stuckincincy Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 1. Why are the credits for the cast often at the end, these days, other than in some cases, a name of a star or three during the opening credits? The old movies listed the headliners after the movie title was displayed, then listed "The Cast" or "The Players, showing the names used in the flick, and then the real name of the actor. Some of them would show their faces before the presentation started...very informative. And when the movie was over, some would again list the players. For quite a time it's often that all the others - the grips, the technical people, the cameramen, costume designers, the law firm, etc., scroll by before the actors are listed - and again, the actors' names are not connected with the stage names. And why do they use such small print in many cases? 2. Why do films have have these multiple layers? - by that I mean...A Film by XXX...Produced by YYY...In Association with ZZZ...then Pixar, Paramount, Colombia Films etc. Is this done to bury any potential liability? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 2. Why do films have have these multiple layers? - by that I mean...A Film by XXX...Produced by YYY...In Association with ZZZ...then Pixar, Paramount, Colombia Films etc. Is this done to bury any potential liability? Spread the risk I would think. Many mucho dinero involved. My personal favorites in the credits are the Key Grip and Best Boy. What does each do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyT Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Spread the risk I would think. Many mucho dinero involved. My personal favorites in the credits are the Key Grip and Best Boy. What does each do? Key grip - holds stuff Best boy - gets coffee for the director Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosmicBills Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 2. Why do films have have these multiple layers? - by that I mean...A Film by XXX...Produced by YYY...In Association with ZZZ...then Pixar, Paramount, Colombia Films etc. Is this done to bury any potential liability? With the enormous cost and risk involved in making films these days, there are usually many different funding sources. Even studios have paired up to spread the financial hit. Thus, you get the multiple production companies, studios and executive producers. Production companies work slightly differently. A production company gets attached depending on who owns the script, which actor's are in the film etc. For example, Will Smith's company is one of the 3 prod cos on Hancock (because he produced) and Akiva Goldsmith's company who bought the original script. You can't have Hancock without the script or without Will Smith -- so both those places get to produce the flick because they own properties necessary to complete the production. Another thing to keep in mind is there is a huge difference between Executive Producer and Producer. Executive Producer is a credit that they can give to anyone for really anything. 90% of the time they have little to do with the actual production. Sometimes they gave money, sometimes they served as an intermediary that brought together some of the principals, etc. But Producers are the ones who are on set every day and are the boss. They cast the film, hire the director and writer etc. Normally films have only 2 producers while they can have a half a dozen executive producers. In TV, it works differently (Exec Producers are at the top, Producers are near the bottom). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosmicBills Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Key grip - holds stuff Best boy - gets coffee for the director Actually, Best Boy gets coffee for the guy who's job it is to get coffee for the director Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Speaking of Hancock, how did you like it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosmicBills Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Speaking of Hancock, how did you like it? I actually really liked it. I think the criticism of it is really unfair. Everyone is bumping on the same thing, which isn't the movie's fault, it's the marketing of the movie's fault. People are going in expecting it to be a superhero movie -- but it's not, nor does it try to be. But since that's what people are expecting, they are getting mad at the film for being something different than they thought going in. That said, it is by no means a perfect flick. The last 10 minutes (especially) I had issues with. But the issues I thought could have been fixed very easily. Still, I enjoyed it. Wall-E is still my favorite flick of the summer so far with Ironman coming in a close second. I have high hopes for Dark Knight and Pineapple Express though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted July 7, 2008 Author Share Posted July 7, 2008 With the enormous cost and risk involved in making films these days, there are usually many different funding sources. Even studios have paired up to spread the financial hit. Thus, you get the multiple production companies, studios and executive producers. Production companies work slightly differently. A production company gets attached depending on who owns the script, which actor's are in the film etc. For example, Will Smith's company is one of the 3 prod cos on Hancock (because he produced) and Akiva Goldsmith's company who bought the original script. You can't have Hancock without the script or without Will Smith -- so both those places get to produce the flick because they own properties necessary to complete the production. Another thing to keep in mind is there is a huge difference between Executive Producer and Producer. Executive Producer is a credit that they can give to anyone for really anything. 