a redrawn version of the previous logo.

Trivia: The 24 stars surrounding the mountain would later come to represent each star that had a contract with the studio at the time. However, this hidden meaning was dropped in 1967, when the number of stars in the studio's print logo was lowered to 22.

Variants:

• On Zaza (1923), The Sorrows of Satan and So's Your Old Man, the opening credits overlap the logo.
• On The False Faces, there is the print logo on the bottom right corner. On the top corner of the screen is the Thomas H. Ince Productions logo with the trademark notice below it.
• On some films such as Love 'Em and Leave 'Em, So's Your Old Man, and Running Wild, the clouds as well as the sunset background extend to the sides of the screen and the logo as a whole is rendered more realistically.
• Closing Variants:
  • On some films, the "A Paramount Picture" logo appears after the movie ends instead. After a few seconds, either the "The End" text overlaps the logo and fades out, or the text "THE END" fades into the logo.
  • Sometimes, the MPPDA logo is seen in the lower-left corner of the screen.
  • On It's the Old Army Game, the "The End" text is omitted.
  • Sometimes, the words read "Paramount Pictures".
  • Another variant from Stage Struck shows the "THE END" in white script, with the "T" and "E" in fancy lettering.

Technique: A still painting filmed by a cameraman.

Audio: None or the opening and closing themes of the film.

3rd Logo (January 22, 1927-August 20, 1953 (USA)/November 3, 1960 (International))

Visuals: There is a snow-capped mountain against a dark sky, with clouds that look like smoke. Encircling the mountain are 24 stars, accompanied by the stacked text "A Paramount Picture" in a script font overlapping the mountain.

Closing Variant: At the end of the film is "The End" (in script), overlapping the company name. On many movies, the "The End" text fades out, leaving only the logo and "A Paramount Picture".

Variants:

• Sometimes, the clouds around the mountain are foggier.
• At the end of Barbed Wire (1927), the "A Paramount Picture" logo is seen. After a few seconds, the words "The End" fade in.
• On films starring Harold Lloyd, there is a copyright notice for Harold Lloyd Corporation below the logo.
• Sometimes, the logo is still.
• On title cards for movies released between 1927 and 1930, the box from the previous logo appears at the bottom of the screen (with the two Paramount pseudo-logos removed). Inside the box is "PARAMOUNT FAMOUS LASKY CORPORATION" in a large font. Below that are the words "ADOLPH ZUKOR, PRESIDENT" in a slightly smaller font, with "NEW YORK CITY" below Zukor's name. A copyright stamp appears on the upper-left or left side of the box, and "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED" on the upper-right or right side of the box.
  • On Wings, the copyright stamp appears on the top of the box with "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED" omitted.
  • On Children of Divorce, "PARAMOUNT FAMOUS LASKY CORPORATION" is replaced by "FAMOUS PLAYERS-LASKY CORPORATION".
  • On some films, the copyright stamp appears on the right side of the box, with "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED" on the left side.
  • Starting in 1928, the words "WESTERN ELECTRIC SYSTEM" appear below the box.
• Although the same general design of this logo remained the same, there were subtle changes from 1929 to 1931, including brighter stars on some films released from 1927 to 1930, the redone version of the stars on some films released from 1930 to 1935, or the slightly different design on films from 1935 to 1939 and from 1936 to 1939, respectively. From 1937 to 1939, and from 1939 to 1942, the words "A" and "Picture" fade out a little, and either "ADOLPH ZUKOR PRESENTS", or the word "PRESENTS" fades in below the "Paramount" script, or sometimes nothing on the logo, respectively.
• There are alternate versions of the logo where it is drawn differently.
• The B&W version was enhanced in 1942.
• There are also sepia variants.
• Some films in the early 1930s feature the logo of the National Recovery Administration (a new deal agency that existed between 1933 and 1935), and a MPPDA card at the start, preceded by the Paramount logo.
• On the infamous Koch Media widescreen DVD and Blu-ray of the 1939 animated film Gulliver's Travels, the opening Paramount logo is still on a (poorly) retouched widescreen background, then the "filmed" portion of the mountain stretches and morphs as its fades into the opening title card. The closing variant is similar to the opening version as well, morphing and all.
• In earlier color films released from 1930 to 1939, the logo is colored in brown/purple.
  • Some colorized versions of black and white films has the clouds colored in blue or sea blue, with mountains colored in yellow or dark colors.
  • Another colorized version of the 1936-1939 variant exists, where the clouds are colored in either denim blue, dark blue, or sea green. The mountains are also colored either yellow shade or in dark colors, respectively.
• On independent films distributed by Paramount, the word "Release" replaces "Picture", although The House That Shadows Built uses the word "Program" instead.
• On Horse Feathers and Now and Forever, the logo has 23 stars instead of 24.
• On The Cocoanuts, the words "The END" fade into the closing logo.
• The logo has appeared in British English ("A Paramount British Production"), Spanish ("Es un film Paramount" for earlier version or "Paramount Films presenta" for later version), French ("C'est un film Paramount" or "Distribué par Paramount"), German ("Ein Paramount Film"), Italian ("E' un film Paramount" for earlier version or "La Paramount Presenta" for later version).

