Standard Order of Titles and Credits

[Thomas Berg Petersen]

Dear forum,
I am working on the titles and credits for my short film with a graphic designer, and I was wondering if anyone knows of a website or book where I can learn about the standard order of titles and credits.

I have been watching films to see the order, but sometimes the order seems a little arbitrary.

Thanks!

[Rick Bravo]

If you are crediting at the bigining of a movie, the last credit before the actual picture begins, belongs to the Director of the picture.

Conversely, if you are crediting at the end of a movie, the first title to roll is normaly the Director of the picture.

Most pictures are credited begining with the most important person first and working their way down the pecking order when titling at the end, and again, the process is reversed when titling at the begining.

Some DPs, Producers, etc. have clauses in their contracts specifiying where and when their title is diplayed. This also applied to posters, credits on the VHS, DVD cases, TV ads, etc.

RB

[Ken Tanaka]

For what it's worth, here is the order of end credits we use on the Lady X Films episodes.

Directed by

Produced by

Executive Producers

Written by

Camera

Edited by

Cast

Music

Opening Title Design

Special Thanks To

Copyright

[Robert Knecht Schmidt]

In Hollywood films, title cards and end credits are determined by contractual negotiation in which the cast and crew members' bargaining element is something magical called "clout."

Which is how we get mutant variations on credits such as "with" and "and... as." It's also why sometimes a director's, or an actor's, name comes above a title. (One particularly controversial credit is the "A film by" credit. Use at the risk of alienating your collaborators.)

So credit particulars are determined in advance by agents and lawyers and sometimes panels of guild arbitrators, leaving no room for creative license on the part of editors. For your purposes, you might just want to study the credits of several major films and try to pick out patterns.

Poster credits are usually identical to opening title credits, with major cast members listed in descending order followed by major crew members listed in ascending order.

[Justin Morgan]

If one person has written, produced, directed, edited and camera operated - what would be a good credit system to use for this person? Is one all encompassing "A film by..." good or not, is it a bit vague, should it be broken down into a couple of separate credits...? Any opinions?

[Stuart Graham]

Hi Justin

I'm not sure, but if you're entering your film in competions and stuff it might look a bit too much like a low grade film if the same name comes up over and over again in the credits. I'm just finishing off a film and although I had multiple roles I've limited my credits to just director and editor. I was producer as well but I've just written "A _________ Production" in the credits (insert film company title in the gap). I also had a hand in writing the script but just left my name off that script credit.

Stuart

[David Seguin]

Originally Posted by Justin Morgan

If one person has written, produced, directed, edited and camera operated - what would be a good credit system to use for this person? Is one all encompassing "A film by..." good or not, is it a bit vague, should it be broken down into a couple of separate credits...? Any opinions?

I've been asking myself the same thing for a while now. In such a scenario would it be appropriate to just list all of that in one place with the person's name instead of scattering them all out.

For example:
Directed by _______
Produced by _______
Camera ______
Would become:
Directed, produced and shot by ________