opening credits
Movie's name scroll
Opening credits are the sequence at the beginning of a film or television program displaying the names of key contributors—director, producers, principal actors, and others.
They may appear over action or against a stylized background.
Some productions make the credits themselves an artistic statement: The opening credits alone are worth watching.
Compare closing credits, which appear at the end.
Credits shown at beginning
- main titlesFilm's introductory credit sequence
- cold openPre-title sequence segment
- teaserSomething that piques interest
- premiereFirst public performance
debut · reveal · buildup · expectation · excitement · foreshadowing · suspense · countdown
Animated visual design elements
- animationTechnique creating movement illusion
- montageAssembled sequence of images
- silhouetteFilled-in outline shape
- split screenDisplay showing multiple feeds
graphic design · art direction · aesthetic · stylized · iconic
Program's recurring musical opener
- title musicOpening credits soundtrack
- scoreNumerical standing in competition
- overtureIntroductory orchestral piece
- fanfareCeremonial brass announcement
leitmotif · composer · orchestration · theme · motif · jingle · signature tune · musical cue
On-screen text identifying work
- fontCharacter style set
- typefaceLettering style design
- letteringStyled written characters
- serifLetter terminal flourish
sans-serif · calligraphy · typesetting · crawl · superimposition
Charging for services rendered
- star billingLead performer's credit position
- top billingPremiere credit position
- cast listPerformers in a show
- acknowledgmentConfirmation of receipt
featuring · starring · ensemble · producer credit · director credit · writer credit
title sequence
Credits shown at beginning
- main titlesFilm's introductory credit sequence
- cold openPre-title sequence segment
- teaserSomething that piques interest
premiere · debut · reveal · buildup · expectation · excitement · foreshadowing · suspense · countdown · curtain raiser
motion graphics
Animated visual design elements
- animationTechnique creating movement illusion
- montageAssembled sequence of images
- silhouetteFilled-in outline shape
split screen · graphic design · art direction · aesthetic · stylized · iconic
theme song
Program's recurring musical opener
- title musicOpening credits soundtrack
- scoreNumerical standing in competition
- overtureIntroductory orchestral piece
fanfare · leitmotif · composer · orchestration · theme · motif · jingle · signature tune · musical cue · arrangement
title card
On-screen text identifying work
serif · sans-serif · calligraphy · typesetting · crawl · superimposition
billing
Charging for services rendered
- star billingLead performer's credit position
- top billingPremiere credit position
- cast listPerformers in a show
acknowledgment · featuring · starring · ensemble · producer credit · director credit · writer credit
- TV themesTV theme, theme tune, title music, main title theme
- film musicfilm score, soundtrack, movie soundtrack, underscore, background music
- acknowledgmentsacknowledgment, acknowledgement, acknowledgments, acknowledgment, dedications
- televisionTV, television, broadcast, TV shows, TV series
- James Bond007, James Bond, Ian Fleming, MI6, Q
- Pink PantherInspector Clouseau, diamond, Henry Mancini, theme song, Peter Sellers
opening creditsclosing credits
Post-film name roster
end credits · end titles · outro · end card · The End
opening, opened, opens, opener, credits, reopen, unopened, reopening, reopenings