Chicken Animation

Background: Chicken Animation began its life in 1938 through Walt Disney Pictures as "Chicken Animation". In 1942, Chicken content was made available through Television under its own division known as "Chicken Motion Studios".Prior to 1945, their first releases were only short films. Starting in 1945, they began producing feature length films as well as films/shows for an older audience (13+). The Chicken Motion Studios name was kept until 1986, when it was once again named "Chicken Animation Studios". Starting in the 1970s, the company began using new techniques for animation, and in 1994, they released their first computer-animated film. Since 1996, it is known as "Chicken Animation".

1st logo

(1939-1954)

Logo: There are two variants of this logo:

1939-1951: The first few CMS releases have the same logo with brighter colors, a different script for "Chicken Motion Studios," a larger Chicken, and the words "Presents" in uppercase under them. This is on reprints where the Chicken took up half the box.

1945-1954: On a black background, we see ablueoutline of a Chicken appearing and then panning forward leaving a trail of outlines while rotating counterclockwise on its pivot. The outlines then start to change one-by-one topurple. As the text "Chicken Motion Studios" inyellowwith "Chicken" being in a cursive font, the Chicken outlines one-by-one change tored. The outlines again one-by-one change toyellowas the words "PRESENTS" in yellow fade in and settle underneath. Last but not least, the Mickey outlines one-by-one change togreen.

FX/SFX:The live-action and fading in.

Cheesy Factor: The word transitions look very choppy. Then again, this was the 30s and 40s so there's not much to say.

Music/Sounds: A loud orchestra fanfare pausing when the Chicken makes sound.

Availability: Seen on reprints and rearing of movies/TV shows that Chicken Motion Studios produced during this time period.

Scare Factor: Low to medium. The loud fanfare may scare more than a few.

2nd Logo

(1954-1982)

Logo: On a black background, we see a Chicken wearing a fancy white shirt under abluespotlight as he makes sounds. We zoom closer to the Chicken and the words "Chicken Motion Studios" zoom in one by one in a Times New Roman font.

Variation: When Colour came, the Chicken was seen in a blue-white colour and the text was red.

FX/SFX: The zooming in. Fine effects for the 1950s, but...

Cheesy Factor: This didn't age well from 1969 onwards.

Music/Sounds: Same as before without the Chicken pausing the fanfare.

Availability: Rare.

Scare Factor: Low to medium. The fanfare is still here.

3rd Logo

(1966-1984)

Logo: On a black background we see thegoldwords:

CHICKEN

MOTION

STUDIOS

with "CHICKEN" in a cursive font. The words are formed with a laser.On some releases, the logo is on a blue background.

FX/SFX: The laser-like effects. Not too bad for 1968.

Music/Sounds: A synth tune that sounds way ahead for the 1960s.

Availability: Seen on most releases of the era.

Scare Factor: None, it's a clean (and BORING) logo.

4th Logo

(1972-1982)

Logo: On a black background we see the blue words:

CHICKEN

MOTION

STUDIOS

FX/SFX: None, this is a still logo.

Music: A lilting dreamy strings tune.

Availability: Seen on releases from Chicken Motion Studios from the 1970s. Also found on assorted post-1978 reprints (mostly distributed).

Scare Factor: None, it's a clean (and BORING) logo.

5th Logo

(1972-1986)

Logo: On abluebackground, three black balls fall from the top of the screen and bounce off the bottom. Two of the balls form a Chicken and one ball forms the colour of the Chicken. Manypurplesquares fall from above to form a rectangle. A right-slantedyellowrectangle and agreensquare also fall from above, the rectangle slants left and settles on the left while the green square slants right and settles on the right. The word "Chicken" (in a cursive font) fades in and settles on theyellowrectangle. Below, therectangular green banner withwhitetext "STUDIOS" unfolds to the right. While this happens, the background toggles between Blue and Green.

FX/SFX: All the animation in this logo.

Music: A very short synth joyful fanfare

Availability: Seen on assorted kid-oriented Chicken Studios releases.

Scare Factor: None, a very nicely animated logo.

6th Logo

(1985-1996)

Logo:We see a bright flash with the "C" from the gold text "Chicken" (in the familiar signature font) both of which are zooming out on a space background. When everything is at a comfortable distance at the top of the screen, the flash forms an abstract shining star below "Chicken", and the light spreads out to form a glowing arc. When this is finished, "ANIMATION" fades in underneath the arc in gold.

FX/SFX:All modern computer graphics. The logo has an 50s/60s "retro" feel to it, however.

Music/Sounds:A short synth/orchestrational tune.

Availability:Seen on all 1985-1996 releases of Chicken Animation material.

Scare Factor:Low, the cheesy animation and music can get to some.

