2. WHAT ARE OPENING CREDITS?
In a motion picture, television program or video game, the
opening credits or opening titles are shown as the very
beginning and list the most important members of the
production.
They are usually shown as the text superimposed on a
blank screen or static pictures or sometimes on top of
action in the show.
3. HISTORY
Up until the 1970s, closing credits for films usually listed only a reprise of the
cast members with their roles identified, or even simply just said "The End",
requiring opening credits to normally contain the details. For instance, the title
sequence of the 1968 film runs for about three-and-a-half minutes, and while
not listing the complete cast, does list nearly all of its technical credits at the
beginning of the film, all set against a background of what appear to be, but in
fact are not, authentic 19th-century engravings of typical London life. The only
credit at films end is a listing of most of the cast, including cast members not
listed at the beginning. These are set against a replay of some of the "Consider
Yourself" sequence.
Some opening credits are presented over the opening sequences of a film,
rather than in a separate title sequence. The opening credits for the 1993 film
"The Fugitive" continued intermittently over several opening scenes, and did not
finish until fifteen minutes into the film. The opening credits for the 1968 film
"Once Upon a Time in the West" lasted for fourteen minutes.
4. PARTS OF OPENING CREDITS
STUDIO OR DISTRIBUTION COMPANY:
This is the distributor. It may be a studio or independent distribution company. It may or may not have
financed the making of the movie. But it is the company that sold the movie into theaters, television,
DVD, etc. Sometimes it is listed in the same text as the rest of the credits. Or it could be a logo or even
a standalone clip, such as the MGM lion roaring.
THE PRODUCTION COMPANY:
Usually a movie is produced under a business entity that finances motion pictures. It may be an
independent company, a studio or a subsidiary. The director or producer’s personal production company
may also have acquired the source material, such as a book or play, upon which the movie is based,
and could get a production company credit here as well.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH SO-AND-SO PRODUCTION COMPANY:
There may be multiple production companies that played a part in getting the movie made. They are
listed here, after the distributor and the primary production company, studio or studio subsidiary.
A DIRECTOR’S NAME FILM (or Producer’s)
Audiences today are used to seeing the director’s name before the movie title, as the auteur or visionary
of the movie. Some directors have developed such a well-known style that audiences will have specific
expectations when seeing his or her name in front of the title. There’s a difference between a Tarantino
film and a Michael Bay film.
If the director simply worked for hire without developing it from his early vision, it’s kind of silly to make
the auteur claim here. Sometimes the executive producer claims the film’s style and vision.
5. PARTS OF OPENING CREDITS
THE MOVIE STARS:
Anywhere from one to three lead actors are often listed just before the title. It’s a similar position to the
auteur, as the presence of these star actors is the reason many people came to see the movie.
True movie stars transcend their producers and directors. Their names are listed before the movie’s title,
which is equivalent to having their names above the title in the movie poster.
THE TITLE:
Now the title of the movie, by itself in big letters.
THE TOP CAST:
After the title, the leading actors are presented, either with their names singly on their own “title cards,”
or sometimes in twos or threes on the screen together, if the actors have more or less the same size
parts or are of equal status.
SUPPORTING CAST:
Other actors get listed next, if they have significant parts (several scenes) or they are recognizable
names. Often several actors will be listed together on the same title card.
THE “WITH” ACTOR:
An actor or actress of some renown may have a small part in the movie. He or she might get a “with”
credit here, such as “with Margot Thespian.”
Often these credits go to actors who “used to be” somebody years ago, still have a recognizable name,
but are no
6. PARTS OF OPENING CREDITS
THE “AND” ACTOR
A step up from the “with” acting credit, the final title card for the cast is reserved for the actor who has a meaty part in the movie, but not a
leading role. It’s like, wow, isn’t it amazing that Big Actor blessed this movie with his presence, and I bet he’s gonna be great!
It’s where the elder statesman is listed, the uber-star.
CASTING DIRECTOR
Who brings all the great acting talent together for this movie? Sometimes the producers, sometimes powerful talent agencies package
their clients into a movie. More likely a casting director puts the cast together, if not the lead actors then all the supporting players.
Casting Directors can be members of the Teamsters union and may also belong to a professional organization such as CSA, the Casting
Society of America.
Mix-n-Match the following…
The order of listings in the next section of production people is less rigid. Some movies with big special effects might put the Visual Effects
Supervisor first, followed by the others in this section. Some movies don’t list the VFX Supervisor until the end credits if the job was
minimal.
Regardless of the order, most movies today include the following listings in their opening credits. They are usually listed singly on their
own title cards, but not always.
MUSIC COMPOSER
May be listed as Music Composed by, or Original Score by, or even just Music by.
If the movie includes a vocal song, perhaps performed by a well-known artist or group, this is sometimes included as part of this title card.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
The Production Designer is responsible for the overall physical look and feel of the movie. He or she works to achieve the director’s vision
of the sets, locations, costumes, hair, makeup, special effects, colors and tone.
ART DIRECTOR
The Art Director oversees set design and construction, decorating or set dressing, props, signage and modifying locations. Sometimes the
art director is pushed to the end credits.
7. PARTS OF OPENING FILMS
WRITTEN BY:
The Writers Guild of America, West, dictates that the screenwriting credit shall be Written By, instead of
Screenplay By.
There can only be up to three writers credited for the screenplay. However, a writing team is considered “one”
credit, so in practice there can be more than three names in the Written By credit.
In the case of multiple writers working on the screenplay (at different times, usually), the names are listed
chronologically from top to bottom.
DIRECTED BY:
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) permits a movie to list only one director, even if two or more worked on
it. A team is considered one directing credit, such as Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.
Except in very rare cases, such as the death of a director during production, only one directing credit is listed.
The Wizard of Oz had five directors, including Richard Thorpe, the original who was fired after two weeks,
George Cukor, who sort of babysat the production briefly until Victor Fleming was assigned. Fleming directed
most of the movie, until he left to direct Gone With The Wind upon which King Vidor came aboard to finish,
directing the Kansas scenes and Producer Mervyn LeRoy later directed some pick-up shots.
But only Victor Fleming got the directing credit. Because just like a ship can have only one captain and a
kitchen one chef, a movie can (usually) have only one director.
And once the director’s name shows on screen, it’s time to start the movie.
8. PARTS OF OPENING CREDITS
COSTUME DESIGNER:
Someone designs the clothes for all the actors, makes or buys them, or at least guides the actors if they’re
bringing their own modern-day wardrobe on low-budget productions. Certainly their work is evident in
period or sci-fi movies, but even modern-day films need the skills of a talented costume designer to make
the actors look good, and right for their parts.
HAIR / MAKE-UP ARTISTS
Movie stars are beautiful people, no one can argue that. They tone, tan, sculpt and starve their bodies to
be the people everyone else in the world wants to look like. However, truth be told, to look their best on
camera they need makeup and hair stylists.
Makeup is sometimes listed in the opening credits if the movie relies on makeup for special effects or
advanced aging of a lead character. Think Planet of the Apes, Benjamin Button or even Forrest Gump.
Lots of stars have their own personal hair and makeup artists. When there are several of these, most of the
time they are listed in the end credits and not in the opening.
SET DESIGN
If a movie makes use of lots of sets, as opposed to on-location shooting, the Set Designer may be listed in
the opening credits, although this is sometimes another one of the credits that gets rolled at the end of the
movie.
STORY BY
Someone may have come up with the original story but didn’t write the screenplay, or wrote it with another
writer. This credit acknowledges the contribution of the scenarist.
