Background[]
VIVA Films is a Philippine movie company which started in 1975. This company is part of the VIVA Entertainment Group.
Note: Not to be confused with Viva Pictures.
1st Logo (1976–1984)[]
Logo: On a Persian red background, a light gold triangle zooms out, stops for a moment to emit four triangle-shaped waves, then abruptly appears further zoomed out. The triangle moves left as another slides out from behind it and moves to the right a bit. A tall rectangle and an inverted triangle slide in from the top and bottom of the screen, respectively, and then a faint flash occurs, creating slanted lines running in from the left sides of each triangle (the latter triangle has lines from the bottom, while the first two ones has lines from the top), and all the way through the top of the rectangle; the shapes now resemble the word "VIVA". Another faint flash creates the word "FILMS" sandwiched in between two lines in the length of the word "VIVA", in the same color as the logo.
Variants:
- There is a short version, which starts on the part where the "VIVA" text flashes. This is seen on P.S. I Love You, the company's first film.
- On Cross My Heart, an in-credit title card was used on the opening theme of the movie.
- The logo makes a surprise appearance on the trailer for the infamous Maid in Malacañang (2022), with the logo in a box beside the Vincentiments logo. It's also still and is on a black background.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: Very simplistic animation for the 80s.
Music/Sounds: None, or possibly the opening theme of the film.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- The short version used a gun shot, followed by a fast fanfare.
- On Cross My Heart, a creepy synth theme is used.
Availability: Rare.
2nd Logo (1985–1988)[]
Logo: On a black background, two outlined white triangles (one upside down) appear zooming to us and filling with a red color, making the outline disappear. These triangles zoom out. Then a series of outlined triangles appear and do an unknown animation. The animation stops, and the I from the VIVA logo falls down. The now-red triangles from the beginning of the logo zoom in, and the other triangles disappear. Inside the triangles, the V's and A vertically wipe and form. The triangles zoom in even more, filling the background with the red color, and leaving the finished logo. "FILMS" sandwiched in between two lines, now in the same length as "FILMS" fades in below. The finished version is a little bit more bigger than the 1st version.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: Very simplistic animation once again, but more unique than the first logo.
Music/Sounds: None.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- The opening theme play, like Send in the Clown and Sana'y Wala nang Wakas.
- On Boy Negro, a synth-pop fanfare is used.
- Another music variant is used in in Doctor, Doctor, We Are Sick, where it features a synth fanfare.
- On Mars Ravelo's Captain Barbell starringHerbert Bautista, a majestic superhero fanfare was used.
Availability: Uncommon, Seen on their films from the era.
3rd Logo (1988-1991)[]
Nicknames: "Searchlights", "Zooming Viva", "20th Century Fox of the Philippines"
Logo: On a black background, a yellow sunburst flashes. It later dissipates, and the yellow "VIVA" logo in 3D positioned at the bottom fades in. The "VIVA" later zooms in to the center. When the zooming stops, we fade to a sky blue background with moving white searchlights in them. After that, the word "FILMS" in white flash in under the "VIVA".
Variant: A version where the background remains black exists. In this version, the VIVA logo is more darker.
FX/SFX: The sunburst forming the words "VIVA", the "VIVA" zooming in, the moving searchlights and "FILMS" flashing in.
Cheesy Factor: The animation isn't overly bad, but the searchlights make the logo look like a 20th Century Fox ripoff. Ironically, the latter was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2019 making VIVA the semi-Filipino equivalent of Disney.
Music/Sounds: It starts with a cymbal clash and a drumbeat, followed by a majestic synth fanfare.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- A silent version also exists.
- A low-toned version also exists.
- On Hindi Pahuhuli ng Buhay, a triumphant fanfare with pluck is heard.
- On Sa Diyos Lang Isusuko, the opening theme is used.
Availability: Uncommon. Seen on Viva Films releases of the period, usually releases by Viva Video.