Technique: The clouds and mountain are both hand-painted matte paintings, with the cloud background being slid behind the mountain via motion-control. The stars and the text used superimposed cels.

Audio: The beginning or end of the film's theme.

Audio Variant: Starting with the 1930 film Paramount on Parade, almost all films from Paramount use the fanfare of the same name (written by Elsie Janis and Jack King).

Availability Notes: This appears on most Paramount films from The Kid Brother to Roman Holiday.

• On old prints of Paramount films distributed by MCA TV through EMKA, they are usually plastered with, or preceded by, the MCA-TV logo of the time.
• On current prints that Universal owns from the EMKA package, the 1997 Universal logo precedes it.
• The logo also appeared at the beginning of Broadway Bill (originally a Columbia Pictures release that Paramount acquired the rights to years after they remade that film as Riding High).

Legacy: One of the most well known logos during Hollywood's golden age, and one of Paramount's most famous logos in general, given its lifespan.

4th Logo (April 13, 1929-March 31, 1933)

Visuals: On a granite wall, a circle containing a snow-capped mountain peaking out of the clouds below, with a sunset backdrop behind it (similar to the print logo), is seen. "A Paramount Picture" is over it. 24 stars surround the circle. Copyright information is visible below, over the clouds.

Variants:

• On films such as Sappy Service, the stars are enclosed within a black area with a white borderline. No copyright notice is seen. The clouds also stretch further both sides of the screen.
• On later films such as Don't Believe It, there is a credit for Christie Talking Play above it in the Paramount script font.

Technique: A painting filmed by a cameraman.

Audio: The ending theme of the film.

5th Logo (October 12, 1934-November 7, 1949)

Visuals:

• 1934-1938: There is a mountain shooting above a cloud deck, with a ring of 19 stars. In an unusual font are the words "A Paramount Picture".
• 1936-1949: The mountain is repainted, having a darker, brownish color-scheme, with the text in the usual script font this time. The word "Paramount" is slightly below the top of the mountain, which has 24 or 30 stars.

Variant: A black and white version was used on Speaking of Animals shorts.

Technique: This logo is a painting filmed by a camera, with the text and stars being superimposed cels in the 1936 variant.

Audio:

• Popular Science: A variation of the Paramount on Parade fanfare accompanies the sound of the airplane passing.
• Unusual Occupations: A patriotic theme is heard, which leads into a medley of "I've Been Working on the Railroad", "Pop Goes the Weasel" and "Old MacDonald Had a Farm".

Availability Notes: The aforementioned shorts have had barely any exposure since AMC stopped playing them over a decade ago (when they aired them under the umbrella title AMC Short Cuts). Remains intact on a GoodTimes Entertainment DVD release of Popeye: When Popeye Ruled The World, which contains a short featuring behind-the-scenes footage of a Popeye cartoon.

6th Logo (December 10, 1941-August 31, 1945)

Visuals: On a blue sky background with beaming crepuscular rays, a brown snow-capped mountain is seen peaking out of moving pink clouds. 24 stars encircle the mountain with the usual "A Paramount Picture" stacked text over it.

Variant: A German version was spotted at the end of a German print of For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Technique: The mountain is a painting shot by a camera, with the pink clouds being moved via motion-control, as well as the stars and text being superimposed cels.

Audio: The opening or ending theme of the film.

7th Logo (February 9, 1944-November 22, 1951)

Visuals: On a blue sky background is a gray, marbleized mountain. 24 stars surround it with the usual "A Paramount Picture" in white overlapping it.

Variants:

• Some films to use this logo have a green sky background.
• On Quebec, the logo is still and further away.

Technique: This logo is a painting, with the cloud backdrop being moved behind the mountain via motion-control, and the stars and text being superimposed cels.

Audio: The opening or ending theme of the film.

Audio Variant: On a few films, it uses the Paramount on Parade theme.

8th Logo (December 23, 1950-October 22, 1953 (USA)/June 13, 1960 (International))

Visuals: A blue marbleized mountain with a jagged, uneven appearance is seen. The sky background is a bit lighter as well. 24 stars encircle the mountain with the usual "A Paramount Picture" stacked text over it, although off-center.

Variants:

• Before the release of the widescreen feature Shane, the logo appears closer up.
• On some films released in 1953, the text is redrawn and outlined in a dark blue color, and the stars also connect to both sides of the mountain.
• Spanish and German versions with a repainted mountain were spotted at the end of the Spanish and German prints of We're No Angels.
• A French version was spotted at the end of a French print of The War of the Worlds, which uses the same mountain landscape from the trailer variant.

Technique: This logo is a painting, with the cloud backdrop being moved behind the mountain via motion-control, and the stars and text being superimposed cels.

Audio: None or the opening and closing themes of the film.

Audio Variant: On a few occasions, it uses the Paramount on Parade theme.

9th Logo (May 27, 1953-September 24, 1975)

Visuals: The mountain is more realistic than the previous logo, with canyon scenery and trees around it. The sky is more distant in depth and is very contrast. Everything else is more or less the same as before here.

