In what order should your film credits run?

Who decides the order of film credits

Film credits look like a fixed ritual, and in a sense they are. Audiences have seen the same pattern so often that a film which breaks it feels unfinished. But the order is not set by a single rulebook. Three things decide it, in this order of priority:

1. Union agreements, on productions that have signed them. In the United States, the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA, the performers' union, each have agreements with signatory producers. Those agreements govern how directors, writers and performers are credited, and the WGA determines writing credits on its projects.
2. Contracts. Each person's deal can promise a credit, its wording, its size and where it appears. The rights agreement for a book adaptation usually covers the source credit.
3. Convention. Everything not covered by the first two follows the familiar order audiences expect.

The builder above drafts the conventional US order and labels it as convention. It does not apply any specific union rule, because those rules depend on the agreement, the year and the deal. If your production is a union signatory, treat the output as a first draft for your producer and lawyer to check.

Opening credits: building toward the director

When a film has opening credits, they usually follow a pattern that builds in importance toward the start of the story. A common modern US order runs like this:

The department-head cards in the middle (casting through cinematography) move around between films. Some productions put the editor before the composer, or the production designer before the editor. The final run is the most stable part: producers, then the source credit, then the screenplay credit, then the director last, immediately before the story starts.

Why the director comes last, or first

The director's card is the final opening credit in the familiar US pattern. When a film has no opening credits and runs everything at the end, the director's card usually moves to the very start of the end credits. On productions signed to the DGA agreement, where the director credit appears is governed by that agreement rather than left to taste, so check it if you are a signatory.

A worked example: counting the cards

Here is how the builder counts cards for its first worked example: an illustrative feature adapted from a novel, with opening credits, two producers, one executive producer, three lead actors and a full set of department heads.

• Card 1: the presentation card.
• Card 2: the production company card.
• Cards 3 to 5: three lead actors, one card each.
• Card 6: the title.
• Cards 7 to 12: six department heads, one card each: casting, music, costume design, editing, production design and cinematography.
• Card 13: the executive producer.
• Card 14: the two producers, sharing one card. The builder allows up to three names per producer card.
• Card 15: the source credit.
• Card 16: the screenplay credit.
• Card 17: the director.

That gives 17 opening cards, and the source credit lands on card 15 of 17, which is exactly what the tool reports. Change the number of lead actors to five and every card after the cast moves down by two; the source credit becomes card 17 of 19.

If each card holds for a few seconds, 17 cards add up to a noticeable stretch of screen time. That is one reason many modern films keep opening credits short or drop them entirely.

How to read the builder's output

The builder returns a short set of figures and then the lists themselves.

• Opening cards counts every card before the story starts. A lead cast row with three actors counts as three cards, because each actor usually has their own.
• End-credit sections counts the blocks in the end credits, from the main-on-end cards (if any) to the logos.
• Source credit position tells you where the book's credit lands: a card number in the opening, a card number at the start of the end credits, or "None" for an original screenplay.
• Song credit blocks is one per licensed song, each of which needs wording copied from its licence.

Then come the ordered tables. The opening table gives each card a number, a name, wording you can adapt and the number of cards it takes. If the film has no opening credits, a second table lists the main credits that move to the start of the end credits. The end crawl table follows, then a note with the full and short forms of the source credit, a checklist and a reminder about union agreements. Change any input and the whole order is rebuilt.

Timing the opening sequence

The number of cards turns directly into screen time. As an illustrative assumption, if each card holds for about 3 seconds, the 17 cards in the worked example need roughly 51 seconds, before any fades between them. Some cards hold longer, such as the title, and some sequences overlap credits with picture so the time is not lost to the story. If you are working to a festival runtime cap or a tight broadcast slot, count the cards early and decide whether every one needs to be in the opening. Department heads, for example, can move to the main-on-end block without breaking any convention.

The source credit for a book adaptation

For an author, the most important line in the credits is the one that names the book. It usually takes one of two forms:

• Full form: Based on the novel "Book Title" by Author Name.
• Short form: Based on the novel by Author Name.

On screen, the title may appear in quotation marks or italics depending on the design. The noun changes with the source:

• A novel: Based on the novel
• A short story: Based on the short story
• A memoir: Based on the memoir
• A nonfiction book: Based on the book
• A graphic novel: Based on the graphic novel

Placement and wording come from the rights agreement

When a producer options or buys the film rights to a book, the agreement often states exactly how the source credit will read, where it appears in the opening or end credits, and whether it also appears in the billing block on posters and in paid advertising. If the agreement sets that wording, use it word for word. If it is silent, the convention is to place the source credit next to the screenplay credit, either on the card just before it or on the same card.

