A Film By... How does it sit with you?

Other than Hitchcock and Capra, I don't want to see a name above the title.
*(Add Jim Henson and Walt Disney to that list, for different reasons.)

Below is kosher, if it works aesthetically for the poster/marketing.
 
I think Jim Cameron has earned the privilege of putting his name above his titles too.

And, come to think of it, whatever it says for marketing purposes on the poster and titles, the last time I saw Jim introduce a film at a screening he told the crew point-blank that it was *their* work on screen and that he couldn't have done it without them. And coming from someone with that healthy an ego and that degree of insight into the process, I think it means something...

...or he was just being nice because he doesn't want to dodge falling lights on the next project. Whichever.
 
Im not sure I understand why it'd be okay for some directors to do the "a film by" credit but not okay for others. Im more of a grey area guy myself but it strikes me as pure opinion to think some directors have earned it while others havent. Who are we to know what directors have done to earn what. To me the issue is does the credit demean the work of the collaborators or not, and I think its going to be a case by case interpretation.


On another note it seems like no one can really do something on their own right. Wouldnt it always takes the work of others to help. From countless people involved in the research, development, and manufacturing of my camera to the NLE I use. To all the people making it possible for me to post on dvxuser, it is really just my post?
 
Kubrick71 said:
Im not sure I understand why it'd be okay for some directors to do the "a film by" credit but not okay for others. Im more of a grey area guy myself but it strikes me as pure opinion to think some directors have earned it while others havent. Who are we to know what directors have done to earn what. To me the issue is does the credit demean the work of the collaborators or not, and I think its going to be a case by case interpretation.


On another note it seems like no one can really do something on their own right. Wouldnt it always takes the work of others to help. From countless people involved in the research, development, and manufacturing of my camera to the NLE I use. To all the people making it possible for me to post on dvxuser, it is really just my post?
Click to expand...

From my personal POV, it is enough to say "Directed By" or "Directed and Written By". A Film By credit, no matter which director, is a certain sort of entitlement that I think is applicable, technically, when the Director has FUNDED, DIRECTED and WRITTEN the property.

I couldn't find a single argument against that.

I guess it really is just opinion, though. In the end, it seems like only filmmakers or people tied to the business care.
 
i thought the op was about the credit posted in the trailer, not world peace... maybe things got carried away a bit.

i have to say, one of the things that puzzles me "from the guys that brought you disaster movie, or meet the spartans".
 
for a trailer i think it's fine if it's a well known director, but tacky if it's by someone nobody has heard of.
 
Sad Max said:
*shrug* Frank, no matter how you slice it you are taking credit for the work of others.
Click to expand...

No offense here, but we talking about two totally different things.
When you are an architect and you design a house it´s a house by you and you get the credit, thou everyone knows you are not laying bricks.

When you are a composer and you make a song, it´s your song, thou the orchestra played the notes.

Nobody would ever say, "This is the 5th Symphony, a piece by the soandso orchestra."
No, its Beethoven's 5th Symphony of course. No Beethoven no Symphony, even if you have an orchestra - he is the man.

Same goes to a Shakespeare play . Its not "Hamlet, a play by the soandso ensemble"

But I realize it would be - even in German - hard to explain, let alone my limited English.

Anyway, to each his own opinion.

Frank :beer:
 
Last edited:
"from the director who brought you..."

this is not true. no director brought me anything. i've never even bummed a cigarette from a director. i was never hand-delivered a film. knock it off, marketing peoples.
 
Fahad said:
i think i like what George Lucas did in A New Hope. i haven't seen any Star Wars in a while (or paying attention)... but if i remember correctly, the movie starts with the movie (a long time ago.... STAR WARS.... blah blah blah....).... gives you a kick-ass movie, it ends and you go WOW! and then it cuts to: Directed by George Lucas and made possible by everyone else in the end credits.