• 1953-1968: The text on the mountain reads "A Paramount Picture" or "A Paramount Release" (written in the Paramount corporate font).
• 1968-1974: The words "A" and "Picture" are removed, leaving just "Paramount" on the mountain's peak. The byline "A Gulf+Western Company" appears on the bottom.
• 1970-1974: The "Paramount" script is redrawn, with the first "P" moved slightly upwards.
• 1974-1975: The "Paramount" script is redrawn once more, this time resembling the one that would be used from 1975 onward (although it had already been used in the company's print logo since 1967).

Trivia:

• This was originally created for Paramount's 3D process "Paravision" and later modified for widescreen.
• The mountain in this logo is said to have been based on Artesonraju, a mountain in Peru.

Variants:

• On some films, the "Paramount" script has a drop shadow.
• On Paramount's first 3D film Sangaree (which was also the first film to use this logo), the text and stars are bigger and the mountain is seen from afar. The words "A Paramount Picture" fade a few seconds later to "in 3 Dimension". At the end of the movie, the text "The End" appears by itself in front of the mountain before fading to the normal "A Paramount Picture" text a few moments later.
• On films shot in VistaVision, the stars and text fade out, followed by the text "in", which itself fades out and is followed by a big "V" zooming in (a la the Viacom's "V of Doom"). The words "VISTA" and "ISION<" appear on either side in a wiping effect. Then the words "MOTION PICTURE" appear under "VISTA", followed by "HIGH-FIDELITY" under "ISION".
  • German and Italian prints of We're No Angels have a localized version with a repainted mountain and translated text. In the Italian version, no other text appears with "VISTAVISION".
• On White Christmas, "Paramount proudly presents the first picture in" (with the "P" in a script font) first appears over the mountain, followed by the VistaVision logo without any other text. The rest of the logo then plays as usual.
• The logo has appeared in Spanish ("Paramount Films presenta" or "un film Paramount"), French ("C'est un film Paramount" or "Distribué par Paramount"), German ("Ein Paramount Film" or "Im Verleih der Paramount"), and Italian ("E' un film Paramount", or "La Paramount Presenta", or "un film Paramount", or "La Paramount films OF ITALY INC. Presenta", or "Exclusivita Paramount").
• On movie trailers, another version is used where the 24 stars appear one by one in the center, followed by "COMING FROM Paramount Pictures" (or "COMING FROM Paramount" starting in 1968), with the Gulf+Western byline appearing below in the latter variation. This was used until around 1976; however, the trailers for Harold and Maude use the normal version of this logo instead.
• A variant used in 1974 with only 22 stars exists. The mountain looks the same as it does in the second version, but the stars are bigger. Also, "A Gulf+" slides in from the left and "+Western Company" from the right. The script name also had a few variations of its own. At least a few earlier movies from 1974 (such as Daisy Miller, Brother Sun, Sister Moon and Death Wish) feature the TV version of this logo; the standard 1974 logo features the print variation, which remains from this day forward.
  • A version of this variant has the byline in a different font, which is seen at the end of a French print of The Godfather: Part II.
• On the Modern Madcaps short Boy Pest with Osh, the byline was replaced with copyright beside the MPAA logo.
• Some films such as Lady Sings the Blues and The Italian Job (1969) have a still version of this logo.
• Sometimes, the text and stars have a more noticeable drop shadow. This version can be found on True Grit (1969) and the 2002 DVD release of Big Jake (a Cinema Center Films production).
• On some films such as Alfie (1966), the clouds move slightly faster than normal.
• On some films such as Barbarella, Skidoo, The Italian Job (1969), and Lady Sings the Blues, the Gulf+Western byline is slightly off-center.
• On a German print of The Caddy, the text is in German and the stars and text are disconnected from the mountain.
• Sometimes, the 1968 logo appears zoomed in. This variant is preserved on the 2001 widescreen DVD release of Charlotte's Web, and possibly on other films from the period.
• On Roma come Chicago, the Paramount script is much smaller and lower than usual, and the Gulf+Western byline is in a different font.
• A textless version also exists, which was seen on an Italian print of El Dorado.
• On a June 13, 1981 LWT airing of Chinatown, the 1974 variant of this logo fades into the 1978 London Weekend Television Presentation endcap.
• On a May 4, 1986 Yorkshire airing of Darling Lili, the 1968 variant of this logo fades into the 1982 Yorkshire Television endcap.
• A 1.14:1 open matte version of the 1968 variant of this logo also exists, which can be found on a 35mm uncropped film scan print of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Technique: This logo was a painting created by matte artist Jan Domela, with the cloud backdrop being moved behind the mountain via motion-control and the stars and text being superimposed cels. Cel animation is also used for the VistaVision variant.

Audio: Usually silent or the opening/ending music of a film.

