Touchstone Pictures

Touchstone Pictures (formerly Touchstone Films) was established by Walt Disney Productions (now The Walt Disney Company) on February 15, 1984 to produce and distribute more adult-oriented films. The company became a dominant force from its establishment between the early 1980s to the late 2000s, releasing several successful films such as Splash, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Color of Money, Three Men and a Baby, Adventures in Babysitting, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Armageddon, Con Air, Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, Gone in 60 Seconds, High Fidelity, Flightplan, The Proposal, and many others. However, the company began a slow decline in 2003 with the success of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl as the first PG-13 film released under the mainline Walt Disney Pictures banner. The label became relegated to R-rated and PG and PG-13 fare that didn't fit the mainline banner as a result.

Two huge blows were dealt to the company in 2009: first, then-new Disney chairman Rich Ross trimmed the number of films Disney released in a year to eight. This business plan resulted in planned sequels for Touchstone hits being cancelled, and many more flops to come for Disney in general (Ross left after the failures of John Carter and Mars Needs Moms); the last Touchstone film released solo, without distributing for others, was You Again. Meanwhile, Disney eventually stopped producing adult-oriented but family-friendly films after Old Dogs flopped with critics (though it did reasonably well at the box office). After all this, Touchstone began merely distributing films for Lucasfilm, Miramax, and DreamWorks Pictures (except the EMEA region and India), as well as foreign films and titles Disney didn't see value in. It didn't help either that Disney was beginning to release their Marvel and Star Wars films under the respective Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm brands. The final blow came with the critical and commercial failure of Strange Magic, with them only distributing Bridge of Spies and The Light Between Oceans since then, the latter ultimately being the company's final film. Its purpose within The Walt Disney Company has since been taken up by 20th Century Studios since its acquisition by Disney in 2019.

Disney retired the Touchstone label after the expiration of their DreamWorks deal in August 2016 (since they went back to Amblin Partners and Universal Pictures for distribution) and several other Disney divisions have produced or are developing television series and films based on previous Touchstone properties for Disney+ and Hulu. However, the 2018 film Sherlock Gnomes, the sequel and spin-off to Gnomeo & Juliet, was released by Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer instead of Disney. Although the 2019 film Glass was rumored to be intended for a Touchstone release outside of the United States, it was instead released under the revived Buena Vista International label. Today, Touchstone is in a similar place as Disney's other former mature label, Hollywood Pictures, existing solely as an in-name-only unit to hold the copyright of their films. As such, the mature-themed films released by Disney are currently released under either 20th Century Studios or Searchlight Pictures banners, respectively.

1st Logo (March 9, 1984)

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Visuals: On a black/salmon gradient background is a blue ball with a yellow streak cut into it diagonally. Underneath it is the stacked blue text "TOUCHSTONE FILMS" (set in Trump Mediaeval).

Trivia: Contrary to popular belief, the yellow streak isn't a thunderbolt. In ancient Rome and Greece, people needed a way to test the quality of precious metals, like gold. So as a result, jewelers would rub precious metals against a block of rough stone, called a touchstone. This would leave a fine trace of the metal's alloy on the stone's surface. By visually examining the quality of that sample, a trained eye could judge its purity. Putting this in mind, the blue ball represents the physical touchstone while the "streak" or "lightning bolt" represents the gold tracing left on the stone's surface.

Variant: An open matte version of this logo exists on full-screen versions.

Technique: A still, hand-painted image designed by Jerry Kuyper of Landor Associates.

Audio: None.

Availability

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Media Title	Date of Release	Additional Notes
Splash OSCA	March 9, 1984	Only appearance

2nd Logo (September 28, 1984-March 22, 1985)

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Visuals: The logo starts on a blue background, which then shrinks into a ball on a black background that zooms out into the upper center portion of the screen. After it takes a small dip, it heads toward the background where it flashes and turns into the ball from the 1st logo. The streak shines as the background lightens up with salmon concentric circles, which get dimmer the farther out they go. The text from before then fades in below.

Variant: On fullscreen versions of Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, the logo is squeezed vertically to fit the standard TV aspect ratio, as that film was shot in 2.35:1; as a result, the circle is a vertical oval.

Technique: Cel animation.

Audio: A "wind-blowing" sound, followed by a "chime" during the flash part of the animation. This was composed by Robbie Robertson.

