Guest Opinion from Sam Becker posted BY Brand New

Neutron

It might be called Legacy but this is not your grandmother’s Tron. When Steven Lisberger’s epic film came out in 1982 it was groundbreaking in its imagination and extensive in its use of computer-generated imagery. Tron leveraged the most cutting edge CG available to portray the intimate inner-workings of a vast network of computers. Inside these circuits were forgotten applications and wayward human beings battling each other for the amusement of a sinister mainframe overlord. Initial reviews accused the film of putting visual effects ahead of storyline: style above substance. The original logo supports this argument.

Could the first Tron wordmark be more adorned with bevels, highlights, airbrushed chrome and lens flares? If Tron the movie was at the forefront of cinematic visual effects, Tron the logo (designed by venerable industrial designer Syd Mead of Blade Runner fame) was at the forefront of graphic design effects.

Formally, however, the logo had less to do with the film. They matched the way a 1980s arcade game logo matched the actual game. The green film titles don’t match the electric blue and red logo, which doesn’t match the 3D animation sequences. There’s no thread that ties those things together and that cuts to the heart of what makes the new logo seem so modern: it’s not just a logo unto itself.

The mark for Tron Legacy, the sequel to Tron, represents a completely different philosophy in graphic design and visual storytelling. The logo, featured prominently in the trailer shown at ComicCon last month, must be seen in action to be fully appreciated.

To some, the new logo might not look that new. To be honest, when I first saw it, I thought it was a sexed-up version of the original—the 1982 mark with a neon key line and some 3D tricks. But it’s so much more than that. The new Tron logo is part of a new living, breathing—and dare I say, consistent—world. The logo, like the on-screen action, is disciplined in its simplicity and rich in its detail. Put simply, the new logo looks like the movie.

The color and form carefully mimic the dark, fluorescent-edged landscape. The subtle three-dimensional depth of the letterforms echoes the reflective black surfaces. The qualities of the logo have been pulled directly from the logic of the film. The letterforms shed their idiosyncrasies without losing the character of the original. Despite these qualities (and a new, less awkward T) the logo is not without its problems.

Somehow the Helvetica Thin subtitle feels a little forced. The world generated here is so tight that something as specific—almost arbitrary (gasp!)—as Helvetica seems to call attention to itself. On top of that, you have the perennial issue of justifying type beneath a wordmark unfortunate enough to begin with a capital T. The mark has other typographic issues as well; the letterforms are kerned quite tight and the R is a little too wide for its own good.

More importantly though, I think this mark succeeds where it counts. Like the trailer, it makes waiting for the 2011 release unbearable.

DATE: Aug.04.2009CATEGORY: Entertainment 61 COMMENTS

Adam Haase’s comment is:

I've never seen or heard of Tron so i can't make a judgement on the changes.

All I can say is what i call the 30th century appearance looks gr8.

On Aug.04.2009 at 06:40 AM

Neil Martin’s comment is:

It's great to see how they've not only updated, but also redesigned the Tron logo. I too thought that it was simply a modern version of the original, but it's great to see how they've improved on it.

I think the use of Helvetica doesn't work at all (probably one of the only times you can say that!) and something a little more futuristic would have been better perhaps.

On Aug.04.2009 at 06:56 AM

nisio’s comment is:

Much prefer the original logo, there's far more movement and character in it. Sure the T is too clunky, but the R is perfection

On Aug.04.2009 at 07:38 AM

dave’s comment is:

The word "Legacy" looks like an 11th hour addition to the logo. I'm guessing this was a decision that came down after the TRON mark was created with very little time to properly implement it.

On Aug.04.2009 at 07:45 AM

Dan’s comment is:

TRON!!!!

On Aug.04.2009 at 07:45 AM

ScottyM’s comment is:

A bad, nearly unwatchable original gets made into a 2010 blockbuster? Hardly. Terrific for the kids who like bright lights and unbelievable visuals (just like me in 1982), otherwise, totally forgettable.

Oh, the logo. Brights lights and unbelievable effects pretty much covers it (up-close, the detail is very much appreciated). I also appreciate how the aqua-colored theme carries through from Disney to the logo to the actual film ... appreciate but don't actually LIKE. It's claustrophobic design. It takes a claustrophobic original in '82 and tightens the space even further. Perhaps that's the intention.