Audio Variants:

• On films shown in VistaVision, the logo has a majestic fanfare composed by Nathan Van Cleave (which wasn't used on VistaVision films such as Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Strategic Air Command and Vertigo, which used their respective opening themes).
• The VistaVision fanfare was sometimes specially rearranged for films such as The Desperate Hours (Gail Kubik and Daniele Amfitheatrof), The Tin Star (Elmer Bernstein) and Artists and Models (Walter Scharf, also in a lower pitch).
• On White Christmas, the VistaVision fanfare segues into the final notes of the Paramount on Parade fanfare, which itself trails into the opening theme.
• For the "COMING FROM" variant, a rhythmic timpani sound is heard for each word that appears, followed by a drum beat.
• On Money from Home, a different brass fanfare is heard, composed by Leigh Harline.
• Some TV movies such as Seven in Darkness have an extended version of the 1969 Paramount Television theme from the era.
• On Charlotte's Web, a 13-note orchestra fanfare featuring part of the opening song "Deep in the Dark" is heard (the music starts before the logo fades in and finishes when the logo fades out).

Legacy: This is one of the more famous logos for Paramount, and is a favorite among fans of their older catalogue. Also, the mountain seen here would serve as a template for all future Paramount logos.

10th Logo (September 1, 1960-October 24, 1969)

Visuals: On a blue sky background, a red snow-capped mountain is seen peaking out of the clouds below. 24 stars encircle the mountain. Overlapping the mountain is the stacked words "A Paramount Picture".

Technique: A matte painting filmed by a cameraman.

Audio: The opening or closing theme of the film.

11th Logo (October 8, 1975-December 12, 1986)

Visuals: First the same mountain landscape from the 1953 logo is shown. 22 white stars encircling the mountain fade in all at once, followed by the word "Paramount" on the mountain's peak (in the same script font as the 1974 variant of the previous logo). The Gulf+Western byline (this time with each word stacked and set in News Gothic) and a registered trademark symbol also appear at the same time below it. The scene then crossfades to a navy blue version of the print logo (with the stars, script and byline still in white) on a light blue background.

Trivia: The design of this logo allowed the full animation to be used as a closing logo and on trailers instead of a still variant.

Variants:

• The distance between the words and the mountain peak sometimes varies.
• The size and the color tint of the logo may vary.
• On films produced in 2.35:1 and some 1979-1986 films produced in 1.85:1, the stars appear further down the mountain than usual in the first half, and the "Paramount" script initially overlaps the mountain's peak; this usually does not affect the end product.
• Certain films shot in 2.35:1 have the logo stretched horizontally.
• Pre-1977 films shot in 16:9 have the navy blue portion of the final logo appear smaller than usual, with the "Paramount" script slightly smaller, and the stars and Gulf+Western byline drastically larger. This variant appears on Hustle, Leadbelly, The Last Tycoon, and Lifeguard. A less awkward version with resized text (but still keeping the smaller mountain) appears on films such as The Bad News Bears, Bugsy Malone, Lipstick, Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood, and Thieves.
• Sometimes, this logo comes either with or without the registered trademark "®" symbol under the right side of the near-circle.
• At the end of Up in Smoke, the logo cuts in from the end of the credits.
• A variation of this logo was used as a bumper for trailers for upcoming films with the words "Coming From" above. However, trailers for Popeye, D.A.R.Y.L. and other films use the normal version instead.
  • The theatrical trailer for Reds has "In December" written in the middle of the logo in white.
• On a 1985 promotional film for the studio, a circle of stars is seen and the logo is revealed, but is completely white.
• On current prints of Ace High and Murder on the Orient Express (both plastering the 1953 logo), only the first half of the logo is seen. On the former film, it jarringly cuts into the opening sequence.
• On some French releases, the mountain is flatter than usual, and the "Paramount" script, which is now in the center of the circle, looks the same as it did in the 1970 variant of the 1953 logo. The Gulf+Western byline is also in a taller font, and there are 29 stars around the mountain instead of 22.
• An open matte version of this logo exists, which is seen on the 35mm uncropped film scan prints of films, such as Saturday Night Fever, Starting Over, Escape from Alcatraz, Airplane!, Flashdance, Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, Footloose and Young Sherlock Holmes.
• On the 2006 video game version of The Warriors, the logo has the Viacom "Wigga-Wigga" byline.
• On a 1991 BBC 2 airing of Pretty in Pink, the logo does not fade to the print mountain.
• On a LWT airing of Trading Places from December 21, 1986, the logo fades into the 1986 LWT endcap.

Technique: The mountain segment is a painting, with the cloud backdrop being moved behind the mountain via motion-control. Fading effects are used for the stars, text and the transition to the print logo, all of which are done on cels.

Audio: None or the film's opening/closing theme.

Audio Variants:

• 1976-1985: In some cases, a new orchestral fanfare ending with an electric guitar chord was used for the "Coming From" variant on trailers for films like Islands in the Stream, Saturday Night Fever, Foul Play, and Airplane!. A few films such as Starting Over also had this fanfare at the beginning. This theme was composed by Lalo Schifrin.
• On Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood, an orchestral rendition of the Paramount on Parade theme, arranged by Neal Hefti, was used.
• Pre-1998 prints of Grease feature a theme which seems to be a horn re-orchestration of the intro to "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" or the 1976 Paramount Television fanfare. The Grease 40th Anniversary DVD/Blu-ray release and a recent Netflix print both restore the horn theme.
• On the 1985 promo variant, a male announcer says, "In 1985, Paramount has a whole new attitude."