Audio Variant: In other cases, the logo is silent.

Availability

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Media Title	Date of Release	Additional Notes
Country OSCA	September 28, 1984	Debut appearance
Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend OSCA	March 22, 1985	Final appearance

3rd Logo (August 9, 1985-October 17, 2003)

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  "DISTRIBUTED BY" variant
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Custom VariationsTrailer Variations

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  D.O.A. (1988), Dick Tracy (1990), and Ransom (1996): The 1987 revision of the 1985 logo is in black & white.
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  The Rocketeer (1991, non-US prints): The logo is in the style of the 1991-1998 Walt Disney Pictures logo seen on US prints.
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  Ed Wood (1994, opening): Like the D.O.A., Dick Tracy and Ransom variants, the 1987 revision of the logo is in black and white. However, the animation is altered to have lightning strike the ball, forming the logo. The animation also appears to be much smoother, almost like it's shot on camera.
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  Ed Wood (1994, closing): The 1987 revision of the 1985 logo is black and white, similar to the D.O.A., Dick Tracy and Ransom variants.
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  The Sixth Man (1997): The theme ends abruptly as the "twang" is replaced with the start of Doug E. Fresh's version of "Superstition" which continues over the Mandeville Films logo and into the opening credits.
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  Kundun (1997, opening): The blue parts of the 1987 revision of the 1985 logo are colored permanent geranium lake/maroon. When the streak appears, it makes a different sound.
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  Kundun (1997, closing): Same as the opening, but it is mostly silent except when the ball flashes.
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  Bicentennial Man (1999, non-US prints): The Touchstone print logo is featured in the end credits.
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  Sorority Boys (2002): The ball turns into a merit badge.
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  Gangs of New York (2002): Continuing from the Miramax Films logo, the company name (stacked on top of each other in a Gill Sans Ultra Bold font) slowly spreads apart on a dark gray background. Then it irises out and segues into the opening credits. On recent prints, the Miramax logo is plastered by a later one while this is omitted completely.
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  ESPN's Ultimate X: The Movie (2002): The screen zooms out from around the center of the 1987 revision of the 1985 logo, which plays in warp speed.

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  D.O.A. (1988): When the light hits the ball, the 1987 revision of the 1985 logo pauses and screen zooms in on the ball and flashes before going to the trailer.
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  Enemy of the State (1998): The 1987 revision of the 1985 logo is on a yellow static backgrouund.
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  10 Things I Hate About You (1999): After the 1987 revision of the 1985 logo forms, the thunderball and the words fall open as flaps to reveal "10" in a red square, and the rest of the movie's title in a white rectangle, respectively.
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  Mission to Mars (2000, TV spot): The planet Mars sits on top of the thunderball. Seen on a TV spot.
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  The Count of Monte Cristo (2002): The 1987 revision of the 1985 logo plays in fast-forward, and a streak of light breaks across the screen as the light goes through the letters. A bright flash transitions to the next scene before the light hits the blue circle.
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  The Hot Chick (2002, TV spots): The orb of the 1987 revision of the 1985 logo flashes twice and makes a dinging sound effect. Seen on TV spots.

Visuals: On a black background, a blue oblong moves from the right side of the screen to the left. As it shrinks to the left of the screen, the stacked text "TOUCHSTONE PICTURES" (in the same font as the last two logos) slides next to it. After the oblong morphs into a ball, the text shines from right to left before hitting the ball, which flashes and glows orange, gaining the streak from the last two logos on it.

Variants:

• For the first two years of this logo's use, "FILMS" is seen instead of "PICTURES". The "shining" of the letters is also difficult to see and the flash is bigger. This version appears on My Science Project, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Off Beat, Ruthless People, and The Color of Money.
• The positioning of the logo varies. Earlier variants were in the middle; for the rest of the logo's run, it was on the bottom.
• The brightness of the flash varies. It can range from very dull to very bright. These variants were introduced around the early 1990s.
• An open-matte version also exists, which was seen on the 35mm uncropped film scan prints of films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Sister Act, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
• Starting around 2000, the logo was enhanced with a motion blur effect added when the text slides, and a slightly larger flash. This variant appears on movies like Unbreakable, Gone in 60 Seconds, and Veronica Guerin. However, some films still use the original version.
• At the end of a Chérie 25 broadcast of Six Days, Seven Nights, a shortened version was used (most likely as a result of time compression), which starts with the text shining and also cuts to the 2006 Buena Vista International Television logo before it fades out.
• On the Australian VHS release of TEX, "DISTRIBUTED BY" appears below the logo.
• On the movies between both Ernest Goes to Camp and Indian Summer, a 2.35:1 version of this logo exists. The logo is thicker, and the shine and flash are also more realistic than ever.