The original,believe it or not, had more "life" to it.

From a branding perspective = A
From my consumer gut instinct = B or slightly worse

On Aug.04.2009 at 07:47 AM

EnergonCube’s comment is:

Overall, I like the new logo, but I wish they had stuck closer to the styling of the original R.

On Aug.04.2009 at 07:48 AM

ocelot’s comment is:

no mention of the first draft of the logo ? the tr2n version ?

http://www.peliculasymovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2711794038_6f5db79d35_o.jpg

and "I've never seen or heard of Tron so..."
HOW ?

On Aug.04.2009 at 08:17 AM

Paulo Pereira’s comment is:

new logo looks great in my opinion. i keep reading the old logo had more movement or had more life - i don't see it. all i see is gradients, lens flare and chrome being used on a stiff and awkward looking logo. (i guess adding a gradient suggests movement?) if you watch the trailers you see how the new logo perfectly works with the visuals of the movie. while the old logo really did not tie back to the movie at all.

On Aug.04.2009 at 08:21 AM

Rob O.’s comment is:

I like the new version of the logo, except for the "R." I think they could've retained a bit more of the style of the original character as they did with the "N."

I thought the original film was incredible and inventive, so I'm eager to see the sequel! Go ahead and call me a fanboy - I'll be at that midnight preview on opening week!

On Aug.04.2009 at 08:26 AM

Chad Kaufman’s comment is:

Dan: "TRON!!!"

Dan's comment, although maybe going against the Brand New commenting rules, pretty much sums up how everyone should feel about this. It's Tron, it's legendary! Enjoy the moder-retro revival of a classic.

On Aug.04.2009 at 08:38 AM

Shei Reyes’s comment is:

My apologies if this would sound biased, but I am one of those very eager to see this movie. I am usually skeptical of remakes that try to feed into my nostalgia, but this one looks promising. The graphics (from what I've seen) stay close to the original, my 10-year-old nephew even commented that it looked like an old video game and he became as excited as I am.

As for the logo, how would you do the usual "futuristic" look when it was already done 20+ years ago? For Legacy, they did what they could, which was to refine the original and hope for the best.

The old T looked too wide and didn't really go too well with the R-O-N, so they flowed it to the R on the new logo. I wished they kept the original R-O-N, (but if not for the R), I think the new version looks more cohesive.

The main draw of the original TRON for me were the graphics, what they did for this movie, (motion) designers/animators are still doing today. I appreciate that they didn't go overboard with the updated mark. If the storyline does the same, then I think it'd be worth my $10 to go see it.

On Aug.04.2009 at 08:39 AM

Armin’s comment is:

> Dan's comment, although maybe going against the Brand New commenting rules, pretty much sums up how everyone should feel about this.

Correct! Or, well, Tron!!!!

On Aug.04.2009 at 08:52 AM

Armando’s comment is:

I was there in 1982. I'll probably be there for the remake. The logo? I'm with EnergonCube on this: "...I wish they had stuck closer to the styling of the original R."

On Aug.04.2009 at 09:13 AM

David’s comment is:

"Adam Haase’s comment is:
I've never seen or heard of Tron so i can't make a judgement on the changes." - really? where have you been in the past 20 years?

Shei Reyes’s: " I am usually skeptical of remakes that try to feed into my nostalgia, but this one looks promising." - This is not a remake... is the second part of the first movie.

Armando’s: "I was there in 1982. I'll probably be there for the remake" - Another one that thinks this is a remake... damn...

On Aug.04.2009 at 09:19 AM

Felix’s comment is:

I think all the logo needed were some tweaks on the T, the new one generates noise in the N and the way they solved the TR is not very fortunate either.

These is one way it could be updated (shape-wise) in my -very, very humble- opinion

http://www.felixchi.com/tron-logo/tron-logo-felixchi.png

On Aug.04.2009 at 09:25 AM

Mark’s comment is:

I think brand is way more cohesive and successful than the original. The consistency does a lot to bring it together. Just looking at the three stills from the original it looks like I'm about to enter the matrix, then go to some French electro concert, then play that motorcycle mini-game in Final Fantasy VII. All references of today more than then but still...inconsistent feels throughout.