Legacy: This is another famous Paramount logo.

12th Logo (December 12, 1986-February 15, 2002)

Visuals: It starts with a shot of a model of the mountain from before, with a CGI lake in front of it and a light blue/yellow gradient sky behind it. The camera slowly zooms towards the mountain as 22 silver CGI stars fly from the left side of the screen and encircle the mountain. While this happens, the sky slowly changes to a blue/red gradient as the landscape becomes slightly darker. When the last star takes its place, the "Paramount" script, redone with a shiny silver finish, fades in on the peak of the mountain, along with a registered trademark symbol ("®"). One of the three bylines (as described below) fade in near the base of the mountain.

Alternate Descriptive Video Descriptions:

• 1986-1987: A triangular mountain peak draped with snow. Five-pointed stars form a ring around it. A logo appears. Paramount: 75th Anniversary, A Gulf + Western Company.
• 1988-1989: A triangular mountain peak draped with snow. Five-pointed stars form a ring around it. A logo appears. Paramount: A Gulf + Western Company.
• 1989-1995: A triangular mountain peak draped with snow. Five-pointed stars form a ring around it. A logo appears. Paramount: A Paramount Communications Company.
• 1995-2002: A triangular mountain peak draped with snow. Five-pointed stars form a ring around it. A logo appears. Paramount: A Viacom Company.

Trivia: Paramount used a painting commissioned for its 75th anniversary from Italian artist Dario Campanile as a basis for this logo, which can be seen here.

Bylines:

• December 12, 1986-August 30, 1989: "A Gulf + Western Company" (in Helvetica Bold) fades in with the Paramount script (in the prototype version, the byline is set in Helvetica Bold Condensed).
• September 22, 1989-January 13, 1995: "A Paramount Communications Company" (in Century Oldstyle, with a line above it) fades in. For its first year, the byline faded in with the Paramount script like the Gulf+Western version, and was colored gold. On video releases from the era, the color scheme of the logo is more washed out than normal.
• February 17, 1995-February 15, 2002: "A VIACOM COMPANY" (in the 1990 "Wigga-Wigga" font, with a line above it) fades in.
• One variant, used on the trailer for Mission: Impossible II and international releases, has no byline whatsoever (see below).

Variants:

• December 12, 1986-December 18, 1987: For the logo's debut and its first official year (1987, even though the logo actually debuted in 1986), the words "75^th Anniversary" appear between the "Paramount" script and Gulf + Western byline. "75th" is in silver, with "75" bigger and "th" smaller, and "Anniversary" is in gold. Also, a trademark ("™") symbol is used instead of a registered trademark ("®") symbol.
  • On films such as The Golden Child and Hot Pursuit (the former being one of the first films to use this logo, while the latter has the normal music), a different 75th Anniversary disclaimer appears, the Paramount script is slightly smaller, and the Gulf+Western byline is also set in Helvetica Bold Condensed. It is unknown if Crimes of the Heart and King Kong Lives, the first two DEG films to use this logo for their Canadian release, also used this variant as well.
  • A second prototype variant also exists, where the Paramount script is still slightly small, but contains elements of the official variant, including the refined 75th Anniversary disclaimer. This can be found on the original VHS releases of Critical Condition, although later releases use the official variant instead. It was also spotted on a March 1987 promotional reel as well.
• February 5, 1988-February 2, 1990: The "75th Anniversary" disclaimer is removed and for the 1988 variant, the Gulf+Western byline is also shifted slightly up a bit.
• March 2, 1990-March 12, 1993: The "Paramount" script has a stronger drop shadow, and the stars and some of the blue clouds have been recomposited.
  • Some films with this variant have a vignette effect on both sides of the screen.
• May 21, 1993-January 13, 1995: The stars and "Paramount" script have been slightly repositioned, and the Paramount Communications byline has a stronger drop shadow. Also, some of the blue clouds have been made slightly darker.
  • An early version of the Viacom byline variant exists, which has the byline slightly bigger and off-center. The clouds also stop moving once it fades in, likely because this variant reuses footage from this variant. This can be found on the first films that used the Viacom byline variant (The Brady Bunch Movie and Losing Isaiah).
• March 31, 1995-July 16, 1999: Some of the blue clouds are now more transparent. Also, the drop shadow under the "Paramount" script has been adjusted.
• June 30, 1999-February 15, 2002: The logo has been partially updated with newer animation. The stars are now more three-dimensional, shinier, and have a motion blur effect, and can briefly be seen reflected in the lake in front of the mountain. The "Paramount" script and Viacom byline now shine as well. The mountain also now turns dark, and the cloud background is slightly enhanced. Also, the registered trademark symbol now fades in at the same time as the byline.
  • On films shot in 2.39:1 aspect ratio (such films include Bringing Out the Dead, Superstar, Sleepy Hollow, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Wonder Boys, Mission: Impossible II, Shaft (2000), Bless the Child, What Women Want, Down to Earth, Enemy at the Gates, Along Came a Spider, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Score, Rat Race, Zoolander, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Vanilla Sky, and Orange County), the logo starts with a still shot of the mountain before animating normally (much like its home video counterpart). Also, the stars, text and byline are somewhat smaller than in the normal 16:9 variant in order to match the aspect ratio (this is retained on fullscreen/open matte prints).
  • A videotaped version of the 1999 variant exists, in which the mountain does not turn dark. This can be found on some Paramount VHS trailers from 2000 to 2002, and on Paramount's "Now in Theaters" bumper from 2000 to 2002, although the variant in its entirety hasn't been seen yet.
  • A prototype variant with a more 2D look also exists, which can be seen on a trailer for Star Trek: Insurrection, as well as on the teaser trailer for South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.
  • On Double Jeopardy, the "®" symbol fades in with the Paramount script.
  • On Runaway Bride and Wonder Boys, the "®" symbol and Viacom byline fade in with the Paramount script.
• On CIC Video's The Paramount Movie Show segments, VHS trailers for Chinatown and A Place in the Sun, theatrical trailers for I.Q., The Brady Bunch Movie, Star Trek: Generations, and Braveheart, a TV spot for Milk Money, the teaser trailer for The Indian in the Cupboard, and the second trailer for Forrest Gump, the logo is bylineless.
• On the 1991 trailer tape from CIC Video, the CIC Video logo morphs into the mountain as seen in the start of the logo, and it animates as usual, but with a smaller Paramount Communications byline. The 1990 variant of the 1986 logo then morphs into the 1971 variant of the 1963 Universal logo. This can only be found on some Latin American VHS releases as the beginning of a short promo to commemorative 1,000,000 copies of CIC videotapes sold.
• On a Brazillian TV Spot for Clear and Present Danger, "Distribuido por United International Pictures" appears below the logo.
  • On later TV spots, the byline has a drop shadow added to it
• On bumpers for the Brazillian channel Telecine, the Viacom byline is replaced with a cheaper one in the Eagle font.

