Although the Paramount Pictures emblem has undergone numerous amendments, it has always revolved around one and the same visual concept.
Meaning and history
The earliest Paramount Pictures logo was introduced in 1916. According to the company’s official legend, it was developed from a simple sketch on a napkin. The sketch was said to have been inspired by Ben Lomond Mountain, but there is actually resemblance with quite a few other well-known peaks, including the Italian side of Monviso and Matterhorn in Switzerland. However, the choice of Ben Lomond Mountain seems more reasonable, as it was connected with the biography of the company’s founder, William Wadsworth Hodkinson.
The logo featured a single mountain and a round shape formed by 24 stars. The number of stars varied throughout the company’s history depending on the number of actors and actresses that had signed with Paramount pictures.
Painted mountain symbol
The second logo was created in 1952. In comparison with the first one, it featured a more prominent mountain peak. Unlike its predecessor, which appeared with the help of filming techniques, this symbol was painted.
Emblem
At first glance, the Paramount Pictures logo that debuted in 1987 may appear the same as the previous versions. That is because the image itself did not change much. What was absolutely new was the way it had been created. It was the first time when the company used CGI to design its logo. One more new feature added to the logo was that the stars “flew” before settling into their standard place.
Font
The Paramount wordmark has always sported a “scripty” type, with the “P” character especially swirly. Although the script may appear the same at first glance, in fact it has been tweaked more than once.
Color
Typically, the logo features a range of colors that coincide with the natural looks of the mountain peak. However, the color palette may vary as the virtual landscape is “shot” in different weather and time of the day.