The new Tron looks a lot better the only thing I wish they did was keep the lower half of the R the same as the original. I think the T-R connection is successful, just the blend with the original would be nice to see.

Regardless I'm excited to see TRON!!!

::starts listening to Daft Punk::

On Aug.04.2009 at 09:36 AM

Jared Ray Scott Ramey’s comment is:

I really like what they did with the T, but i would have stuck with the old "R" as much as possible. The "N" isn't what I hoped it would be. I might as well comment about the "O" as well... ummmm.... its round.

i am really looking forward to the movie.

On Aug.04.2009 at 09:58 AM

Colin’s comment is:

I hated the original. I understand how groundbreaking it was but it was very boring and just full of emptiness. This new trailer is so damn intense! I'm very excited how they are updating it without completely changing it. I feel it's a very good way to continue on the franchise and not have to revamp it.

I think the new logo is much better than the original. I just don't like the fat T and new R is great how it works with the T. Perfect to me! Now...I hope I'm not disappointed by the film...oh I know I will be...

On Aug.04.2009 at 10:05 AM

Thom Payne’s comment is:

To me, saying "this logo is more consistent with the movie world" doesn't say anything about the logo, it says something about the evolution of branding. I'm sure that at the time that Tron was released, the same person didn't oversee the titles, the logo and the Art Direction of the movie.

Meh. And yes, I am a design professional and SciFi geek. But Tron... it's no Terminator (and even that franchise sucks now too).

On Aug.04.2009 at 10:26 AM

Brian’s comment is:

Interesting take, Felix. I like it, but I think the original post made a good comment about the R being too fat. I like the logo, and I have vague memories of really liking the movie when it came out (and I really love the video game, where you could play in the light cycles).

Great analysis overall. I love this site.

On Aug.04.2009 at 10:28 AM

Mr Kim’s comment is:

I totally remember this movie as a kid and it was awesome!! I was too young to really understand the story (or the lack there of...), but who cares... it was all about the effects and I just wish there could have been more of it. Now that I'm older, it will still be about the effects and the biggest fault with this movie, as it was back then, will be Jeff Bridges lame acting.

The design logic of the new mark makes sense and I understand why it looks the way it does. It's difficult to fault anybody for this because there is a market and a history which has obviously been considered... The typographic and optical issues can all be resolved but I guess there's no getting around it's heritage...

On Aug.04.2009 at 10:33 AM

Jeremy’s comment is:

I dig it. The logo, the branding, the trailer and the grizzled Jeff Bridges.

The original movie was a great idea, executed poorly — or to be more fair, oddly. The first logo was appropriate for 1982 and has aged accordingly.

The NEW movie, looks fresh, dramatic and intense. The new logo matches it. It too seems likely to look dated two decades down the line.

On Aug.04.2009 at 10:43 AM

Shei Reyes’s comment is:

David -- oops, I didn't think it was a remake. "Sequel" just sounded a bit odd personally since this whole "capitalizing on childhood memories" trend in movies just doesn't sit too well with me. (Live action Voltron, anyone??)

Maybe more a revival? Either way, thanks for the correction.

On Aug.04.2009 at 10:43 AM

jmj’s comment is:

I like the new logo and actually like the new TR treatment. The new TR treatment is definitely different from original, but I think the new treatment makes the mark look tighter without that gap between the T and R. I see it as a slight improvement without compromising the brand's clout. Some fan-boys may cry foul, but I think overall the market will respond favorably.

One thing that does bug me about the new one is the A in LEGACY not being centered to the O in TRON.

On Aug.04.2009 at 10:58 AM

Paul Cooley’s comment is:

Overall, I really like how everything so smoothly transitions into eachother. It carries a very cool feeling throughout.

I will say that, even though I almost always support Helvetica, I don't think it really works to well here.

Oh well, at least the movie "looks" great.

