Billing is a film term denoting the amount and order in which film credits information is presented in advertising materials and within the film itself. Information given in billing usually consists of the actors appearing in the movie, the directors, producers, the companies producing and distributing the movie (by name and/or logo), and artistic and technical crew. The title of the movie is also considered to be part of the billing.
History
At the beginning of the art of motion pictures in the 1900s to the early 1920s, the major movie moguls of the time which owned or managed the big film studios did not want to put the names of their actors on film or bill the actors appearing on their films because they do not want to recreate the "star system" that is very prominent on Broadway at that time. The moguls also feared that once actors were billed on film that they would be more popular and would seek sky-high salaries. On the other hand, the actors did not want to reveal their film careers to their stage counterparts through billing on film because at that time, working in the movies was deplorable and unacceptable to stage people. Therefore, as late as the early 1910s, stars as big as Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin were not known by name to movie goers. In fact, according to Mary Pickford's biography Doug and Mary, she was referred to by the public as "The Biograph girl" in all of her films before 1905.
However, in 1906, the actress Florence Lawrence of the Biograph studios received billing on the credits of her film, partly as a ploy to increase the grosses of Biograph's films. It turned out to be successful, and Miss Lawrence became the first movie star with celebrity status. From that time on, actors received billing on film. During that time, too, the system of billing above and below the title originated to delineate the status of the players. From that time on, the big movie stars like Pickford, Fairbanks and Chaplin were billed above the the title, while lesser movie stars and supporting players were billed below the title.
During the era of the studio system, on-screen billing was presented at the beginning of a film; only a restatement of the cast and possibly additional players appeared at the end, because the studios had actors under contract and could decide billing. The studios still followed the billing system of the silent era.
However, after the studio system's collapse in the 1950s, actors which have gone freelance and their agents understood the importance of billing and fought for billing on a film by film basis. This, combined with changes in union contracts and copyright laws, led to more actors and crew members being included in the credits sequence, expanding its size significantly. As a result, since the late 1960s a significant amount of the billing is reserved for the closing credits of the film, which generally includes a recap of the billing shown at the beginning. In addition to this, more stars demanded top billing, which created billing problems on the shoulders of film producers, who have to adapt to the contractual billing demands of the stars.
Billing demands even extended to publicity materials, where the height of the letters, the position of the names and the placement of names even mattered.
Some notable examples of curious billings, whether on film or in promo materials, are as follows:
1. Arguably the most curious billing in the history of the movies was the billing received by Philippine film megastars Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos on their 1978 film Ikaw ay Akin (You Are Mine). For starters, Misses Aunor and Santos are the Philippines' top film stars of that period (and even up to the present), and both stars demanded top-billing above the title for each film that each made. To heighten the excitement (and grosses) of the acting duel between these two, the director Ishmael Bernal decided to bill both actresses really equally by setting their names on a revolving circle after the name of the production company (Tagalog Ilang-Ilang Productions) appeared, a ploy that has been followed in some films internationally afterwards.
2. All-star productions are definitely billing nightmares. For instance, The Towering Inferno (1974) featured both the sex sirens of the period, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. Both keen on top-billing, the problem was complicated by William Holden, Academy Award-winner and one of the biggest stars of the 50s, and then rising star Faye Dunaway, which also demanded billing above the title. The end product was a staggered diagonal billing that would make McQueen and Newman, in any direction, look like equally billed. The final billing in promo materials looked like this.
3. Superman (1978) is another example of curious billing. Marlon Brando, arguably the greatest American film actor and two-time Academy Award-winner, played a small but significant role, while Gene Hackman, then a one-time Academy Award-winner, played Lex Luthor. To accommodate these two stars' demand for top-billing, Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman were billed above the title then the film's real star, Christopher Reeve, was given a starring billing. This is how it appeared in the final film.
By the 1990s, some films had moved all billing to the film's end, with the exception of company logos and the title. Although popularised by the Star Wars series (see below) and used sporadically in films such as The Godfather and Ghostbusters, this "title-only" billing became an established form for summer blockbusters in 1989, with Ghostbusters II, Lethal Weapon 2, and The Abyss following the practice.[1] Occasionally, even the title is left to the end (e.g., The Mummy Returns, The Passion of the Christ, Hot Fuzz and Apocalypto). However, the billing system still remained the same for most of the features released during this period.
Main billing
The order in which credits are billed generally signify their importance to the film. For example, the first is usually the motion picture company, followed by the producer (as in "A Jerry Bruckheimer Production"). Next, depending on his/her standing, the director may be granted an extra, prominent credit (as in "A Ridley Scott Film"); this practice began with directors such as Otto Preminger or William Wyler in the late 1950s.