Closing Variants:

• At the end of movies, mostly earlier ones, the logo appears as a still image. This version is also seen on syndicated airings of Death Wish 4: The Crackdown before the Cannon logo.
• At the end of most later movies, the finished product is seen, with the clouds gliding.
• Despite replacing the 1995 variant as an opening logo, the 1999 variant was seldom used as a closing logo, with most films released from 1999 to 2002 instead using the 1995 logo at the end. Some exceptions include the domestic releases of South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut and The Talented Mr. Ripley (which were released by Warner Bros. and Miramax Films internationally, respectively), early-2022 Paramount+ prints of Star Trek: Insurrection, Mission: Impossible II, Shaft (2000), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and The Score, the 2022 Blu-ray and digital releases of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, and 2017 Blu-Ray releases of Sleepy Hollow, Enemy at the Gates, Along Came a Spider, Rat Race, Zoolander, Orange County, and Crossroads.
• On Mission: Impossible II and The Score, the logo fades in without the Viacom byline, which fades in after about a second.
• A zoomed-in still variant of the 1988 version of the 1986 logo also exists, which can be found on Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989). This may be due to the size of TVs back then, with most CRTs at the time only being around 13 - 20 inches in screen size.
  • This variant was also seen at the end of a UK airing of The Presidio (1988) on BBC1 from February 14, 1995.

Technique: A mixture of CGI and live-action, designed and composited by Jay Jacoby of Studio Productions (now Flip Your Lid Animation). The CGI stars were created by David Sieg at Omnibus/Abel on a III Foonly F1 computer, and the mountain scenery was a physical model created and filmed by Apogee, Inc.

Audio: None or occasionally the film's opening theme.

Audio Variants:

• Sometimes, a reworked version of the 1976 fanfare (which debuted on Hot Pursuit, released on May 8, 1987) is used, with synthesized chimes added to the beginning, as well as additional instruments. This was primarily used on select films from 1987-1998, including Crocodile Dundee II, Black Rain, and Wayne's World.
  • The films with the 1976 fanfare that used the 75th Anniversary variants also have the synth chimes fade out when the music begins.
  • On Event Horizon, a rearranged, slower and more "powerful" version of the 1976 fanfare, composed by Michael Kamen, is heard, with the final note held out.
  • On the 1998 reissue of Grease, the 1988 fanfare is given a more "powerful" remix with louder cymbals.
• On Campus Man, a different fanfare composed by James Newton Howard plays.
• On Shirley Valentine, a different theme composed by Willy Russell plays.
• On Stepping Out, a different fanfare composed by Peter Matz plays.
• On The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, a different fanfare composed by Ira Newborn plays.
• On Harriet the Spy, some soft-sounded chimes sampled from Mrs. W's garden can be heard faintly.
• On Snow Day, wind from a snowstorm is heard throughout the logo.
• On a Spanish TV airing of Titanic, the 1994 20th Century Fox fanfare is heard over the Viacom byline version of the 1986 logo, due to the airing using an international Spanish audio track.
• On the Australian DVD release and a French print of The Next Best Thing, the Lakeshore Entertainment theme is heard over the Viacom byline version of the 1986 logo, due to an editing error where the order of the logos are reversed but the audio isn't.
• On the UK Second Sight Blu-ray release of Creepshow, the NTSC-pitched 1994 Warner Bros. Television fanfare plays over the ending version of the Viacom byline version of the 1986 logo.
• On European TV airings of Braddock: Missing in Action III, the 1995 lion roar from the 1986 MGM logo is heard over the Viacom byline version of the 1986 logo, likely due to those airings using a Paramount-owned TV print with audio from an MGM-owned master.
• On the Icon UK DVD release of What Women Want, the thunderclap from the 1994 Icon Productions logo is heard, due to an audio swapping error (the DVD release uses the pitched-up U.S. audio master, as Paramount held the U.S. rights to the movie while Icon held internationally).

