Order, Length,

Amount Etc
In order to make my opening titles look professional when I edit in my own titles in my Opening
Title Sequence, I decided to research into Opening Credits (titles) in order to better my
understanding of the institutional conventions of order, length, amount etc In addition to this I will
also be looking at how the design form differentiates and the possibilities for my own titles.
In order to learn more about the conventional format I researched into the conventions and will
present my findings in a Question and Answer format:

Q+A of the Conventions Of Titles

Q. Conventionally, how long to Opening Credits tend to be?
A. Normally titles last no more that 2 minutes, however have been seen to be anywhere from 2-5
minutes long, however its most conventional, and engaging to keep opening titles around 2
mins.
Q. How many credits tend to appear in Opening Titles
A. Within an opening title sequence, there will normally be around 24 titles
Q. What does the conventional order consist of Who's names go first?
A.
- Name of the Studio
- Name of the production company
- lead cast (Starring)
- Title Of Film
- Featuring Actors
- Music Design
- Production Design
- (sometimes includes Costume design, set design, visual effects etc)
- Editor
- Director of Photography
- Producers
- Executive producers
- Based on the book by
- based on true events / characters of
- Story By
- Writers / Screenwriter
- Directed By
There are many variations of the order, however this is most conventional.
In order to make sure that the credits are in the correct
order, designers will normally plan out the credits with
timelines and sketches. I will be using the timeline
method later in order to find out the most conventional
way that opening credits are used and if I can find any
similarities.
I have included an image of a timeline for the credits
Juno to the right of this writing. There are different forms
of timelines depending on what you are trying to
research.

THE POWER OF DESIGN

Design is very important to opening titles. The opening titles are first of all used to display the
names of the studio, production companies, cast members and crew. However if the directors just
decided to use the titles for this sole purpose it would be really disengaging and a waste of 2
minutes of their film. This is where credit designers come in. People like Saul Bass and Kyle
Cooper design credits in order to introduce the audience into the main themes, characters and
story line of the film whilst tastefully using different imagery to link it all together.
For example these screen shots of different titles in title sequences emphasise different film
genres, as the designers are purposely trying to link themes, imagery and story all together whilst
displaying titles.

From those screen shots you of opening titles, you can see how title designers use colours,
imagery and font to introduce the story and genre.
Designing title is often a very experimental and time consuming process for example look at these
designs for the titles of Catch Me If You Can.

You can see the early stages of the sketches come to life in the prints of the man.
The credits end up looking like this:

You can see how story, themes and genre and characters are all cleverly introduced into this
opening title sequence.

Analysing the length of professional Opening Credits:

The first film I will be analysing is Catch Me If You Can. I will be recording
the length, amount and order mostly however will additionally be looking at
design and technique.
TIMELINE:
00:05 A Dreamworks Pictures Presents
00:10 And A Kemp Company and Splendid Pictures Production
00:15 A Parkes/MacDonald Production
00:19 A Stevel Spielberg Film
00:25 Leonardo DiCaprio
00:30 Tom Hanks
00:45 Catch Me If You Can (Film Title)
00:52 Christopher Walken
00:56 Martin Sheen
01:01 Natalie Baye
01:07 Amy McAdams

28 Titles
Duration: 2:40
Length between individual titles:
4-7 sec

01:18 James Brown, Brian Howe, Frank John Huges

01:23 Steve Eastin, Chris Ellis, John Finn
01: 34 Casting By Debra Zane CSA
Casting Associate Terri Taylor
01:38 Co Producer Deborah Moos-Hankin
01:42 Based on the book by Frank W. Abagnale With Stan Reding
01:46 Titles by Kintzel Deygas
01:50 Music By John Williams
01:56 Costume Designer Mary Zophres
02:00 Film Editor Michael Kahn A.C.E
02:05 Production Designer Jeannine Opperaval
02:08 Director Of Photography Janusz Kaminski ASC
02:13 Co Executive Producer Daniel Lupi
02:20 Executive Producers Barry Kemp & Lauri MacDonald
02:23 Executive Producers Michael Shane & Tory Romano
02:28 Produced by Steven Spielberg and Walter Parkes
02:32 Screenplay by Jeff Nathanson
02:36 Directed By Steven Spielberg

Analysing the length of professional Opening Credits:

I will be analysing is Se7en. I will be recording the length,
amount and order mostly however will additionally be looking at
design and technique.

TIMELINE:
00:04 New Line Cinema Presents
00:07 An Arnold Kopelson Production
00:10 A Film by David Fincher
00:14 Brad Pitt
00:18 Morgan Freeman

27 Titles
Duration: 2:10
Length between individual titles:
4-7 sec

00:25 Se7en (film title)

00:30 Gwyneth Paltrow
00:33 Richard Rowndtree
00:39 R. Lee Ermey
00:42 John C. McGinley
00:46 Jucie Araskog, Mark Boone Junior
00:54 John Cassini, Reginald E. Cathey, Peter Crombie
00:58 Hawthorne James, Michael Massie, Leland Orser
01:04 Richard Portnow, Richard Schiff, Pamela Tyson
01:11 Casting By Billy Hopkins, Suzanne Smith, Kerry Borden
01:17 Music By Howard Shore
01:22 Costumes Designed by Michael Kaplan
01:24 Edited by Richard Francis-Bruce
01:27 Production Design by Arthur Max
01:35 Director of Photography Darius Khondji
01:40 Co Producers - Stephen Brown, Nana Greenwald, Sanford Panilch
01:43 Co-Producers - Lynn Harris, Richard Saperstein
01:50 Executive Producers - Gianni Nunnaari, Dan Kolsrud, Anne Kopelsow
01:54 Written By Andrew Kevin Walker
01:58 Produced by Arnold Kopelson, Phyllis Carlyle
02:05 Directed by David Fincher

Similarities / Differences between Catch Me If You Can & Se7en

Catch Me If You Can
1. Amount Of Credits = 28
2. Time Span between credits = 4-7 sec
3. Order (Conventional / Subversive) =
Conventional

Se7en
1. Amount Of Credits = 27
2. Time Span between credits = 3-6 sec
3. Order (Conventional / Subversive) = Less so,
but still conventional.