On Aug.04.2009 at 11:00 AM

Tom OKeefe’s comment is:

I never liked the original that much at all but the new one I think I dislike even more. The new logo seems forced and doesn't flow IMO. It feels more like a mash-up. Oh well. I hope the movie makes up for it. LOL

:)

On Aug.04.2009 at 11:15 AM

Dave Werner’s comment is:

When I saw the original as a kid I flipped out. The neighborhood kids and I would play "Tron" by throwing frisbees at each other. Can't wait to see this next one...and see an updated Flynn's Arcade logo.

On Aug.04.2009 at 11:29 AM

Joey V’s comment is:

Yeah, that old T was really ugly. What an improvement! I kinda wanted to see the lightcycles do a full-speed 90-degree turn like in the original though.

On another note, I heard Stark Industries is rebranding for Iron Man 2. Is that just a rumor?

On Aug.04.2009 at 11:41 AM

John Mindiola III’s comment is:

This logo is gorgeous. This is why we all went into design. My favorite part of logo creation process is breaking everything down into simple shapes. Lovely.

On Aug.04.2009 at 11:44 AM

Rob’s comment is:

"...the letterforms are kerned quite tight..."

Tracking. The tracking is too tight.

On Aug.04.2009 at 12:20 PM

Soda & Candy’s comment is:

I like everything matching, when looks are not cohesive across everything it annoys me.

For example movies that have really great print ads, posters, even great websites and then unforgivably basic title sequences. It's just a personal thing, I hope TRON Legacy has a good title sequence after all this!

On Aug.04.2009 at 12:52 PM

Mark’s comment is:

The logo is pretty good it is an improvement over the original.

On Aug.04.2009 at 12:53 PM

Alex’s comment is:

Re: Rob
""...the letterforms are kerned quite tight..."

Tracking. The tracking is too tight."

Tracking was a term made up for desktop publishing. The use of the term "kerning" in that situation is also appropriate.

Re: the logo:
Very polished, however it is too reminiscent of Blade Runner to me. Seems too lack the originality and personality of the first logo.

On Aug.04.2009 at 01:13 PM

Trent Walton’s comment is:

Love the "TRON" not so much on the "LEGACY"...

Think how terrible traffic would be if motorcycles left trails of solid light-walls behind them.

On Aug.04.2009 at 01:22 PM

Armin’s comment is:

> Tracking was a term made up for desktop publishing. The use of the term "kerning" in that situation is also appropriate.

Not to sidetrack too much: Kerning is the space between a specific pair of characters (i.e., the tight space between the O and N) while tracking refers to the spacing applied in equal measure between all the letters. So if you are talking about the general feel of the spacing, you would say tracking while kerning would not be appropriate; you would have to make a reference to a specific pair to call it kerning.

Or, well, Tron!!!!

On Aug.04.2009 at 01:24 PM

Ryan Smythe’s comment is:

What this review doesn't take into account is the fact that is took three separate production houses to make TRON plus the live action rotoscoping was out sourced to another country! Any inconsistencies in the original identity are most certainly due to the proprietary (and limited) technologies used by those companies.

On Aug.04.2009 at 01:41 PM

Sam’s comment is:

Felix: I like your interpretation. You will be heartened to know that Tron was subtly redrawn for the 20th anniversary DVD set (which I spent a considerable amount of time with this weekend).

Rob, Armin: It is true that tracking applies to words or phrases while kerning applies to individual letters. T-R-O-N is an interesting case, because half the wordmark is a fixed-space ligature. When I said the word was tight, I was really referring to the R-O kerning and the O-N kerning. What goes without saying is that L-E-G-A-C-Y (to its detriment) is completely tracked out or letter spaced.

On Aug.04.2009 at 01:45 PM

Cori’s comment is:

Thanks for this excellent review! I always appreciate film stills for reference. Well done, Sam.

I didn't even notice the structural redesign of the logo, which just goes to show how fluidly they have updated it. I do miss the old R (and its little mirrored counterpart, the 2 in "TR2N") but harping on that is about as useful as insisting that lightcycles should only move in straight lines and right angles. Which I don't do anymore.

