the S looks really out of place.

It seems like LION goes together and GATE goes together...and lonely ole S has no friends.

This looks to me like they started with Gill Sans Bold, substituted a Futura Heavy G, and modified the E to look like the one in Vonnes. They forgot the last step in which you redraw it so it doesn't look like a such a mishmash.

A more committedly deliberate mismatch would have put serifs on the "I" as well.

"... would have put serifs on the “I” as well."

The readability thing, right?

>The readability thing, right?

LOL.
That gives me an idea for a New Year's Resolution (thread to come, no doubt):
1. Avoid all use of the word "readability".

"This is what happens when graphic designers work with type ;-)"

Sigh, as i duck my graphic designer's head in shame amd slunk off into a darkened room to succumb to the depths of depression :-<

ChrisL

"How hard would it have been to stick with one font?"

How hard would it be to design something that doesn't suck?

ChrisL

Sigh, as i duck my graphic designer’s head in shame amd slunk off into a darkened room to succumb to the depths of depression :-<

Cheer up, you aren't the only graphic designer here.

How hard would it be to design something that doesn’t suck?

Well, that can be pretty hard, actually :-/

Optically the S doesn't even match up with the G. Its like the wicked witch of the west when dorthy threw water on her. "I'm melting", in this case shrinking.

"Cheer up, you aren’t the only graphic designer here."

Actually, my theory is that the "logo" was done by one of the "creative" types on the film crew or even better by one of the "suits" who just got Photoshop for Christmas. "Look Mom! I can choose fonts with one hand! I am so good I can put 4 fonts on a line at once even on top of a stock background image! Yup, I am that good--so fire that overpaid graphic design guy,"

ChrisL

That target is too easy. Should have used Trajan again.

Speaking as a graphic designer who once worked for Lions Gate for all of 6 weeks, I think it's highly likely they had the person design the logo, told him/her they hated it, fired him/her, and then used it anyway.

"...told him/her they hated it, fired him/her, and then used it anyway."

I see their taste in typography is equal to their ethics. Perhaps this is the perfect logo for them afterall.

ChrisL

By the way, that's sheer unsubstantiated sour-grapes sniping on my part. I actually worked for the branch of LGF in California that had been Artisan... the people that brought you "Van Wilder," "Blair Witch 2," and other disasterpieces. Let's just say their employment practices were on a par with some of those fine films and leave it at that. I would assume this logo came from their Montreal office (the "original" LionsGate).

However, that "E" really is very 80's hair metal. And not in a good way.

There are some very good typographers in Montreal, too bad none were called in on it.

ChrisL

Isn't the old one on top actually relatively new?
I thought this was the old one.

I just started seeing that one not to long ago.

I believe that one is even older -- the LGF one has been in use for a while.

In my brief experience (three months!) in the movie design business it seemed that most of the people doing that sort of art came from illustration rather than design backgrounds, and weren't particularly sensitive about typography. Hence the repetitive use of Trajan, Compacta, etc. for titles -- don't fix what ain't broke.

came from illustration rather than design backgrounds, and weren’t particularly sensitive about typography.

This is indeed a problem. As someone who does both, I find that a lot of illustrators don't know much about type and many designers don't respect illustration. I was trained as a designer and a fine artist and I think both fields (design and illustration) are so closely related they can stand to learn a thing or two about the other. But alas, this is another discussion entirely...

Hey, just be glad the 'designer' didn't ungroup his/her mishmash outlines and move most of them, leaving counters dislocated from their intended places. The US Chevron campaign (with techron!) had some widely-distributed logos with dislocated counters. Now I see it everywhere.

"widely-distributed logos with dislocated counters"

Seems counterproductive :-)

ChrisL

Or counterdestructive ...

> Avoid all use of the word "readability".

I dunno, I've found that when used judiciously it can impress peers no end...

hhp

BTW, What teen aged text-messagers think of readability today is cryptic acronyms for all common phrases. Wtf do they all mean? :-)

ChrisL

It's just modern day shorthand, Chris. Seems to be a generation thing...I can't read my grandmother's cursive for the life of me. There must've been a time where written shorthand was popular, yes? I doubt I would be able to understand that either. :-) ttfn m8

Don't tell your Grandmothers 3rd grade teacher though David, she would get her wrists slapped with a ruler for penmanship unbefitting a lady. :-)

ChrisL

Haha, Chris my grandmother is doing just fine! No need to tattle. We had my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary party here last night. They had a blast. I even made the invitations. :-)

" The new Lionsgate logo was designed by an in-house team headed by Tim
Palen, EVP of Marketing. Lionsgate worked with Ogilvy & Mather's BIG on the
creative execution of the word mark and with Deva Studios on the animated
logo."

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/1...