Legacy: Much like some of its predecessors, this logo is a favorite within the logo community thanks to its blend of models and CGI, as well as its fanfare.

13th Logo (January 27, 1998-May 22, 2003)

Visuals: Over a cloudy sunset background is a different CGI rendition of the famed Paramountain; it's covered with snow and ice, with the Paramount script and stars already formed on top of it, albeit without a byline. The camera slowly zooms in and rotates around the logo, showing the viewer the back of the mountain as a lens flare flashes.

Trivia:

• This logo was originally used for the "Behind the Mountain" slate of-then upcoming feature films at the ShoWest (now known as Cinemacon) industry convention.^[1]
• The logo won three awards: an Emmy award for Main Title Design, a Promax silver award for Non-Promotion Animation and a bronze BDA award for Out of House.^[2]

Variants:

• On the trailer for Mission: Impossible 2, the logo is cropped to scope and sped-up.
• On trailers and TV spots for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, the camera quickly rotates from the left side of the mountain to show the logo, where the 1995 Viacom byline from the previous logo fades in. A reverse variation of this exists on the teaser trailer for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life.
• On a demo reel for Helium Productions, the logo is cropped to 16:9. Also, the coloring of the stars and the Paramount script are more closer to the 1986 logo, due to the darker tint.

Technique: CGI designed by Juan Delcan, executive produced by Marty Wall and produced by Kevin Atarari at Pittard Sullivan. The logo was animated by Helium Productions, where John Schaefer was the producer and the art director, as well as sharing technical director roles with Miles Vignol.

Audio: The theme used in the promotion (trailer or TV spot), or in the case of Paramount's "Millennium Collection" video trailer, a majestic orchestral fanfare ("The Crimson Gump" from the score of Forrest Gump, composed by Alan Silvestri) is heard throughout as Jim Cummings announces:

• Early 1998: "In celebration of the end of one millennium and the dawn of another, Paramount Pictures is preparing to bring to movie lovers everywhere a collection of films that symbolize the best in its movie-making history..."
• 1998-1999: "...In celebration of the end of one century and the dawn of another...Paramount Pictures is proud to present a collection of films that symbolize the best in its movie-making history..."

14th Logo (February 25, 2002-May 16, 2012)

Visuals: The camera pans down from a starry sky to a set of clouds. As the camera slowly zooms backwards, a few cometoid objects fly down and reveal themselves as the trademark Paramount stars that zoom past the camera. The familiar "Paramount" script (with a gold border) zooms out, revealing it to be a reflection (which fades to white) the entire time as a total of 22 stars shoot past the script and encircle the mountain, which is now more realistic in appearance, on a dusk background. The script continues to zoom out before taking its place at the peak of the mountain. The Viacom byline (once again, with a line above) then fades in below the logo.

Alternate Descriptive Video Transcriptions:

• 2002: Flying stars emerge from a bluish-purple sky. The stars circle around the mountain as a logo appears above. Paramount. 90th Anniversary. A Viacom Company.
• 2003-2011: Flying stars emerge from a bluish-purple sky. The stars circle around the mountain as a logo appears above. Paramount. A Viacom Company.

Bylines:

• February 25, 2002-March 26, 2010: "A VIACOM COMPANY" in its 1990 "Wigga-Wigga" font. This version last appeared on She's Out Of My League, the 2012 Brazilian animated film Peixonauta: Agente Secreto da O.S.T.R.A., the 2015 Spanish animated film Capture the Flag (for the full animation variant) and the 2011 DreamWorks Animation film Kung Fu Panda 2 (for the closing and distribution variants).
• April 26, 2010-May 16, 2012: "A VIaCOM COMPANY" in its 2006 font. This version first appeared on Iron Man 2 and last appeared at the end of The Dictator.

