Press Release - CULVER CITY, CA – January 17, 2007
Sony Pictures Imageworks exemplifies the very best in digital imagery and animation. The quality comes from the people who have made Imageworks what it is today. As we embark on our 15th-year in business and look ahead to our future, we see our visual identity as an important reflection of ourselves: who we are, what we do and where we want to go. In a year of achievement, expansion and diversification, Imageworks, the nucleus of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment and broadly recognized for some of the finest and most innovative visual effects, digital characters, CG animation and pioneering technology, takes this opportunity to develop a graphic identity as clean and consistent as our award-winning work. With support and feedback from a wide cross-section of our company, we embarked on a comprehensive design exercise to capture the spirit, vitality and, most importantly, the quality and qualities of Imageworks. Through extensive interviews and observation, we defined and distilled our core values into three words that became the guiding principles that help drive the design and emphatically bring forward the recognition of Imageworks' infinite creative achievement—past and future. Our goal is to provide Sony Pictures Imageworks with a clear, consistent and luminous identity. One that draws on a heritage of innovation from Sony, and a legacy of entertainment from Columbia Pictures.
THE CORE VALUES DEFINING IMAGEWORKS
The Imageworks identity is a promise, a vital living declaration that behind everything we do there is an unequaled creative kinship with all those with whom we share our passion. Our passion for humanity. For character. For our colleagues and our clients and our audience. For the kind of visual storytelling that touches our souls. For the hopes and dreams and triumphs of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Our true heroes. Then comes imagination. The way we look at things. Differently. Our vision. Our boundless creativity and ongoing delight in the anticipation of what could be. And "what could be", becomes the result of a collaboration between imagination and technology—where we ultimately explore, discover and shape our creative vision. This is where the magic takes flight.
Humanity. Imagination. Technology. The catalyst to Imageworks' identity.
WHAT COLORS OUR WORLD
The stylized symbol that anchors the Imageworks logo is an iris. It represents humanity and wonderment, and symbolizes the proverbial window to our imagination. It is our emotional filter. At the center, a single square depicts the sparkle in our eye. Technology makes the complex appear simple. This is why we chose to configure the iris with a minimal amount of simple squares to create our circular mark. The many varying ways we orchestrate these squares through animation and design will be a reflection of our imagination and the technology we use as our part of our expressive palette. We have created three versions of the Imageworks icon. One fully modeled version for use in four-color print and animated applications. A second for 2D flat-color and single-color print applications. And a third for Imageworks 3D. Additionally, we have a "Sony Pictures" configuration for ancillary corporate usage. A comprehensive Brand Style Guide will be forthcoming to outline specific applicable usages.
CLARITY
Our brand identity is our face. It embodies our most endearing qualities, becoming our most enduring asset. It is a promise built upon the cornerstone of our core values. A promise that what we think, what we create, and what drives our vision is an extension of these values. The success of Imageworks depends on all of us. In fact, we are so committed to fulfilling that promise that we have staked our claim on our performance and passion as a company and seated a visual declaration prominently above our name for all to see. Our brand is the currency for our future success. Our new Made at Imageworks logo is the symbol for our collective consciousness. We have created outstanding work and continue to enjoy industry kudos and accolades for filmmaking we're proud of. But as the proverbial saying goes: "You ain't seen nothing yet."
