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Elaborate credit graphics

Uranium City

Uranium City

Pro Member
indiePRO
Just got back from a glorious day at the East Lansing Film Festival and saw many fine, fine films. But one aspect of nearly all of them is still sticking in my craw and I have to share it here:

Elaborate, gorgeous, fancy, tutorial-learned After Effects credit sequences tacked onto films that are completely unrelated stylistically.

Know what I mean?

Often times today a really awesome looking AE credit sequence would begin and I would admire whomever designed it and the time it must have taken to learn how to do via Videocopilot or whatnot, and then this credit sequence would smash cut to a pretty pedestrian, poorly lighted, handheld student grade movie. Not stylistically related at all!

If your credit sequence is involved and elaborate and fully designed, make sure your movie deserves it. If your movie is pedestrian, design your credits to match.

Please don't take this the wrong way...I love me some student-grade, pedestrian, first time movies with poor lighting and questionable acting, especially if the story is something I don't usually see.

Match the emphasis of your graphics with the emphasis of your film.
 
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A filmmaker friend of mine who has been making movies for decades and has published a book about zero-budget production recommends that indie films forgo an opening credit sequence. His contention is that nobody knows who any of these people are anyway, nor do they give a shit, so just start the damn movie already. Personally, I agree with that and practice what he preaches.

And U.C., I know exactly what you are talking about. Seems like most of the people who do that are just beginners and/or hobbyists.

Cracker Funk said:
I'm a fan of using locally-produced art in my sequences.
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I loved your Funky (pun intended) title art and graphics in Anti-Hero. :yes:
 
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A filmmaker friend of mine who has been making movies for decades and has published a book about zero-budget production recommends that indie films forgo an opening credit sequence. His contention is that nobody knows who any of these people are anyway, nor do they give a shit, so just start the damn movie already. Personally, I agree with that and practice what he preaches.
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Totally agree there.I believe a filmmaker's hard work is seen on the screen through the film rather than fancy credits.


Edit:CF,where can I watch trailer of Anti-Hero?
 
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I love Video Copilot.
I mean, how could you not? He brings awesome tutorials for the awesome price of $0.
The thing is, that people have abused it.
Just search for Demon Face on youtube. Hell, I bet real-monies, that there are at least 1000 videos, one more equal to the one before than the other (say, wut?); five second long videos, of a guy looking at the camera, and his face going all demon-y

Anyhow, on intro sequences, it's all a matter of style.
You have to keep an overall quality on your film, if you go the whole way with the intro, you better keep the HQ standards over the lenghth of your shot.
 
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2001 Productions said:
A filmmaker friend of mine who has been making movies for decades and has published a book about zero-budget production recommends that indie films forgo an opening credit sequence. His contention is that nobody knows who any of these people are anyway, nor do they give a shit, so just start the damn movie already. Personally, I agree with that and practice what he preaches.
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There's another reason why even some of the big names do it. Spielberg's The Terminal: No opening credits, jumps right into the movie. Credits are at the end. The thinking behind it: Opening credits add to the disbelief of the movie being reality. They remind the audience that these ppl whose names you see were the ones making this. Without them, when thrown right into the picture, it is easier and faster to get to suspension of disbelief.
 
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If your credit sequence is involved and elaborate and fully designed, make sure your movie deserves it. If your movie is pedestrian, design your credits to match.
Click to expand...

I hear you, Joe.

Lately I've seen the same recycled loops and stock FX clips on a lot of movies, shorts and features, tutorials, webverts, etc. Sure they razzle and dazzle, but are they really necessary? I feel they detract from the majority of the content than compliment it. Guess it's just not my thang.

In my experience, I try to create some parity with the graphic treatment of credits, text, fonts with the given material. That's my preferred approach, doesn't mean it's better, just different.

Give me some bass! Saul Bass that is...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sA1en26sgM

** Cracker, I did like the credit sequence for Anti-Hero :) They were homemade and fit the tone of the film.
 
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I'm not a big fan of indie films with opening credits necessary, but alternately, you're talking about the expectation it sets up for the production. Appearance is everything, granted if the only good thing is the credits, then bleh, but if the production quality is high enough of the production itself, having the opening credits can really add to the perception of the piece while trying to market it.
 
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Flicker & 2001 - thanks!

punee - http://www.antihero-movie.com

I think I'd like to throw up the title-sequence, as well:

http://vimeo.com/32056432
PW: "indietalk"
CONTEXT: This title sequence happens after an introduction to our characters, and a misadventure of shenanigans.

There have been some very good points made, regarding the (non-)use of opening title sequences. I've been in love with opening titles for a long time. Truthfully, I don't watch them because I want to see who's in the movie. By the time I'm at the movie, I already know the people I came to see, and I don't recognize the names of the freaking casting director, etc.

I like opening titles because an effective one can set a mood. Additionally, an effective one can really engage the audience and say, "hey, this is an Event". As far as names are concerned, for mine I definitely wanted to keep it to a small list; I really devote very little time to names (the name-listing isn't the reason to do it). The vast majority of my title-sequence is foreshadowing. I wanted to let the audience know -- hey, this movie isn't just about a couple dudes bullshitting on their couch. It is that, but there's more.

I don't plan on using opening titles in every single movie. That would be dumb. But when it fits, and serves a purpose, I'm all about it. For what it's worth, my next feature will be jumping right into the movie, but that's not an indication of being any less enthused about opening titles.

Wanna hear something crazy? Should I ever have the budget for it, I have a story planned that would definitely call for an opening title sequence. Except it would be about 20 minutes into the movie! :lol: But I swear, it would make perfect sense in the narrative! :D
 
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Uranium City said:
and then this credit sequence would smash cut to a pretty pedestrian, poorly lighted, handheld student grade movie. Not stylistically related at all!
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On first glance, I thought you meant a lot of films opened with an attractive person going for a walk ;)

I'm a fan of, if not opening credits, at least a title screen. For a while it was VERY trendy to have no title until the end (Children of Men stands out in my mind as doing that, but only because when watching it I was annoyed with it at that point. Which is a shame, because it was appropriate for the style of the film, and other than that I loved it). To me it seems like not having a title page on the book. You know the name of the story; you've seen it on the book cover/movie poster, but having a title give a sort of "once upon a time..." A storyteller clearing his throat before beginning. With the increased number of television-style commercials before movies (instead of just previews), it sort of feels like walking into a theater after the movie has begun. Not sure if I'm explaining it right.

As for the movie not living up to an awesome title, I don't think too many filmmakers think "well, we didn't do a great job with this film, so let's not go all out on the titles." But I can definitely see your point about stylistic clashes. If you want to do a fancy title sequence, there's no reason you can't learn to do so in a way that fits the tone of your film.
 
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knightly said:
I'm not a big fan of indie films with opening credits necessary, but alternately, you're talking about the expectation it sets up for the production. Appearance is everything, granted if the only good thing is the credits, then bleh, but if the production quality is high enough of the production itself, having the opening credits can really add to the perception of the piece while trying to market it.
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I'd agree with that. On my shorts it's

Gonzo Entertainment Presents

A Nathan Fisher Film

Title of the film

Text fade in and out on a black background.

On a feature (or if contracts required me to) I might do something more elaborate.
 
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