1. Assignment 11:
Film Billing & Title Analysis
L/O:
-to know the historical context of film titles and credits
-to know how film titles are structures and applied in films
-to be able to apply these rules/ideas to your opening sequences
2. Key Terms
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Film title
Film credit
Billing
Opening sequence
Title sequence
Opening credits
Closing credits
• Possessory/possessive Credits
• Cold open / teaser
• Top billing
• Last billing
3. Key Terms DEFINITIONS
Film
Title
Film
Credit
Billing
(Top & Last)
Title of film
Name and/or
role of person
worked on film
The process
of placing
titles and
credits in a
film
Opening
Sequence
Title
Sequence
Opening
Credits
Closing
Credits
The opening credits of
a film in which the
title and credits are
separate from the film
itself
The credits and the
beginning of the film
The credits
and the end
of the film
(Coldopen/Teaser)
The opening of a film
More modern films that
set a scene in the
opening which creates
enigma (like a trailer) is
called cold open or
teaser. Example = 4-3-21 opening
Ex James Bond
Top = most
important
Last = least
important
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=4uaYiWu7uZs&safe=active
4. Think of how titles and credits have
changed over time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwwxklLotJ8&
safe=active
http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-girlwith-the-dragon-tattoo/
Now there are:
-music
-CGI
-text animation
-images/footage etc
-separate narratives from the film
-symbolism and enigma
-used to just be text on blank screen!
5. Definition (wiki)
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In a motion picture, television program, or video game, the
opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important
members of the production.
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They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static
pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show.
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There may or may not be accompanying music.
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Where opening credits are built into a separate sequence of their own, the correct
term is title sequence (such as the familiar James Bond and Pink Panther title
sequences).
6. HISTORY
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In 1900/20’s big film studios didn’t want actors names to be at beginning as they felt it would create the ‘star’ culture that existed in Broadway. This
would cause the stars to expect big salaries. Also, the stars who were in films didn’t want their names at beginning as it wasn’t really the thing to do
(as it were more popular to be a big Broadway star)
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In the 1950’s the film industry changed and studio’s/directors/stars decided on if their names were billed.
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American films also tended to list the names of the actors before the names of the directors, screenwriters, etc. (before the crew and film makers
were more important than actors)
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After the 60’s the big stars started demanding that their names be put at the beginning of the film for recognition. Billing demands even extended to
publicity materials (i.e. posters, trailers, billboards), down to the height of the letters and the position of names. Big actors have top billing and small
actors have last billing.
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Up until the 1970s, closing credits for films usually listed only a some of cast members with their roles identified, or even simply just said "The End”
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Example: ‘Oliver in 1968’ had nearly all the titles of cast and crew at beginning = 3.5 minutes long!
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Opening credits since the early 1980s, if present at all, identify the major actors and crew, while the closing credits list an extensive cast and
production crew.
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Generally, the billing order signifies the importance (1st = most important, last = least important)
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By the 90’s a lot of films completely omit (leave out) the title and credits until the end (for different styles of opening sequences) such as Avatar, Star
Wars, Dark Knight trilogy
7. SOLVIET (Russian) INFLUENCE
• Most Soviet films presented all film-related information in
the opening credits, rather than at the closing which consist
of just a "THE END“
• A typical Soviet opening credits sequence starts with a
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film company's logo (Mosfilm, Lenfilm, etc.)
the film's title
followed by the director
the film's chief administrator-in-charge, the production director
then the cast, usually in actor-and-role format for main actors,
in an alphabetical cluster
– The final credit screen identified the studio corresponding to
the logo at the beginning, and the year of the film's production.
8. Recent trends
• Many major American films have done away with opening credits,
not even displaying the film title until beginning of closing credits
– Van Helsing in 2004
– Batman Begins in 2005
• George Lucas is credited with popularizing this with his Star
Wars films which display only the film's title at the start.
• His decision to omit (leave out) opening credits in his films Star
Wars (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980) led him to resign
from the Directors Guild of America after being fined $250,000 for
not crediting the director during the opening title sequence.
• However, Hollywood had been releasing films without opening
credits for many years before Lucas came along, most
notably Citizen Kane, West Side Story, and The Godfather.
9. EVOLUTION (WIK)
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Some opening credits are presented over the opening sequences of a film, rather
than in a separate title sequence.
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In some films/TV shows, the title and opening credits may be preceded by a "cold
open," or teaser (brief scene), that helps to set the stage for the episode or film
4321
Scream 4
Is a ‘teaser’ as it previews a section later in the film
It cuts off suddenly to create enigma, in which the
film will answer the ultimate question as to why she
jumped off bridge
Next slide….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLrAbsppc
jw&safe=active
No credits!!! But has a good reason….
-trilogy (actors/companies and previous films
already known
-way to sell a film which people see as ‘typical
horror/slasher”
10. Scream 4 opening
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
-typical convention with slight modern
twists (facebook/texting)
-similar to first opening sequence
-audience sees that part 1 is a like a
parody of scream 1 –
-however the convention of ‘unpredictable
killer’ is then a parody
-they discuss stereotypical conventions of
horror films
- The chase/kill sequence reinforces
conventions but also challenges them!
