Logo Sting
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The brief musical flourish that accompanies a studio, network or production-company logo at the head of a film or program — a fanfare or sound-design gesture, usually two to ten seconds, that brands the content before it begins. Sounds range from grand orchestral fanfares to synthesized swells and abstract sound-design "notes," always compressed into a single memorable gesture that resolves as the logo settles. The craft is maximum identity in minimum time: a sting that audiences recognize instantly and associate with quality and anticipation. It is the shortest and most-heard form of screen music.
History
Alfred Newman's brassy "20th Century Fox Fanfare" (1933) set the template for the studio logo sting, and the form became a fixture of theatrical presentation. The 1980s and 1990s brought reinvention: the algorithmically generated "THX Deep Note" by James A. Moorer terrified and thrilled audiences, and Jerry Goldsmith and later Brian Tyler composed grand fanfares for Universal's logo. In the streaming era the sting compressed further and grew ubiquitous — Lon Bender's "Ta-Dum" for Netflix and Michael Giacchino's brass fanfare for Marvel Studios became among the most-heard pieces of music on earth, proving the few-second logo cue to be one of media's most valuable branding assets.
Defining artists
Essential listening
- 20th Century Fox Fanfare(1933) — Alfred NewmanSpotifyYouTube
- Universal Pictures Fanfare(1997) — Jerry GoldsmithSpotifyYouTube
- THX Deep Note(1983) — James A. MoorerSpotifyYouTube
- Marvel Studios Fanfare(2016) — Michael GiacchinoSpotifyYouTube
- Netflix Ta-Dum(2015) — Lon BenderSpotifyYouTube
- Universal 100th Anniversary Fanfare(2012) — Brian TylerSpotifyYouTube
Sources
- Mervyn Cooke, A History of Film Music (Cambridge University Press, 2008)
- Karen Collins, ed., studies on sonic branding
- Variety and Vulture features on studio logo music