4th Logo (1991–2003)[]
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Nicknames: "Golden VIVA", "3DVA", "Golden Letters of Doom", "VIVA from Heck/Hell", "Filipino V of Doom", Profil Filipino Cousin" "Rex and other stuff Filipina Cousin"
Logo: We see a gold screen. Then, four blue laser-like lines shoot from the left of it, and it starts rotating away, revealing that it's actually the "V" from the VIVA logo. The large "V" then zooms away as the laser coming from bottom-left corner and breaking three-equally sized parts from it and settle themselves next to the "V". These parts reveal themselves to be the rest of the letters of the logo "IVA", thus the words form the word "VIVA". Then, two long horizontal gold lines shoot out from below and the gold, italicized word "FILMS" appears sandwiched in-between. This all happens on a black/cadet gradient background.
Variants:
- Sometimes, the golden background remains still for about a second before the animation.
- From 1993 to 2003, the entire logo is in a brighter gold color and has a black/dark blue gradient background. This version was also spotted early from 1991–1993 in some releases.
- However, in early 2001, the logo is more bronze, slightly larger, and is on a black/medium Persian blue gradient background.
- On Urban Rangers, the logo is more darker.
- On Pacifico Guevarra - Dillinger Ng Dose Pares and Pangako ng Kahapon, the logo's even more darker, making the background almost black.
- On Row 4 and Kiss Mo' Ko, the logo seems moved down.
- On Noel Juico - Batang Kriminal, the logo has a yellow tint, making the whole thing yellow.
- On Bugbog Sarado, the logo fades to white instead of black at the end.
FX/SFX: The lines, the rotating out, the cutting of the letter "V", and the formation of the VIVA logo, all in rather impressive '90s CGI.
Music/Sounds: We start with two zapping sounds consecutively when the lines appear and disappear, which leads off to a creepy synthesized pad note, then another zap sound when the letter "V" breaks up, then finally, two more laser zaps: one when "VIVA" is fully formed, then another one when "FILMS" appears. These laser zaps happen consecutively at the end. Sometimes, the last note is held for a few more seconds.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- Some films featured a synthesized action-style fanfare with a different zap sound. This was heard on films such as Mana-Mana, Tiba-Tiba and Baliktaran: Si Ace at Daisy.
- The 2003 variant got a redone version jingle which featured more electric sound effects throughout.
- A jungle-themed tune with different laser zaps is heard on AB Normal College.
- On Sukdulan, Lupe and Pangarap Ko Ang Ibigin Ka, a dreamy theme is heard with different laser zaps.
- On a few films including Ikaw Lamang and Pagdating ng Panahon, the opening theme plays over it.
- Row 4 and Pretty Boy have sound effects present along with the opening theme.
- On S2pid Luv, there's another music variant which consists of a synth drone with whooshes.
- On Gloria, Gloria Labandera, a news theme is heard.
- On The Cecilia Masagca Story: Antipolo Massacre, a drumroll has been added on the original music which makes it dramatic.
- On Mga Anghel Na Walang Langit, the music is low-toned.
- On Hari ng Selda: Anak ni Baby Ama 2, police conversations were heard throughout the logo.
Availability: Very common in the past, but not so much anymore. The 2001 variant was used only on a few films.
5th Logo (2003–2010)[]
Nickname: "VIVA in Space"
Logo: In a starfield with a galaxy in the background, we see an explosion which forms filmstrip rings. The Earth flies through it, while an orange triangle flies from the right towards the left. The blue (sometimes purple) text "VIVA" flies in next to the triangle while the Earth positions itself on the triangle. After the filmstrip curves around the Earth, the Earth then the filmstrip become the blue sphere and the white-orange gradient streak, respectively, then we fade out.
Variants:
- A short version exists.
- Sometimes, the logo appears slightly red.
- On GMA Films' Til I Met You and Ouija, the last few seconds of the logo plays, but it's in a darker tone and slowed down.
FX/SFX: The explosion and the formation of the VIVA logo. Like the previous logo, this also has nice CGI.
Music/Sounds: A whoosh that leads to a piano theme played against some faint drum notes, ending with either the first part of the opening theme, or a synthesized chord fading much like a siren. For the short variant, the opening theme.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- On Baler, we hear an orchestral version had a stock music track, that carries over to Bida Foundation logo was used.
