Conventions of an Opening Title

What are the conventions of an opening title

 

They are also known as an opening sequence.

Features:

 

·         Production ident
·         Cast and crew (main)
·         Director, producer, key roles, about 6 shown minimum
·         Music, related to the genre and atmosphere
·         Visuals, introduces the setting
·         The titles are often shown in key role order
·         Indie – low budget
·         Introduces genre
·         Title of the film is shown, usually near the end

 

Common titles:

·         Name of the studio
·         Name of the production company
·         A (producer name) production
·         A film by (director name)
·         Starring
·         Film’s title
·         Featuring
·         Casting or casting by
·         Music or Music composed by or Original score by
·         Production design or Production designer
·         Editor or Edited by
·         Director of Photography
·         Producer or Produced by, Executive producer
·         Story or Story by
·         Based on the book (Play, graphic novel etc.) by
·         Based on the characters by or Based on the characters created by
·         Writer(s) or Written by
·         Director or Directed by

 

Notes:

·         Titles are used in film and TV and acknowledge the work of the institution, cast and crew on a product.
·         Opening titles are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production.
·         They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show.
·         There may or may not be accompanying music. Where opening titles are built into a separate sequence of their own, the correct term is title sequence.