I think that was a very smart move... he didn't give you a long list of credits which most people don't care about at the beginning of the movie, he goes straight to the story... then when all is said and done, it's as if he said, 'oh, by the way, this movie that just blew you away was directed by me!'

(i assume) everyone in the theaters that opening night in 1977 walked out of the theaters with at least a vague recollection of the director's name.
Click to expand...
Fahad....i'm glad you mentioned this, because people have asked over the years "why are movie credits so long nowadays??"...you're right though, Lucas put them all at the end, but if you watch Star Wars again (and i'm not a huge Starwars Fanboy)...the credits were a LOT longer than pretty much ANY movie of it's time, because he simply couldn't pay many of the people involved with the film, but putting their names up in the credits was his way of repaying them...truly a nice gesture, since the film was deemed a failure upon initial screenings. Genuine move by Lucas. Just food for thought. Most pre-1977 films had very few credits...notice as you watch older films. It's evolved into credits that are so long, i think they're now including passers-by on the streets that happened to see a movie being made...it's crazy. But all Lucas wanted to to was thank all the folks that believed in his film.
 
Last edited:
Chris Light said:
"from the director who brought you..."

i've never even bummed a cigarette from a director.
Click to expand...


I have bummed cigarettes off of a director or two, but most important I have had a few even buy me a beer! :beer:

Not that is something that needs to be in the credits!! :love4:
 
Postmaster said:
No offense here, but we talking about two totally different things.
When you are an architect and you design a house it´s a house by you and you get the credit, thou everyone knows you are not laying bricks.

When you are a composer and you make a song, it´s your song, thou the orchestra played the notes.

Nobody would ever say, "This is the 5th Symphony, a piece by the soandso orchestra."
No, its Beethoven's 5th Symphony of course. No Beethoven no Symphony, even if you have an orchestra - he is the man.

Same goes to a Shakespeare play . Its not "Hamlet, a play by the soandso ensemble"[...]
Click to expand...

These analogies are not perfect, Frank. People don't say that "a house is by Frank Lloyd Wright." They say, "It is a house designed by him."

A composer who creates music does receive full credit and we say that it is "by" him. However, there are performances of varying quality from which consumers can choose. And music connoisseurs know that these differences are quite significant. There isn't usually only one version, like a film. The same reasoning applies to theater works as well.

I don't know German and so, as you have alluded, this could very well be a difference between the languages, as well as their respective rules of pragmatics.
 
of course not David....my point was, no director has ever "brought" me anything...i feel as if i've been led down the wrong path when the movie trailer voice guy tells me that the new film is "from the director who brought you (me)....."

i suddenly want swiss cheese. is there a director who can bring me that? no. i'll get it myself. and i might watch your movie. but only if you bring it to me.
 
Jordan_S said:
These analogies are not perfect, Frank. People don't say that "a house is by Frank Lloyd Wright." They say, "It is a house designed by him."

A composer who creates music does receive full credit and we say that it is "by" him. However, there are performances of varying quality from which consumers can choose. And music connoisseurs know that these differences are quite significant. There isn't usually only one version, like a film. The same reasoning applies to theater works as well.

I don't know German and so, as you have alluded, this could very well be a difference between the languages, as well as their respective rules of pragmatics.
Click to expand...
sorry Jordan, but i absolutely agree with Frank. not that i'm an authority, i just do.
 
Chris Light said:
of course not David....my point was, no director has ever "brought" me anything...i feel as if i've been led down the wrong path when the movie trailer voice guy tells me that the new film is "from the director who brought you (me)....."

i suddenly want swiss cheese. is there a director who can bring me that? no. i'll get it myself. and i might watch your movie. but only if you bring it to me.
Click to expand...

Just sayin' Chris. I know what you mean.
 
I think Frank actually came close to nailing it. Yes, it's not quite like that but I look at it this way. If one person puts far more work than everyone else into getting the film made and completed, they can put their name wherever they damn well please.

If it's not your thing, don't do it.

MAH
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top