Though I did happen to like the "TR2N" concept I admit that it was awkward to say, which would have been bad for buzz. It's much easier to ask fellow nerds, "Are you excited for Legacy?" I also dig the title's nod to computer science. The flimsy Helvetica could have been avoided for something more integrated - honestly, would a hybrid of that and something like this have been so bad?

I'd love for more film and TV related posts. Are y'all planning to address the current identity crisis going on over at Nickelodeon?

On Aug.04.2009 at 02:35 PM

AJ’s comment is:

Tucked away in a closet is my old Atari and game cartridges (there's a copy of TRON in there somewhere!).

There was such a gap between the visual identity of the game as it appeared on the cartridge label and what you saw when you actually fired up the Atari. Technology was so limited back then.

I'm happy to see the new thoughtfully crafted movie identity.

On Aug.04.2009 at 02:54 PM

Johnny Socko’s comment is:

I disagree that the original wordmark was (a) bad, and (b) not in keeping with the design and content of the film.

In 1982, my 14-year-old self thought it was (a) awesome, and (b) actually pretty representative of the sleek, futuristic world depicted in the film. Plus, that wordmark looked positively badass on the front of an arcade game cabinet. Flynn would've put it front-and-center in his arcade! ;)

On Aug.04.2009 at 04:06 PM

Elisa’s comment is:

seen the first draft of the TR2N logo, didn't like it at all, too busy, I like the direction they're going with this updated logo.

On Aug.04.2009 at 05:30 PM

olumi_day’s comment is:

I love the new logo. The Dude is TRON.. :}}

On Aug.04.2009 at 07:05 PM

fiftyfootelvis’s comment is:

I kinda dig Felix's version. The "o" doesn't feel quite right, but there was something about that old "r".

On Aug.04.2009 at 09:31 PM

Tony Goff’s comment is:

Very nice. At first I just thought the logo had been given the neon treatment but on a closer inspection I could see the new t and r merging and a few tweaks to the n.

This got me thinking about Tron 2.0, an old game for Windows that I played a few years ago, and lo and behold it had a new take on the Tron logo as well.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/ba/Tron2.0box.jpg

I wonder how many times this has been tweaked?

Still nice work, despite Legacy being added on at the last minute.

On Aug.05.2009 at 03:11 AM

orangetiki’s comment is:

I agree with nisio. The word Legacy must have been a lat minute add on. I remember the original Tron 2 logo reading TR2N

http://is.gd/23ITl if the jpg does not appear. I like the Tr2n logo better. It gives it more of that "Leet Haxxor" style of writing.

On Aug.05.2009 at 08:59 AM

Joseph Maguire’s comment is:

I dig the elements in it. Especially the N because it reminds me of the M shaped Creatures in the original movie. The flow is sweet, the updated typography is better. I think the original thickness of the T in the first mark was reminiscent of all things 80s... but I like it. I don't care for the typography of LEGACY.

But overall cant wait to see the film.

On Aug.05.2009 at 10:25 AM

Jeremy Russell’s comment is:

The illustration of the new logo is crap. It looks like someone, not a well-trained artist, took the original and started playing in Photoshop, maybe with Alien Effects. There's no consistency to how the neon is rendered. It bears no resemblance to either the imperfect human world or the perfect digital world. I think it's another weak attempt by a movie studio to look cool, hiring some schlep for ten bucks an hour to make something "just good enough."

On Aug.05.2009 at 12:04 PM

nathan mckinney’s comment is:

I'm rolling my eyes at the semantics discussion on tracking versus kerning. Thanks for clearing that up Armin.

As for the old logo versus the new...

Am I really the only one who thinks the old "r" is just a tad clunky and dated looking. Sure, back in the day, when I was copying this logo on the inside of my junior high math book in a well refined number two pencil, gradients, lens flares and all, I liked it's futuristic shiftiness. It reminded me of transformers, or (dare I say it) Go-Bots.

Now that same letterform shiftiness makes it look dated.

We could get into an debate here about how futuristic fonts don't really look futuristic anymore. But I think the monochromatic neon treatment of the new logo does a great job of glazing over that fact and does a good job of walking the line between nostalgia and modern.

That having been said, while the T-R combination is soooo 1983, it works better than the original R, and the solution presented by Felix above just doesn't work. I'm glad they ditched it.