11. Title only billing
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Nevertheless, "title-only" billing became an established form for summer blockbusters in 1989:
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Clint Eastwood has omitted opening credits (except for the title) in every film that he has directed
since1980.
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Ghostbusters II
Lethal Weapon 2
The Abyss following the practice.
Other films to only show title:
2001: The Mummy Returns
2004: Teacher's Pet
2005: Batman Begins
2006: Hostel
2007: Hostel: Part 2
2008: The Dark Knight
2009: Avatar
2010: How to Train Your Dragon
2010: Inception
2012: The Dark Knight Rises
12. Rules/REGULATIONS/exceptions
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billing_(filmmaking)
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There are MANY complicated rules but they must be followed. Read through the above website for understanding of these rules.
You must consider this when you make your opening sequence.
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There are considerations of fame, role, length of time in film etc.
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Basically the stars all want top billing!
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Sometimes actors have to fight/argue their way with studios (sometimes they want to be first and sometimes studios want the
more sellable and famous stars first)
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Example 1:
Miami vice = was supposed to be Colin Ferrell for top billing but after Jamie Foxx won academy award he wanted to be top (first
name). He got it even though his role is not as long as Colin’s! Colin received top bill in closing credits. (agreement made)
Example 2
Seven = Kevin Spacey’s name not in opening credits as it would give away his identity as the killer…..he is in end credits of course
Example 3
Hannibal = Gary Oldman had extensive make-up done for his role and didn’t want his name in credits!!! (He didn’t want the fame
like most stars)
13. Coursework
• A good portion of the task of making an opening
sequence is how you apply titles/credits
• You MUST show titles and credits
• Weaker pieces of C/W tend to just have the title
at the end on a black screen which is not even
common in contemporary films!
15. Genre
• Keep genre in mind when looking at film’s
titles and credits!
• (Remember the PURPOSE of the film/opening)
16. TASK
Assignment 11: Film BILLING
• Create a PowerPoint that shows your understanding of film
titles/credits
• Slide 1: title page
• Slide 2: Model example from class: (take a picture of your full list
worksheet)
• Slide 3: Chosen film (name of film, genre, film cover
• Part 4: Picture of full list of titles
• Part 5: Multiple slides of screen grabs of titles, annotate their
meaning and annotate why in this order
• Part 6: Chosen film 2 (that is different from 1) and repeat part 3, 4,
5,
• Part 7: Compare the differences between them and discuss why
they are different
17. Film choice – in your genre!
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Any opening sequence or title sequence from a film
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DVD
Netflix
Artofthetitle
Whatthetitles.com
Youtube is limited!!!!
MUST HAVE TITLES AND CREDITS!!!!! (no teasers like scream 4)
RED =
YELLOW =
GREEN =
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complete a title only sequence (example = signs)
complete a regular opening sequence with simple
background footage (example = crash)
complete a regular opening sequence with
narrative/story (example = juno)
Can’t do…. (this films will be linked for another task)
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Dawn of the dead
Gattaca
U Turn
To Kill a Mockingbird
Cabin in the woods
Red lights
19. Juno opening details
Style & purpose
of opening
Length of
opening
Type of font
Colour of font
Animation of
text
Placement of
text
-opening sequence
-title sequence
-teaser
2:26
Sans serif (like a
amateur drawing)
Multiple – yellow,
orange, pinks
_______________
_______________
Why?
Why?
_______________
Short and sweet
establishments.
Teen theme
Like an amateur
drawing (wiggling)
All over the screen in
various places
(depending on the
visuals
_______________
_______________
Why?
Why?
Not serious, comedy
appeal
No significance
Style:
-standard opening
sequence
&
-animated title
sequence
_______________
Purpose:
-establish indie style,
character and setting
Why?
Cheerful colours
21. Start of opening
The film starts as a standard opening sequence
which is normal footage which establishes:
• the main character
• and the setting
22. Style of opening
• The film then transitions into animation which
more is similar to a title sequence style.
23. CREDIT 1
• Time: .12
• Possessory
• Distributing company
Typical to have distribution company as first
credit as they invested the money have
ownership of film
24. CREDIT 2
• Time: .17
• Possessory
• Production company
Next it is the production company as they
have a large role as they produced the film,
they have
control over where film was filmed sets,
filming, editing etc.)
25. CREDIT 3
• Time: .21
• Crew
• Director
Director has 1st credit as their role is quite
important in this film (above the actors as they
come after)
26. TITLE 4
• Time: .28
• Title of the film
The main actress
Ellen Page is
placed in the
shot as she is
quite important
The title of film has the biggest size and the
animation flashes in order it gets the most
attention and is very noticeable.
27. Credit 4
• Time: .35
• Cast
• Main actor gets top
billing (first credit)
28. Credit 5, 6, 7, 8
CREDIT 5
CREDIT 6
CREDIT 7
CREDIT 8
Time: .40
Time: .44
Time: .52
Time: .58
Cast
Cast
Cast
Cast
Main Actor 2
Supporting Actor 1
Supporting Actor 2
Actor
