This thread touches on one of my 'soap boxes' - I have been round a few clubs now giving a talk on 'titling'. My argument has been that people give time and consideration to the music they add to their movies - to enhance the mood, create the atmosphere, etc etc etc - and then slap clunky titles on at the beginning that give a totally incorrect impression of what is to follow. I'm talking about the font, types size, positioning etc here, rather than the actual wording (which is of course equally important).
I also blame oversized titles on the smallness of the preview window used in most edfitors. I also blame the crass 'samples or templates' many editor programs offer when the titler is selected (and I have to say, I think Pinnacle has been one of the worst for this - with double and triple cased letters in garish colours on an equally crass background... YUK!!).
But the wording of the title is equally important - which I believe is what this thread is primarily about. It has already been stated that it should hint at what the film is about and engender a certain amount of curiosity and interest. A title such as 'Lullworth Manor' could tell you what you're about to be watching, whist almost inviting people to start nodding off at the prospect of a documentary on ... yes, you've guessed it, 'Lullworth Manor'. I know one film maker who cleverly uses an intriguing and apposite line from the commentary as a title - and it works well. Something to think about perhaps. I'd only add ... puns are best left to comedies and light or frothy movies (IMO) ! They can give a totally false impresisonm of what is to follow.
I think the summation is - one should give as much thought to the titling (both wording, and its display form) as, say, to the selection of music - although titling is a much shorter part of the movie, it is one of the main 'scene setters' for what is to follow.
Movie titles - what's in a name?
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FILM THURSO
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- Location: Thurso
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Last night I had a look at a couple of my films on youtube and found myself guilty as charged me-lud! On the Wick Gala Week film the title is frame high on a bright background but I think we get away with it because it's a gala parade with big colors on bright backgrounds. On the Relay For Life film the titles are smaller but a bit more wording. The choice of title used the charity's colors but by their nature the text needed to be bigger so that it would be legible on youetube.
Having said that our titles are normally sensible smaller white text on black, sometimes blue text, coz we likes blue!
It is important to put consideration into ALL aspects of the production.
Recently another youtuber from Thurso critisised our film, Brimming Glory which is a short that documents the semi final and final of the 2007 O'Neill Highland Open surfing competition. It was filmed hand-held on location at Brimms and it included shots of the crowd as well as every wave caught in the last 2 heats. This was followed by the presentation of the top prize to the winner. This was all set to the song "Going For Glory" by Estrella. The critisism was laid at the film showing too much of the crowd and not enough surfing and the lad said our film was shakey and he didn't like the music because he wasn't a fan of the band. In an additional comment he suggested the use of a tripod.
Well the film plan was to show as much of everything that happened because it was all part of the event, as said every wave caught in the last 2 heats is in the film with shots of spectators in between. The live-action sound gave indication of what stage the event was at and this took us to the prize-giving showing the winner. The music in style and lyrics was very appropriate by it's very nature, "Going For Glory". Filming at Brimms is possible with tripod but knowing what the media throng would be like a tripod was going to be a total hinderance at that point so it wasn't taken to the location. The hand-held gave more freedom of movement to shove in front of other reporters. All our aims were acheived in this 6 minute movie.
Analising the critics one and only film, it was 56 seconds long had a couple of nice shots of the sailing ship Atlantis (I got film of it too, so what). His film was hand-held, shakey and... oh, no tripod! The action was distant, horizons were squint (we have that too sometimes) and the music track didn't fit. The film starts and the music starts then at about 30 seconds a bloke starts to sing getting partly through a lyric which doesn't relate to the picture and the film finished!
Did I mention our titles were lovely simple arial bold white letters size 24. I'll not go into the anicdote about the pro-cameraman in front of me who was a complete etc, but save to say I put him in his little corner!
Having said that our titles are normally sensible smaller white text on black, sometimes blue text, coz we likes blue!
It is important to put consideration into ALL aspects of the production.
Recently another youtuber from Thurso critisised our film, Brimming Glory which is a short that documents the semi final and final of the 2007 O'Neill Highland Open surfing competition. It was filmed hand-held on location at Brimms and it included shots of the crowd as well as every wave caught in the last 2 heats. This was followed by the presentation of the top prize to the winner. This was all set to the song "Going For Glory" by Estrella. The critisism was laid at the film showing too much of the crowd and not enough surfing and the lad said our film was shakey and he didn't like the music because he wasn't a fan of the band. In an additional comment he suggested the use of a tripod.
Well the film plan was to show as much of everything that happened because it was all part of the event, as said every wave caught in the last 2 heats is in the film with shots of spectators in between. The live-action sound gave indication of what stage the event was at and this took us to the prize-giving showing the winner. The music in style and lyrics was very appropriate by it's very nature, "Going For Glory". Filming at Brimms is possible with tripod but knowing what the media throng would be like a tripod was going to be a total hinderance at that point so it wasn't taken to the location. The hand-held gave more freedom of movement to shove in front of other reporters. All our aims were acheived in this 6 minute movie.
Analising the critics one and only film, it was 56 seconds long had a couple of nice shots of the sailing ship Atlantis (I got film of it too, so what). His film was hand-held, shakey and... oh, no tripod! The action was distant, horizons were squint (we have that too sometimes) and the music track didn't fit. The film starts and the music starts then at about 30 seconds a bloke starts to sing getting partly through a lyric which doesn't relate to the picture and the film finished!
Did I mention our titles were lovely simple arial bold white letters size 24. I'll not go into the anicdote about the pro-cameraman in front of me who was a complete etc, but save to say I put him in his little corner!
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Mike Shaw
I'd try to guess - but unless (for example) Shingle Street is about a street called Shingle (and in any case - what is the mystery of that street?), I think I'd be way off the mark in every instance. All look intriguing - and I'd be quite willing - keen in fact - to watch them all.
You can send them to me if you like!!
You can send them to me if you like!!
hmmmm... just a stab in the dark...
The Innocence of Mrs Crabtree
Naive orchard grower meets hunky gardner
Red Rock Blues
Blackpool holidaymaker looses his stick of rock
I Sorrow Most
Naive orchard grower meets rockless holidaymaker
South by South West
Tragic story of the sat nav with a speech impediment
Shingle Street
A place where people go with no partners
In Paradisum
The pub
keep smiling
The Innocence of Mrs Crabtree
Naive orchard grower meets hunky gardner
Red Rock Blues
Blackpool holidaymaker looses his stick of rock
I Sorrow Most
Naive orchard grower meets rockless holidaymaker
South by South West
Tragic story of the sat nav with a speech impediment
Shingle Street
A place where people go with no partners
In Paradisum
The pub
keep smiling
Stephen
Film making is not a matter of Life and Death
It's much more important than that.
Film making is not a matter of Life and Death
It's much more important than that.
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Brian Saberton
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- Location: Scotland