Some productions use "Inspired by" instead of "Based on". The phrases signal different things: "based on" says the film adapts the book, while "inspired by" suggests a looser connection. Which one applies is a question for the agreement, not the designer. If you are the author and the wording matters to you, raise it during the rights negotiation, and have an entertainment lawyer review the contract. This page explains how credits usually work; it is not legal advice.

When the author also wrote the screenplay

An author who adapts their own book appears twice: once for the book and once for the screenplay. The builder handles this when you choose "The author wrote it". The writing credit then reads "Screenplay by" followed by the author's name, in addition to the source credit. If the author shares the screenplay with another writer, the builder writes "Screenplay by [Screenwriter] and [Author]".

Writing credits: the small words matter

Writing credits use a precise vocabulary, especially on WGA projects.

• "Screenplay by" is used when the story comes from somewhere else, such as a book. That is the usual form for an adaptation.
• "Written by" is used when the same writer or writers created both the story and the screenplay. That is the usual form for an original film.
• "Story by" credits a writer who created the story when someone else wrote the screenplay.
• "and" versus "&": by WGA convention, an ampersand joins writers who worked together as a team, while "and" joins writers who worked separately, for example one after the other.

On WGA projects the guild determines the final writing credit through its own process, and the producer must follow it. On non-union projects these conventions are still widely followed, because readers in the industry know what each form means.

Short films: lean at the start

Most short films keep the opening light. A common pattern shows only the title at the start, sometimes preceded by a company card, and runs every other credit at the end. If you do want opening credits on a short, the builder keeps them to the essentials: a presentation card, the title, the source credit, the writing credit and the director.

Worked example: a short with credits only at the end

The builder's second worked example is an illustrative short adapted from a short story, written for the screen by the author, with no opening credits. The result:

• Opening: two cards, the company logos and the title.
• Main credits on end: the cards that would have opened the film run first in the end credits, starting with the director. The writing credit comes second and the source credit third, so the tool reports "End credits, card 3".
• End-credit sections: 11 in total, because the main-on-end block is added in front of the 10 standard sections.

Credits count toward festival runtime limits, so a tight credit sequence is also a practical choice for shorts close to a cap.

Series: main titles and episode credits

A series splits credits into two layers. The main title sequence names the series and its regular cast, and it may carry the source credit. Each episode then credits its own writer and director, often over the opening scenes.

For a series adapted from a book, the builder drafts:

1. The series title.
2. Series regulars, one card each.
3. The source credit, if the agreement places it in the main titles. Some agreements place it in the end credits of each episode instead.
4. The series creator credit, such as "Created by" or "Developed for Television by". On WGA projects the guild decides which applies.
5. Executive producers, who in television often include the showrunner (the head writer who runs the series day to day) and key writers.
6. The episode writing credit.
7. The episode director credit.

With three series regulars and one executive producer card, that is 9 cards, and the source credit is card 5 of 9.

End credits: the crawl

End credits usually run as a crawl, a continuous scroll of names. The common order:

The cast list

The cast list can follow billing order, which mirrors the importance of each role, or order of appearance, which lists actors as their characters first appear. Either is common. On productions signed to the SAG-AFTRA agreement, the union agreement affects which performers must be credited, so check it if it applies.

Music credits

Every licensed song needs its own credit block, usually the song title, the writers, the performer and a "courtesy of" line for the record label or publisher. Copy that wording exactly from each licence, because licences often specify it. The score credit for your composer usually comes first. The music cue sheet builder linked below helps you list each cue with its timing for the performing rights organizations, which is a separate document from the on-screen credits.

Copyright notice and disclaimers

Near the end, the credits carry a copyright notice such as "© [Year] [Copyright owner]. All rights reserved." The copyright owner is usually the production company, not the director or the author, unless the contracts say otherwise.

For fiction, many films add a disclaimer that the characters and events are fictional. For a memoir or true story, that disclaimer would be untrue, so true-story films use different wording, for example noting that some names and events have been changed. The builder switches between these based on the source type you pick. In both cases, the exact text should be approved by your lawyer.

