1971, 2012[]
Logo: Against a black background, we see the text
AN american zoetrope
Below that is a lowercase "A" colored red, white, and blue. To the left of it is a zoetrope (a cylinder with images displayed inside that, when the outside is spun, gives the pictures the appearance that they are being animated when viewed through the slits at the top) colored in the same way. "PRODUCTION" is below that.
Variant: On at least one film, we see parts of the zoetrope slide all across the screen until finally ending with the finished product.
FX/SFX: None, aside from the variant.
Music/Sounds: None, or the opening of the movie.
Availability: Seen on THX 1138. The variant makes a surprise appearance on A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III.
Scare Factor: None.
1982-1990[]
Logo: On a red background, we see a red spotlight. Then the words "ZOETROPE STUDIOS", with the second "S" as a backwards "Z" and "Z" and "S" connected by a line, fades in. There's a rainbow line underneath the text.
Trivia: The logo was designed by legendary graphic designer Saul Bass.
Variant: Most often, that logo just uses the text. That is occasionally seen as part of the end credits.
FX/SFX: The fade in.
Music/Sounds: Same as the 1st logo.
Availability: Seen on some American Zoetrope films from the time, such as One from the Heart, The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, The Cotton Club, Peggy Sue Got Married and Tucker: The Man and His Dream.
Scare Factor: None.
1992-present[]
Logo: On a black background, we can see a print image of a radio tower which emits four lightning sparks. The name (aligned left) says AMERICAN ZOETROPE in two lines, with "FROM" above and "SAN FRANCISCO" below the text.
Trivia: The building depicted here is Columbus Tower in San Francisco, where the headquarters of American Zoetrope are located.
FX/SFX: None.
Variants:
- Later version has text on the right side, separated with three lines. A website appears over the tower.
- Red-colored logo appeared at the end of Bram Stoker's Dracula.
- There´s a greenish borderless version seen on The Odyssey.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Seen on Jeepers Creepers 2 and several other films, like Moby Dick and Bram Stoker's Dracula. The closing version was used on The 4400 and The Odyssey episodes. Many films like Lost in Translation, Kinsey, Marie Antoinette, The Good Shepherd, Youth Without Youth and Tetro have no logo.
Scare Factor: None.
1999-2002[]
Logo: On a black background, we see a performer (with hat) dancing in the middle. Suddenly, we zoom out and the video appears to be on a spinning zoetrope. The words "AMERICAN ZOETROPE" with "PICTURES" below spins in an angle (a la the 1990 and 1997 Universal logos).
FX/SFX: The zoom out, the words spinning. Marvelous animation.
Music/Sounds: Same as the 1st and 2nd logos.
Availability: Rare. Seen on several movies, one of them is Jeepers Creepers. Appears on the trailer for Assassination Tango. Some other films have the 2nd logo, but most of them miss it.
Scare Factor: None.
2014-present[]
Logo: Basically the same radio-tower concept as in the 3d logo, moved into the vertical box. The name is written in two lines inside the lower white part of the box.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Seen on Mozart in the Jungle episodes.
Scare Factor: None.