credits

All films, tv programmes and video games include credits. There are two types of credits these being the opening credits (which we are focusing on) and the closing credits.
Billing is the term used in film to describe the process of working out the amount and order in which film credits information is presented.
As we are only making the opening to a thriller film we will only be focusing on the opening credits.
The opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. they are usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or as static pictures or sometimes superimposed over the action going on on the screen. When the opening credits are built into a separate sequence of their own they then become a title sequence. Since the 1980's opening credits list the most important members of production where as the closing credits list all the members involved in the production at any time. However before 1980 the opening credits were the only source of crew credits.
in films the title and opening credits may be proceeded by a 'cold-open' or a brief scene which helps to set the stage for the film.
Some films have even got rid of opening credits altogether such as the film van helsing (2004) and batman begins (2005) which did not even show the title of the film until the closing credits began rolling.
Films such as star wars do not have any opening credits, just a title. Many directors have since followed this trend and now many films (the dark knight, avatar, hostel) do not have opening credits just the title of the film shown.
The usual order for the opening credits is ;
the name of the studio
the name of the production company
the director/producer first credits
the names of the principal actors
the films title
the names of the featuring actors
the names of the casting, production design and set design etc.