- On Apat Dapat, Dapat Apat, futuristic laser zaps were heard.
- A extended version used a strings tune same as the Idaho Public Television theme.
Availability: Very common. The logo made its first on-screen appearance in Filipinas, released on December 25 (Christmas Day), 2003. It is also used in co-productions with Star Cinema such as You Changed My Life, the sequel to A Very Special Love and from GMA Films (now GMA Pictures) such as Patient X. The last movie to use this logo was Emir, released in 2010. It was also used as a de-facto home video logo for Viva Video from 2007-08.
6th Logo (2010–2018)[]
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WARNING: ALL THE VIDEOS ABOVE HAVE AN EXTREMELY LOUD VOLUME, SO KINDLY TURN DOWN THE VOLUME OF YOUR DEVICE BEFORE WATCHING ANY OF THESE VIDEOS.
Nicknames: "Multi-Colored Zig-Zag", "DTS Theft", "A Disappointing Logo", “Stolen Music... Again!”, "The Film Experience", "Wigga-Wigga from Philippines", "2010's Wigga Wigga"
Logo: A light flare on the left zooms towards us in the dark. A zig-zag shape with red, pink, green, yellow and blue colors rotates upwards towards the middle. When it does we see the blue text "VIVA FILMS" beneath the shape. A spotlight forms beneath the logo.
Variants:
- A warped version exists.
- On some films, like Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy, Bekikang: Ang Nanay Kong Beki and This Time, it appears in a slightly brown tint.
- Usually, the logo was cut off a little bit.
- On Hitman, a still version was used even on opening movie too.
- A short version exists.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The CGI, although high-quality, is simplistically animated. The music also is stolen from another logo.
Music/Sounds: The first 12 seconds of the 1993 DTS trailer's music.
Availability: Uncommon, seen on films from that period such as Hating Kapatid. The warped variant is shown in Tumbok. It was last seen on international releases by the company.
7th Logo (2015-)[]
Nicknames: "Multi-Colored Zig-Zag 2", "The Film Experience II"
Logo: On a black background, we see the same zig-zag shape from before spinning out in the screen as it pans upward and reveals the bottom colors. A lens flare briefly appears during the action. Once the zigzag is fully revealed, it changes from the bottom view as it centers. When it's settled, a light shines briefly in the logo and the stacked words "VIVA" and "films" fade in and zoom out below. When the logo fades out, it turns into sepia tone.
Variant: On restored prints of some classic movies, the logo and text turns into a yellow/red/purple gradient. It then fades to black. This variant is also spotted in Indak.
FX/SFX: The logo zooming out and spinning, the lights.
Music/Sounds: A sound of triangle chimes with a suspenseful music (used on Felix Manalo and so on), or the opening theme of the movie.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- On some films, like 100 Tula Para Kay Stella, it uses the first few seconds of the 1993 DTS trailer's music, like before.
- On Unforgettable, we hear rumbling and whoosh sounds, with a flash sound at the end.
Availability: Very common.
- Seen on films from the period starting with Felix Manalo.
- This logo was spotted on the Netflix print of Diary ng Panget, plastering the 2010 logo.
- Although the new Viva Films logo was unveiled in 2018, this logo continues to be used at the start of their movies, currently the ones released on the Vivamax streaming service.
8th Logo (2018)[]
Nicknames: " Multi-Colored Zig-Zag to the Golden V Transformation"
Logo: On a black background, we see the zig-zag from the previous logo which animates very fast then suddenly zaps, which transforms into the 1991 logo which is also in warp speed and starts in when the "VIVA" triangles and the "FILMS" forms. The "VIVA" text on the first half is also already there and it lacks the "films" part.
FX/SFX: The logo zooming out and and zapping,
Music/Sounds: The opening theme of the movie combined with electricity sounds and whooshes when the 2007 logo transforms into an 1991 logo.
Availability: Seen only on a trailer for Miss Granny.