The "A film by" credit

Some films open with a possessory credit, such as "A film by [Director]" or "A [Director] film", early in the opening sequence. It is not in the builder's default list, because whether it appears is usually a matter of negotiation. On union productions, the possessory credit is governed by the relevant agreements and each director's contract, and it has long been a sensitive subject between writers and directors. On an independent film, decide it deliberately and make sure everyone with a stake in the credits agrees before the titles are designed.

When the author has more than one role

In book adaptations, the author sometimes takes a role beyond the source credit. Common examples include a producer or executive producer credit negotiated as part of the rights deal, a consulting credit, or a writing credit if the author adapts the book. Each of these is a separate credit with its own place in the order:

• Executive producer or producer: the author appears on the executive producer or producer card along with the other names.
• Writer: the author appears in the writing credit, and the builder handles the double appearance described above.
• Consultant or other credits: these usually appear in the end crawl, in the relevant department.

If you are the author, ask for any credit you want in writing during the rights negotiation. A credit that is not in the contract is a favor, and favors are easy to forget when a cut is locked late at night.

Credits outside the film

Credits do not only appear on screen. The same names appear in the billing block on posters, in trailers, on streaming store pages and in press materials. Rights agreements and talent contracts often say whether a credit must appear in paid advertising and in what size relative to the title. Keep one master credit list, checked against every contract, and use it for the film, the poster, the trailer and the press kit. That way a correction made in one place is made everywhere.

Department heads without a dedicated card

Small productions rarely have every role in the builder. Untick any role you do not have, and the builder removes its card and renumbers the rest. If one person held two roles, such as editor and director, you can still give them both credits; it is common and audiences understand it. If a role was shared, list both people on one card.

Making the credits readable

A correct order is wasted if nobody can read it. A few layout habits help on every screen size:

• Keep text away from the frame edges. Televisions, projectors and phone players can crop the edge of the picture slightly. Most editing software shows a title-safe guide; keep every credit inside it.
• Use a plain, legible typeface. Thin or decorative fonts flicker on a moving crawl and vanish on a phone.
• Give each card enough time. A viewer should be able to read every name on a card once, comfortably. Cards with several names need longer than cards with one.
• Keep the crawl steady. A crawl that speeds up or stutters is harder to read than one that moves at a constant pace.
• Check spelling on the final export. Proofread the credits in the exported film, not in the titling software, because fonts and line breaks can change on export.

If you deliver the film to a distributor or platform, their delivery specification may set rules for text placement, so read it before the credits are finalized.

Building the credit list in practice

The easiest way to get credits right is to keep a single credit list from the first day of pre-production. Add each person when they are hired, with their role, the exact spelling of their name and any credit their contract promises. By picture lock, the list is complete and checked, and the titles designer works from it rather than from memory. Send each department head the section of the list that covers their team and ask them to confirm it in writing before the titles are rendered.

A checklist before you lock the credits

• Source credit wording matches the rights agreement, and the title and author name are spelled exactly as they appear on the book.
• Union status is confirmed. If you are a DGA, WGA or SAG-AFTRA signatory, the credits have been checked against those agreements.
• Contract promises are all present, in the promised place and size.
• Names are spelled the way each person wants them, including accents and middle initials.
• Song credits are copied word for word from each licence.
• Copyright owner and year are confirmed.
• Credit length is timed and included in the total runtime.

Mistakes that are hard to fix after release

Paraphrasing the source credit. If the agreement says "Based on the novel by", writing "From the book by" can breach it.

Forgetting someone with a contractual credit. Missing a promised credit can mean re-exporting every deliverable.

Mixing "Written by" and "Screenplay by". On an adaptation, "Written by" suggests the screenwriter invented the story.

Misspelling names. It is the most common credit error and the most personal one.

Copying song credits from memory. Each licence usually dictates the wording; use it.

Sources and rules this page relies on

• Directors Guild of America, Basic Agreement. Governs director credits on DGA-signatory productions, including where the director credit appears.
• Writers Guild of America, Theatrical and Television Basic Agreement and the WGA Screen Credits Manual. Govern writing credits on WGA-signatory projects, including the forms "Written by", "Screenplay by" and "Story by", and the use of "and" and "&".
• SAG-AFTRA, Codified Basic Agreement. Governs performer credits on SAG-AFTRA-signatory productions.
• US Copyright Office guidance on copyright notice. The form of a copyright notice: the symbol, the year and the owner's name.
• Your option or rights agreement, music licences and individual contracts. These set the source credit wording, song credit wording and any promised credits. This page is general information about common practice and is not legal advice; have an entertainment lawyer review your credit obligations.