It's Time for Cake

It's Time for Cake
This was a production company ran by Jerry Sterns, formed in 1997. Producers Graham Vanzetti and Dennis Friedman would join the company and earn a majority stake after Sterns moved to the United Kingdom. In 2006, they merged with Gecko Studios, though kept the It's Time for Cake moniker. It was acquired by Entropy Films soon after, but was spun off after Entropy entered bankruptcy proceedings. Sterns was later fired from the company in 2014 following a disorderly conduct charge and it was rebranded as Bingo Highway.

1st Logo (1997)
Logo: On a black background we see a picture containing a drawing of a cake with a slice cut out. "It's time for Cake" is below in white.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The theme of the program or trailer.

Availability: Extinct. Appeared on the unsold pilot for She-Hulk.

Editor's Note: It's just boring. This logo has also been used on print-ads for the company's movies, though trailers never display any indication of this logo.

2nd Logo (1999-2005)
Logo: In a living-room setting, we see some kids sitting on a couch (five girls and a boy), with a cake on a table in front of them. "IT'S TIME FOR CAKE" is above them on a banner in a plain typeface. A clock to the right of it strikes noon and the kids raise their hands while maintaining bored expressions.

Variant: In 2005, the logo was tweaked to feature cleaner animation, more details such as peeling walls and a hallway leading to a flight of stairs and two men; these represent Friedman and Vanzetti, and were featured on the first logo of their old vanity card.

Trivia: Three of the characters in this are the same ones used in the first and third Gecko Studios logos.

FX/SFX: Flash animation. This was done by Yowza! Animation. It was redesigned by Angry Alien Productions in 2005 for details outlined above.

Music/Sounds: A ticking sound, followed by a deep apathetic cheer.

Availability: Appeared on the ultra short lived 1999 revival of Inner Sanctum and the unsold pilots for a 2002 revival of Forever Knight and that for Hailey's Debts.

Editor's Note: This ended and restarted It's Time for Cake on a high note.

3rd Logo (2005-2012)
Logo: Against a pink background with a tree to the left, we see the characters from before fighting over a rifle. The rifle goes off, causing them to fall and a giant cake falls from the tree. "It's Time for Cake" is on the cake written in frosting. The characters stand up and look to the cake then the viewer.

FX/SFX: 2D animation, this was produced by Elliot Strange.

Music/Sounds: Sounds corresponding to the actions, along with nature sounds. Vanzetti then says "Good enough for me."

Availability: Appeared on the films Field Trip and Don't Watch These: Five of the Worst Movies Ever Made.

Bingo Highway
Bingo Highway is a collective and production company ran by Elliot Strange, Graham Vanzetti and Dennis Friedman, based in New York. Bingo Highway acts as a mediator for more experimental content and seeks to "bridge the gap between Hollywood and the internet.", along with being the name of a dedicated YouTube channel. Initially made to remove references to Sterns on productions the other three were involved in, they were set to be acquired by Verizon to produce shows for their Go90 service, but after it was shut down the deal was called off. In 2019, Mythical Entertainment acquired a minority stake in the company after Bingo Highway's prior agreement with Mighty Quiet Entertainment expired. In 2022, AMC Networks acquired half of the company, with Bingo Highway set to produce content for networks and services under their ownership.

1st Logo (2015-2017)
Logo: Against an amber plain at dusk, we see silhouettes of the characters from before walking along. The image zooms back and we go past what looks to be a transparent bingo sheet. Once that is in full view, the image gets cropped into a box and it becomes pure white, with the silhouettes still present. "bingo highway" fades in below.

FX/SFX: The silhouettes and zooming.

Music/Sounds: An orchestrated theme, ending with a brief drumroll and a soft guitar note.

Availability: Appeared on the films Elvis and the Devil and 7 Deadly Tales.

Editor's Note: The company wasn't formally established at this point; the logo was used primarily to remove references to Sterns, who was involved in the two movies above. Intended to be a placeholder name, after receiving proper clearance, the Bingo Highway name was approved for use, though it would be shortened on future uses as a precautionary measure.

2nd Logo (2017-)
Logo: In a living-room setting, with pink wallpaper and some abstract statuettes, we see a photograph of the previous characters,ne of which holds a bat plushie that resembles the character Rouge the Bat from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. "Bingo hwy." is written in the white space at the bottom of the picture. A brick is then hurled at the photograph.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: A three note piano tune, ending with the sound of glass breaking. Early on the former was abscent.

Availability: Can be seen on Insertionists. First appeared on Ten Things, which was formerly hosted on Go90.

Editor's Note: This marks the point where Bingo Highway became formally established. The inclusion of the Rouge plushie was not just to establish the Sonic Heroes connection, but a stab at Sterns who mocked people who were fans of the character.