Technique: Cel animation done by the animation division of Walt Disney Productions (now known as Walt Disney Animation Studios).

Audio: A series of synthesized bells, ending in a "twang" when the streak appears. This was composed by John Debney (who also composed the music for the 1985-2006 Walt Disney Pictures logo and the 2007-2014 ABC Studios logo).

Audio Variants:

• In its first years of use, a violin hum can be heard in the middle of the theme.
• On AMC's print of Shanghai Noon, the theme is low-pitched.
• Other times, it starts off silent, and when the oblong morphs into the ball, the opening theme starts over the second half.
• On some films, such as The Color of Money, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 3 Ninjas, and The Waterboy, the film's opening score deliberately syncs up with the logo's animation. This also sometimes applies to the closing score of a film, like Sister Act.
• In later years, the theme was rarely used, at a point that starting in the early 2000s, it was mainly mostly used on Spyglass Entertainment productions.
• In other cases, it uses the opening/closing theme of the movie or the logo is silent.

Availability: Seen on films by the company from the time period until 2003.

• This logo is seen on many movies produced by the company during this time. It was first seen on My Science Project and was last seen on Shanghai Knights, but made one last appearance on Veronica Guerin.
• This logo wasn't seen at all on Gangs of New York, Jerky Boys: The Movie, and overseas theatrical prints of Face/Off and Starship Troopers.
  • The Special Edition DVD release and Disney+ prints of Face/Off retains this logo at the start and end of the film, while the Blu-ray release does not.
• This logo was also seen on pre-2006 prints of The Nightmare Before Christmas, although newer remastered prints have it plastered with the 2006 Walt Disney Pictures logo starting with the 3D re-release (however, Touchstone is still listed at the end of the closing credits).
  • However, it can still be found on pre-2008 DVD and VHS releases of said film.
• It can also be found at the start of the original UK VHS release of Pulp Fiction, before the Miramax Films logo.
• A short version of this logo is also seen at the end of international prints of The Rocketeer, in place of the Walt Disney Pictures logo as seen on the American release.

4th Logo (August 2, 2002-September 2, 2016)

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Custom VariationsTrailer Variations

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  Déja Vù (2006): The logo starts as usual, but midway through its animation, it plays in reverse. Then, it animates as usual.
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  The Tempest (2010): The logo comes from the sun eclipse on a teal background.
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  I Am Number Four (2010): The logo has a slight orange tint.
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  When in Rome (2010): When the logo finishes, the screen zooms out to reveal that it is on a postcard. Two Touchstone logos can also be seen to the left and right of it as the camera zooms out.
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  Need for Speed (2014): The first half of the logo is sped up, and after it completes it cuts to black instead of fading out.

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  Calendar Girls (2003, TV spot): The Touchstone orb is replaced with a sunflower.

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  Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009, TV spot 1): The logo is letterboxed in a black rectangle on a white background along with the Jerry Bruckheimer Films logo. Both logos zoom in.
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  Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009, TV spot 1): The logo is letterboxed in a black rectangle on a white background along with the Jerry Bruckheimer Films logo. Both logos zoom in.

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  Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009, TV spot 2): The logo shares the screen with the Jerry Bruckheimer Films logo and a lens flare covers both logos.
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  Step Up 3D (2010, TV spot): The logo is etched onto a wall along with the Summit Entertainment logo.
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  Gnomeo and Juliet (2011): The Touchstone orb has a gnome hat and little blue gnome feet. Seen on TV spots.

Visuals: On a black background, the streak from the previous logo flashes and zooms back onto a grey-blue sphere. After that, the stacked text "TOUCHSTONE P I C T U R E S" (set in Trajan Bold) zooms out underneath the sphere, and a shadow is then lit up. The streak also lets out orange light flares that die down when the text settles in place.