I for one liked the old movie, and am looking forward to the new one. I fully expect a big budget disappointment.

On Aug.05.2009 at 01:16 PM

Jonathan’s comment is:

The "T" and "R" in the new logo looks like the profile of a person bent over (the tip of the "t" is the head. The body is facing left.)

On Aug.05.2009 at 03:49 PM

Morning Toast’s comment is:

I just gotta put on my fanboy hat for a sec and say that I'm totally stoked that Tron 2 is finally on a track to get released. I'm sure the movie will disappoint and completely trash whatever legacy Tron has actually created, but Tron is Tron, I guess.

In terms of logo and design, I'm glad to see they didn't stray to far from the original theme. I was kind of afraid they'd butcher the whole concept of Tron starting with the logo and design framework, but it looks like a good update. The first Tron film was such an experiment that it will be interesting to see how a "real" version will hold up.

BTW, the Tron 20th Annv. DVD set is awesome. Good stuff there. Pick it up.

On Aug.05.2009 at 04:24 PM

Michael Kozakewich’s comment is:

I just have to say, this is probably the first time in a year I've seen the proper words, "Couldn't care less." You have no idea how much I love you right now.

On Aug.05.2009 at 06:44 PM

David’s comment is:

The TRON logo in 82 was a favorite of mine. I just loved the R. I used it in a design project at school for an album cover.

The movie was decent, too. Very good plot, neat visuals, and unfortunately some cardboard acting in a few spots, mostly from the female lead (can't remember her name at the moment).

Saw the trailer the other day and have to say I like the logo feel compared to the world. I agree with the author. The Helvetica Light is odd. I agree it looks forced.

Looks like a great updated re-make/sequel. Hopefully it's acted better and doesn't wind up being another "CGI is the star, the heck with plot and acting" situation.

On Aug.05.2009 at 10:07 PM

Jacob Halton’s comment is:

I don't see what was wrong with the original logo. Video games in the 80's didn't have such a strict art direction along with the video game. I doubt many of them had actual graphic designers, the logo works perfectly because it's done as a logo for a video game—in a movie about a video game.

Stop overanalyzing.
All that leads to is somebody making a contrived logo that just looks like part of the movie and doesn't have a life of it's own and uses helvetica because they're trying too hard to make it "fit" conceptually

:(

On Aug.07.2009 at 03:22 AM

Patrick Sheldon’s comment is:

Helvetica as an eleventh hour decision? At least they didn't pick Trajan.

On Aug.07.2009 at 12:31 PM

Jeff’s comment is:

Never seen Tron but I am unbelievably excited for this art-fest of a movie :)

DAFT PUNK SOUNDTRACK + THIS STYLE MOVIE = Best thing in long time. Match made in heavon

On Aug.07.2009 at 01:36 PM

Shauna’s comment is:

I like it.
It keeps the same sort of look that the old logo had and it doesn't look good in the sence of compaired to good recent logos but they did a good job of bringing up to speed a bit the old one. It's like trying to introduce your grandmother to the computer, you show her email and basic things, you don't try to teach her javascript.
The new one echoes how they are now showing the trails with that neon look.

On Aug.09.2009 at 10:15 PM

Mongoose’s comment is:

Short throws:

T: Better
R: Worse
O: Push
N: Worse

Neon vs Gradient : Neon

Saw, enjoyed the old one: Yes
Seeing the new one: Hell Yes

--Mongoose

On Aug.11.2009 at 11:39 AM

BlindAcreMedia’s comment is:

I think the new logo is great. The longer I look at it however, the more the O begins to stand out. All of the letters are broken up into different shapes ...and because the O is not, it begins to really stand out.

On Aug.14.2009 at 03:35 PM

Sam’s comment is:

IMO, The letterforms of the original read much better.
And though the overall consistency of the newer iteration can be appreciated, why can't scifi move away from the glowing aqua color already, ew. Independence Day mothership + Listerine, over it.

On Aug.18.2009 at 12:27 AM

ryan Stewart’s comment is:

i like the color in the Tron legacy logo but i liked when it said TR2N more than Legacy

On Sep.10.2009 at 10:50 AM