How to Get Screen Credits Right

Get your screen credits right

Screen Credits are important to get right.  Don't leave people out, and don't mis-spell their names.

Most important - be sure to credit all the key roles on your film.  Credit for the key heads of department should go to one person.  There should be only be one director, and usually one producer and one writer. 

If you need to credit someone else, give them a title such Associate Producer or Assistant Director. Extra writers can be credited under "Additional Story".  Make sure you credit (at least) the following roles; Director, Director of Photography (DoP), Producer, Writer, Editor, Art Director, VFX Supervisor, Animation Director (or Head of Animation), CG Supervisor.  

Key Roles on a Short Film

Don't forget to credit the Writer

All the key roles on a movie need screen credit. These include:

• Director
• Writer (don't forget this one!)
• Producer
• Art Director
• VFX Supervisor/CG Supervisor
• Editor

VFX Film Titles

On a VFX Short you will also need:

• 2D VFX Compositing Supervisor
• 3D VFX Supervisor

Animated Film 

On an animated film you will also need

• Animation Supervisor/Lead Animator

Full Names Please

Standard industry convention is to credit the artists' full names, not just first names or initials.  

Thanks and Special Thanks

Thanks and Special Thanks are a free way to earn goodwill.  Thank everyone, thank often, widely and generously. It costs you nothing - and people appreciate it.  Read more about Thanks and Special thanks here. 

Thanking Our Industry Partners
At Escape Studios, "thanks" and "special thanks" should go to our industry partners who have given up their time (usually unpaid) to help us get our student films finished to industry standards. 

Please thank the industry folks who gave up their time to offer professional feedback.

Teamwork at Escape Studios

Award-winning "Kiwi's Dream"

To see more about teamwork at Escape Studios follow the links below:

• "Yay!" My project got picked! What now?"
• Managing Team Projects at Escape Studios
• When Group Projects Go Bad
• Group Projects - Six Rules for Success
• The Escape Method - How it Works
• How Feedback Works at Escape Studios
• Marking Group Projects
• The Rookies Ranks Escape Studios in Top 5 Globally for Teamwork
• How to Make a Short Animated Film
• Framestore Brings Teamwork to Escape Studios
• How We Select Teams for Group Projects at Escape Studios

Escape Studios Film-making Resources

BAFTA- shortlisted "Jerich0"

For more information and resources on the making of animated short films, follow the links below:

Development & Pre-Production

• How to Write a Story
• How to make a short animated film
• How to pitch your film idea
• Why Animators Need Mood Boards
• Why Animators Need Colour Scripts
• Key Creative Roles on an Animated Film
• Managing Group Projects
• Why Animators Need a Storyboard Animatic
• How to Record Voice-Overs
• How to Use Grammelot
• Sound Design for Animators
• Why Animators Need Production Design

Production

• Why Animators Must Wreck Their Rigs
• What an Animation Editor Does, Exactly
• Ten Rules of Animation Dailies
• The Job of Editor on an Animated Short
• Why Animators Must Check Their Hookups
• What are CBBs? (Could be Better)
• Using Lighting to Tell the Story

Post-Production

• How Animators Work with Composers
• Royalty-free music at Bensound
• Colour Grading your film
• Screen Credits - How to Do Them Right
• Thanks and Special Thanks
• How to Create the Perfect One-Sheet Movie Poster (And Why You Need One)
• Getting Yourself (and your film) Listed at IMDB

The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects. To apply for our BA/MArt in 3D Animation, follow this link.