Variants:

• February 25-December 27, 2002: For the logo's debut and its first official year (2002), the gold words "90^TH ANNIVERSARY", with "90" bigger, "TH" smaller and on the top right of "90", and "ANNIVERSARY" below, fade in with the Viacom byline, under the peak of the mountain. Again, a trademark symbol ("™") is used in place of the registered trademark symbol ("®") in this variation.
  • On earlier films released with the 90th Anniversary variant (such as Hey Arnold!: The Movie, Serving Sara, and Changing Lanes), the logo's general color scheme is brighter and more cartoonish. The stars have a stronger motion blur effect and are darker/sleeker in the final shot, but one star is missing from the first half of the logo, and the stars in the final shot are somewhat off-center from the rest of the mountain. There is also an error during the portion where the script zooms back, in which some of the stars seem to jump out of the reflection of the text. The clouds in the sky and around the mountain also appear less realistic than in the later version, and the sky background in the second half appears to be stretched vertically (however, on We Were Soldiers, which was the first film to use the 90th Anniversary logo, the sky background is more or less unaltered). Also, the trademark symbol is yellow instead of white.
  • The 90th Anniversary variant was reanimated to look more natural starting with The Sum of All Fears (the only film that didn't use the revised variant was The Hours, which used the earlier version), with the color of the trademark symbol being changed to white. The version used on that film would later become the regular logo without the 90th Anniversary tag, which was introduced the following year.
  • On We Were Soldiers and The Four Feathers, the 90th Anniversary variant fades in after the camera pans down from the sky.
  • A still version of the 90th Anniversary logo exists, in which the stars and Paramount script are spaced slightly further from the mountain, and the "90" text is shinier. This appears on the video game version of The Sum of All Fears, as well as the Australian DVD release of Blue's Clues: Get to Know Joe (albeit without the "90th Anniversary" text). It also appears on the cover of the 2002 compilation album Paramount Pictures' 90th Anniversary: Memorable Scores.
• A still version of the logo also exists, which appears on international prints of Sleuth.
• A variant is used at the end of every trailer for Paramount's films on online stores such as iTunes, the PlayStation Store, and the Xbox Store. A still version of the Paramount logo appears with the words "Now Available from Paramount" above and a copyright stamp below it. It has also been seen zoomed in (so the copyright and the "now available" text is not seen) and on the trailer for Airplane!, where the logo plasters the 1975 trailer version of the logo (keeping the music). This also appears on old DreamWorks movie trailers.
• A short version exists that starts when the stars fall from the sky. This mainly appears on VHS releases.
• On video releases from the company, the logo is videotaped and often in open matte.
• Starting with Iron Man 2, the logo was enhanced once more with shinier text and sleeker stars that jump out of the reflection of the sky, and the Viacom byline is switched to its 2006 font. There is a noticeable rendering error in this variant where the stars from the first half of the logo are briefly visible behind the "Paramount" script as it zooms out where it should normally obscure them (the deleted alternate opening of the film uses the original variant).
  • This variant was possibly done to accommodate for stereoscopic 3D films, since the first overall appearance of this variant was technically in the 2007 film Beowulf, albeit with the byline being in the 1990 font and with a part of the footage being sped up. The international version of the film used the 3D Warner Bros. Pictures logo used on IMAX documentaries of the time, which plays normally.
• On fullscreen DVD releases of Paramount movies shot in 2.39:1, the logo is incredibly zoomed in, since it is in the 4:3 ratio. On matted films, it is either zoomed in halfway or in open matte.
• An open-matte version exists on some uncropped 35mm film scans of films, four examples being Mean Girls, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, Charlotte's Web (2006), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
• At the end of 35mm uncropped film scan prints of Bee Movie (2007), the logo's 1.85:1 format is pillarboxed, even though the film is in 1.14:1 open matte.

Closing Variants:

• Only the finished product of the logo, with the only animation being the clouds in the background, and it is also basically the same as its pre-2006 television counterpart, but slightly extended and silent.
• On The Eye and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (both 2008), the logo is completely still.
• 2006-October 28, 2011: When distributing films from another company, the spaced-out words "DISTRIBUTED BY", in white, are seen above the logo with the Viacom byline and the line. Usually seen at the end of DreamWorks Pictures (however, some films will say "DISTRIBUTED BY DREAMWORKS/PARAMOUNT DISTRIBUTION") and DreamWorks Animation films beginning in late 2006. Also appeared at the end of Iron Man. On DreamWorks Animation films, this version is completely still, whereas on all other films using this version, the clouds in the background still animate.
  • On Shrek the Third and Bee Movie (both 2007), the text "DISTRIBUTED BY" is spaced-out farther.
• The "DISTRIBUTED BY" text was updated along with the Viacom byline starting in 2010.

Technique: CGI directed by Bruce Schluter at Kaleidoscope Films and animated by BUF Compagnie^[3], believed to have been done on one of BUF's 75 Silicon Graphics O2 units. The 2010 version was animated by PIC Collective.

Audio: Usually none or the opening theme of the film.

Audio Variants:

• On Mean Girls, the 1988 fanfare is heard.
• On the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard, a different fanfare composed by Teddy Castellucci plays.
• On an AMC airing of Rambo III, the logo has a low-pitched version of the Carolco Pictures music, likely due to a plaster error.
• On Twisted, wind is audible throughout the logo.
• On Jackass Number Two and Jackass 2.5, a loud jet sound is heard along with wind when the stars fly down, followed by whooshes when the stars pass by the screen, then a final whoosh sound when the Viacom byline fades in.
• On a French Paramount Channel airing of Assassination, the 1984 Cannon Films theme plays over the logo.

Legacy: Another favorite of the logo community due to its more advanced CGI.

15th Logo (December 16, 2011-)