90% of the time they have little to do with the actual production. Sometimes they gave money, sometimes they served as an intermediary that brought together some of the principals, etc. But Producers are the ones who are on set every day and are the boss. They cast the film, hire the director and writer etc. Normally films have only 2 producers while they can have a half a dozen executive producers. In TV, it works differently (Exec Producers are at the top, Producers are near the bottom). Any comment on question 1)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WellDressed Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 1. Why are the credits for the cast often at the end, these days, other than in some cases, a name of a star or three during the opening credits? People can not wait to see movie. All BS................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted July 7, 2008 Author Share Posted July 7, 2008 People can not wait to see movie. All BS................ Are they hopelessly roped in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WellDressed Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Key grip - holds stuff Best boy - gets coffee for the director Best boy, I believe is some lighting assistant not sure about key grip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WellDressed Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Are they hopelessly roped in? You would think in today's world they would still have credits in the beginning for stragglers & concessions. I wonder when alchol will be sold?? I rarely go to the movie theater, I don't like big blockbuster movies. In the past two years, I have seen: "The Queen"; "American Gangsters" & "No Country for Old Men." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosmicBills Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Any comment on question 1)? It's more of a style thing than any legal reason. A lot of 80s and early 90s flicks had elaborate opening credit sequences where all the players and below the line people were credited (City Slickers which I just watched for example). However as the Hollywood style has become more "gritty/realistic" in the past decade or so, editors and directors (who do the opening sequences) have opted for a "cut to the chase" approach as to not break the mood. Now, who gets top billing is something stipulated in contracts (which are constantly changed throughout the post production process and are a pain in the ass). The norm at the beginning of a flick is: Production Company, Director, Star, Title, Actors, Casting, Editor, Visual Effects, Exec Prod, Producer, Writer, Director. The reason why the Director gets two credits in the beginning is because the director does not get any at the end, whereas all actors do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosmicBills Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Best boy, I believe is some lighting assistant not sure about key grip. Best Boy is just a term for the department heads' assistant (electric and grip). Key Grip runs the show on the crew. Grips are the back bone of any production. Without them, nothing would get done. A grip does anything and everything when it comes to the physical labor of a shoot. They set up tracks, dollies, stages, move lights, mounts etc. Anytime there's a "set up" the grips are the ones moving the stuff and setting it up for the director and actors. They work the hardest of anyone on the set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyT Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 People can not wait to see movie. All BS................ Suuuure. There's nothing like 10 minutes of opening credits after sitting through 25 minutes of commercials, movie trailers, and fund raising pleas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Suuuure. There's nothing like 10 minutes of opening credits after sitting through 25 minutes of commercials, movie trailers, and fund raising pleas. God I love the Alamo Drafthouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted July 7, 2008 Author Share Posted July 7, 2008 Suuuure. There's nothing like 10 minutes of opening credits after sitting through 25 minutes of commercials, movie trailers, and fund raising pleas. Please - there are never 10 minutes worth of opening credits. Nice try... What I want is the actors' names, their stage names, and a picture of their mug would also be nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyT Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Please - there are never 10 minutes worth of opening credits. Nice try... What I want is the actors' names, their stage names, and a picture of their mug would also be nice. Maybe you should stick to musicals and plays where they can hand you a program when you walk through the door. Also, IMDB is your friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosmicBills Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Please - there are never 10 minutes worth of opening credits. Nice try... What I want is the actors' names, their stage names, and a picture of their mug would also be nice. I'm not sure you'll ever get that. I don't think they ever did that (with the pictures in the cast list) unless the movie called for it (like Animal House or those sorts of comedies). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted July 7, 2008 Author Share Posted July 7, 2008 Maybe you should stick to musicals and plays where they can hand you a program when you walk through the door. Also, IMDB is your friend. Are you referring to an...overture? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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