The explanation of the order of titles

The explanation of the order of titles

The opening titles that occur in films are mostly formatted in a conventional order, an example of this is: studio icon, production company icon, distributor icon, producer, director, actors, sound, etc. Like most titles, the highest contributors in terms of money invested are mentioned first, this is the case because the film couldn't have been made without their input. These important titles are often given the most time on screen to emphasise their significance.

                                                   

In these two examples, the name of the main actor comes directly before the title of the film, which highlights their significance.


Contrary to the other titles, the distributor and production company(s) are given time to showcase the respective icon of their companies prior to the rest of the titles. For example, 20th Century Fox has a distinctive icon which plays at the beginning of the productions that they distributed or produced. In addition to this, these important companies are mentioned again before the other titles in the main title sequence, which further reinforces their significant role in the film. 

20th Century Fox' s logo.

The stars of the film are among one of the last titles to appear in conventional opening sequences. This partly because they take money, rather than contribute it. However, it could also help to establish the opening of the film, as the audience may be familiar with their character's when the film begins. The stars may be the reason why the consumer watches the film, so if the star is a significant actor, their name may appear to be larger than other ones and it may be shown for longer.