Variants:

• Sometimes, the logo is tinted blue.
• Beginning in the late 2000s, the logo has a more orange tint.
• On 4:3 prints of films, the logo is shown in open matte.
• On Picturemill's website from 2010 to 2015, the logo is animated at 30fps and the colors are slightly darker.

Technique: CGI by Picturemill.

Audio: The theme from the previous logo, albeit slightly slower.

Audio Variants:

• Usually, it's silent or has the film's opening theme.
• On Under the Tuscan Sun, the synth chord in the background and the final note are removed and a different synth note sustains itself, which in actuality, only the isolated audio from the front-left channel (of the 5.1 mix) plays in the logo.
• Composer James Newton Howard wrote a theme for the logo to be specially used for Signs, played on a piano. Although it wound up unused, it was later featured in the respective film's expanded score album. It might have been created as a main theme for the logo in general, but this remains unknown. The possible theme can be heard here, and its alternate version can be heard here.

Availability

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Media Title	Date of Release	Additional Notes
Signs OSCA	August 2, 2002	Debut appearance
25th Hour OSCA	December 19, 2002
Bringing Down the House OSCA	March 7, 2003
Open Range OSCA	August 14, 2003
Calendar Girls OSCA	September 2, 2003
Cold Creek Manor OSCA	September 19, 2003
Under the Tuscan Sun OSCA	September 26, 2003
Hidalgo OSCA	March 5, 2004
The Ladykillers OSCA	March 26, 2004
The Alamo OSCA	April 9, 2004
Raising Helen OSCA	May 28, 2004
King Arthur OSCA	July 7, 2004
The Village OSCA	July 30, 2004
Mr. 3000 OSCA	September 17, 2004
The Last Shot OSCA	September 24, 2004
Ladder 49 OSCA	October 1, 2004
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou OSCA	December 25, 2004
Barefoot OSCA	March 31, 2005	German film
A Lot like Love OSCA	April 22, 2005
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy OSCA	April 29, 2005
Dark Water OSCA	July 8, 2005
Flightplan OSCA	September 23, 2005
Shopgirl OSCA	October 21, 2005
Casanova OSCA	December 25, 2005
Annapolis OSCA	January 27, 2006
Stick It OSCA	April 28, 2006
Step Up OSCA	August 19, 2006
The Guardian OSCA	September 29, 2006
The Prestige OSCA	October 20, 2006
Déjà Vu OSCA	November 22, 2006	Custom variant
Apocalypto OSCA	December 8, 2006
Wild Hogs OSCA	March 2, 2007
Dan in Real Life OSCA	October 26, 2007
Step Up 2: The Streets OSCA	February 14, 2008
Swing Vote OSCA	August 1, 2008
Miracle at St. Anna OSCA	September 26, 2008
Confessions of a Shopaholic OSCA	February 13, 2009
The Proposal OSCA	June 19, 2009
Surrogates OSCA	September 25, 2009
When in Rome OSCA	January 29, 2010	Custom variant
The Last Song OSCA	March 31, 2010
Step Up 3D OSCA	August 6, 2010
You Again OSCA	September 17, 2010
The Tempest OSCA	December 10, 2010	Custom variant
Gnomeo & Juliet OSCA	February 11, 2011
I Am Number Four OSCA	February 18, 2011
The Help OSCA	August 10, 2011
Fright Night OSCA	August 19, 2011
Real Steel OSCA	October 7, 2011
War Horse OSCA	December 25, 2011
Mad Buddies OSCA	June 22, 2012	South African film
People Like Us OSCA	June 29, 2012
Lincoln OSCA	November 16, 2012
The Fifth Estate OSCA	October 18, 2013
Delivery Man OSCA	November 22, 2013
Schuks! Your Country Needs You OSCA	November 29, 2013	South African film
The Wind Rises OSCA	February 28, 2014	North American prints
Need for Speed OSCA	March 14, 2014	Custom variant
The Hundred-Foot Journey OSCA	August 8, 2014
Strange Magic OSCA	January 23, 2015
Schuks! Pay Back the Money! OSCA	August 23, 2015	South African film
Bridge of Spies OSCA	October 16, 2015
The Light Between Oceans OSCA	September 2, 2016	Final appearance

Copyright Stamps:

• 1985-1986: Copyright © by Touchstone Films
• 1986-2010: Copyright © by Touchstone Pictures