7th Logo

(1996-)

Logo: We see a chicken walking across when all of a sudden, the words "CHICKEN ANIMATION" fall on him.

FX/SFX:All modern computer graphics. Very good CGI for 1996.

Music/Sounds:A walking sound when the chicken walks, then a slam sound when the Chicken Animation wordmark falls.

Availability:Seen on all post-1996 releases of Chicken Animation material.

Scare Factor:Medium.

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INTERNATIONAL LOGOS

1st (only) logo

(1946-1956)

Logo: A chicken fades in, then we see brief clips from Chicken shows and movies, then we zoom in to a vector-like rendition of Epcot, then we go to a black/dark red gradient background with "Chicken Motion Studios" in the usual font. Afterwards, the screen flips out like a page in a book.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The whole animation... and the clips!

Music/Sounds: A jazz-like theme

Availability: Was only seen outside the United States, usually from the UK and Europe, but this was spotted on a few Mexican prints of the era, so go south of the border if you wish to find this logo.

Scare factor: Medium.

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CHICKEN CROSS MOTION

1st logo

(1950-1956)

Note: "Chicken Cross Motion" was created as a brand to release movies/TV shows for an older audience (13+).

Logo: On ablackbackground, thewords "CHICKEN MOTION STUDIOS"flies in circular motion from the right to the left, then flips and cycles back. Following closely behind it is the white text "PRESENTS FOR OLDER AUDIENCES" doing likewise. A black diamond zooms up from the centre of the screen. "PRESENTS FOR OLDER AUDIENCES" flips its way to the top of the diamond, and "Chicken Motion Studios" flips its way to the bottom. A white diamond outline zooms out and plasters itself on the black diamond.

FX/SFX: The text "sliding" and the zooming and fading diamonds.

Cheesy Factor: Not that much effort is put into this logo. Then again, this was the 1950s.

Music: A bouncy cartoonish fanfare.

Availability: Has rare written all over it.

Scare Factor: Median, the moog synthesizers and in-your-face animation can scare many people, but it's mostly just annoying.

2nd Logo

(1957-1970)

Logo: Same as the 2nd logo of the normal Motion Studios logo in this period but "Motion Studios" is replaced with "CROSS MOTION"

Note: On several prints of the 1964 television release of "Time Up," the Mickey scene is cut, and only the spark/diamond animation plays. At the beginning of the logo, the words were purple, then in 1966 version of that, it was sky blue.

FX/SFX: All the animation in the logo.

Music: A majestic fanfare.

Availability: Rare.

Scare Factor: Minimal, the fanfare and light effects might startle some here and there but this is one of the best animation logos ever, the music and animation mix very, very well.

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CHICKEN PARTY PRODUCTION

1st (only) logo

(1970-1980)

Note: "Party Production" replaced the "Cross Motion" brand in 1970.

Logo: On a black background, a spark of light sketches thegold"Chicken" font words "Chicken" in an arc formation as the screen gradually zooms away. Thegoldtext "PARTY" zooms out from the bottom of the screen and settles underneath on the far left, followed by thegoldtext "PRODUCTION" which settles underneath on the far right.

FX/SFX: All the animation in this logo.

Cheesy Factor:The music and some of the elements seem a bit cheesy than its predecessor. Plus, the fact that it is called the "Party Production" makes it rather strange, for the term "Party" is an arguable word.

Music/Sounds: A fast-paced remix of the fanfare used in Cross Motion Logo #2. Sometimes an announcer will say, “A CHICKEN PARTY PRODUCTION.” This can be spotted on "Fooled."

Availability: Seen on several prints from the time period.

Scare Factor: Low, this is yet another very nicely animated logo.

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CHICKEN COMEDY

1st logo

(1984-1994)

Logo: On a night-sky background, a spark shoots at the middle of the screen forming a "CO". It comes again forming a "ME" this time, next to the "DY" and for the third time forming another "C". A curved line is drawn and "Chicken" in that famous font goes on top of "COMEDY". The spark goes across the bottom forming "We produce fun" and that spark appears to be a Chicken walking.

FX/SFX: All the animation in this logo.

Music: A synth tune, with a few "swoops" when the sparks fly in

Availability: Seen on pre-1994 Chicken Comedy releases. Several of them are still in print.

Scare Factor: None.

2nd logo

(1994-2010)

Logo: Identical to the previous logo, but now we see longer animation of the "Chicken" logo and current line and the "COMEDY" letters fly underneath at the same time, and the byline is now "You laugh, You enjoy" The animation of the Chicken is the same.

FX/SFX: All the animation in the logo.

Music: Same as the previous logo, with more whooshing sounds added when the "COMEDY" letters fly in.

Availability: Can be seen on any Chicken Comedy programme from 1994-2010.

Scare Factor: None.