Lionsgate Films Logo

Lionsgate Films Logo PNG

The business logo of Lionsgate does not mean boredom. On the contrary, this brand is entertaining and brings joy to the world as it distributes artistic films. Therefore, the strict stylistics of the emblem contradicts the “internal content” of the film studio.

Meaning and History

The chronology of Lionsgate logos appearing is incredibly intricate, as the corporation includes several movie production and distribution studios. They appeared much earlier than the parent company, currently being its divisions.

The film company was named after the architectural features of the building where the headquarters is located. Its name consists of two words written together:

• lions;
• gate.

That is, the authors based it on the most striking feature that catches the eye: the stone lion statues at the entrance gates. This naming option has taken hold, pushing out previous names.

What is Lionsgate?

Lionsgate is the most successful mini-studio in North America. It began its activity in 1962 when it was called Cinépix, created by John Dunning and Andre Link in Canada (in Vancouver, British Columbia). Over time, the company received a new name. It became part of a large structure – Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, created by banker Frank Giustra in 1997, with its headquarters in the United States (in Santa Monica, California).

1962 – 1969

The logo consists of a yellow inscription on a blue background. The basis is a horizontal hexagon. The largest word is “Cinépix,” made in a standard print font. The letters are bold, elongated, and chiseled. On the right is an addition indicating the type of company – “Inc.”. It is typed in thin white glyphs and centered.

1969 – 1989

The emblem depicts a single “C,” stylized as a twist of the film. The designers used the similarity of the first letter from the studio’s name to the film, which actually twists in reality. The ends of the glyph are narrowed, and the middle is expanded. Longitudinal stripes of different widths are applied to the tape. They are painted in contrasting colors: black on a white background and vice versa.

1989 – 1994

The logo consists of three parts: a drawing, an abbreviation, and a full text. The first is six thin stripes, which gradually widen, gathering into a solid film of black color with a maple leaf. The second is the inscription “C//FP,” obtained from the abbreviation of the phrase “Cinépix Film Properties.” The third is the word “Distribution.” It stretches along the top two elements. The short form of the name consists of capital letters separated by two oblique lines. All glyphs are grotesque and bold.

1994

The abbreviation “CFP” has received a new design – three-dimensional, with shadows and dot drawings. Large letters do not have serifs and dividing lines: they stand very close to each other. On the left, the designers placed the company’s trademark – a maple leaf, which reminds of the roots of the film company – the fact that it is originally from Canada. However, they significantly updated it, replacing the second half with the classic fleur-de-lys.

1994 – 1996

The block letters have sharpening at the bottom, so they look non-standard, balancing a wide and massive top. Under the abbreviation “CFP” is the word “Distribution.” It is made in a capital font with thin glyphs. The first and second lines are centered. The background is a gray rectangle placed horizontally.

1996

The style of the inscriptions has changed: the glyphs have serifs, but they have become much thinner. The logo has been re-grouped: now it is two-tiered. The upper part is separated from the lower one by a narrow horizontal stripe. The phrase “Cinépix Inc.” is placed in the first row, and “Distribution” is in the second. All letters are uppercase but of different sizes, depending on their location. The largest and boldest characters are in the first word.

1996 – 1998

After the film company was renamed to Cinépix Film Properties, its visual identity was updated. The designers creatively played around with the abbreviation “CFP.” They rounded the side letters to get an oval-like shape. The black inscription is placed on a white background.

1998 – 2004

After another rebranding, the film studio got another emblem. Now it is directly related to the name Lions Gate Films because the key element of the visual identity became the lion. The animal is surrounded by small stars and stands on its hind legs. The management gave up massive signs, replacing the cumbersome grotesque with an elegant antique. The inscription is divided into three rows and arranged in a staircase.

2004 – 2006

Large block signs returned to the logo – in particular, the abbreviation “LGF,” which took the top position, is made with them. In the second line, there are two words – “Lions Gate” smaller than in the first. The third row contains a single inscription, “Films,” made with small glyphs. Starting from the middle, a serif font is used, whereas, in the first line, there are none. The central element is isolated with two thin stripes.

2005 – today

The emblem is laconic. It practically combines two fragments from the film company’s name, which used to be in the center. The narrow distance between the words “Lions” and “Gate” gave designers the idea of a merged spelling without highlighting the first letters. All glyphs are of the same size. They are bold, uppercase, and chiseled.

Fonts and Colors

At different times, inscriptions in the logos were made with fonts of different types. These include the blurry stencil None, the sharp grotesque Gotham Bold, and individually developed typefaces. The palette of the emblem is predominantly monochrome, except for the initial period when it contained yellow and blue colors.

Lionsgate Films color codes