Titles & Credits

Hi Class,

Here are notes to consider when coming up with your titles and credits. Most animators are not necessarily born graphic artists, but it pays to make sure that your title and credits are an organic part of your film that add to your message, look, and feel.

Titles

• typeface should reflect the mood and character of the piece: difference between poster and body typefaces; serif and sans serif typefaces

-        serif = classic, sober, formal

-        sans serif: modern, clean

• Title: should be able to be read twice, slowly while it is onscreen.

• think of the title as a graphic: a single shape with a contour that can be read quickly and easily: letters closer together than for body copy, adjust spacing between individual letters

• color should relate to the palette of the piece

• action and title safe (demo in After Effects: be aware of cutoffs

• vertical center is slightly above mathematical center

Credits

• create blocks of information via spacing and alignment (name, role):bold, italic, size differentiation

• leave “air” around elements to make them easy on the eye and to create content hierarchies

• make sure they are readable against the background

• need sound under them: don’t run credits without sound

• UArts logo integrated, along with copyright (you, not UArts)

• limit the number of people mentioned (author, helpers, family)

• decide on: cuts, crawl, dissolve, or other

• film can run over into credits to a reasonable length