The major starring actors generally come next, then the title of the movie and the rest of the principal cast. The following production credits also usually form part of the main billing:
If their contribution is deemed significant, other personnel (such as visual effects supervisor) may also be included. These are then followed by the other producers, the screenwriter(s) and again the director (as in "Directed by..."). The order in which the latter are billed is usually directly related to an individual's status in the film industry or role in the film. If the main credits occur at the beginning, then the director's name is last to be shown before the film's narrative starts, as a result of an agreement between the DGA and motion pictures producers in 1939. However, if all billing is shown at the end, his/her name will be displayed first, immediately followed by the writing credits.
Some directors are so highly regarded that they receive what seems to be a producer's credit, even if they did not produce the film. Victor Fleming was one such director: his films always featured the credit "A Victor Fleming Production", even when someone else produced the film. James Whale was similarly credited.
The actors whose names appear first are said to have "top billing". They usually play the principal characters in the film and have the most screen time. However, well-known actors may be given top billing for publicity purposes if juvenile, lesser-known, or first-time performers appear in a larger role: e.g., Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman were both credited above Christopher Reeve in Superman (1978), despite Reeve playing the main character. Frequently, top-billed actors are also named in advertising material such as trailers, posters, billboards and TV spots. Having a particular star at top billing can often draw audiences to see a movie regardless of any other aspect of it.
An actor may receive "last billing", which usually designates a smaller role played by a famous name. They are usually credited after the rest of the lead cast, prefixed with "and" (or also "with" if there is more than one, as Samuel L. Jackson was in the latter two Star Wars prequels). In some cases, the name is followed by "as" and then the name of the character. This is not the case if that character is unseen for most of the movie (see Ernst Stavro Blofeld).
The two or three top-billed actors in a movie will usually be announced prior to the title of the movie; this is referred to as "above-title billing". For an actor to receive it, he/she will generally have to be well-established, with box-office drawing power. Those introduced afterwards are generally considered to be the supporting cast, not the actual "stars" of the movie.
Actors that have high status in the industry don't always get top billing; if they only play a bit part, then it may go to the person who portrayed the main character. Some major actors may have a cameo, where they are only noted within the other cast during the end credits. Sometimes, top billing will be given based on a person's level of fame. For example, besides his brief appearance in Superman, Marlon Brando received top billing in both The Godfather and Apocalypse Now.
If an unfamiliar actor has the lead role, he may be listed last in the list of principal supporting actors, his name prefixed with "and introducing" (as Peter O'Toole was in Lawrence of Arabia'). Sometimes, he may not receive special billing even if his role is crucial. For example, William Warfield, who played Joe and sang "Ol' Man River" in the 1951 film version of Show Boat, received tenth billing as if he were merely a bit player, while Paul Robeson, an established star who played the same role in the 1936 film version of the musical, received fourth billing in the 1936 film.
If more than one name appears at the same time or of a similar size, then those actors are said to have "equal billing," with their importance decreasing from left to right. However, an instance of "equal importance" is The Towering Inferno (1974) starring Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. The two names appear simultaneously with Newman's on the right side of the screen and raised slightly higher than McQueen's, to indicate the comparable status of both actors' characters (this also features on the advertising poster). If a film has an ensemble cast with no clear lead role, it is traditional to bill the participants alphabetically or in the order of their on-screen appearance. An example of the former is A Bridge Too Far (1977), which featured 14 roles played by established stars, any one of whom would have ordinarily received top billing as an individual. The cast of the Harry Potter films includes many recognized stars who are billed alphabetically, but after the three principals.
If an actor is not an established star, he or she may not receive above-the-title billing, or even "star" billing; they may just be listed at the head of the cast. This is the way that Judy Garland was billed in the opening credits to The Wizard of Oz. F. Murray Abraham was billed in a similar fashion in Amadeus, which did not say "starring" after the title, but rather "with F. Murray Abraham".
In some cases, the position of a name in the credits roll can become a sticking point for both cast and crew. Such was the case on Gilligan's Island, where two of the stars were only mentioned by name in the closing credits. Bob Denver, who played Gilligan, was so upset with this treatment that he reportedly told the producers that since his contract stipulated that his name could appear anywhere in the credits that he wished, he wanted to be moved to the end credits with his co-stars. The studio capitulated, and moved Denver's co-stars to the opening credits of the show.
Competitive top billing
Sometimes actors can become highly competitive over the order of billing. For example:
- In Superman, Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman were given top promotional and credit billing over Christopher Reeve, who played Superman.
- Jack Nicholson received top billing on promotional materials for Batman for his portrayal of the Joker. Michael Keaton, who played Batman, received second billing.
- In The Bonfire of the Vanities, F. Murray Abraham asked for above-title billing. This was rejected as too many other stars were getting it (Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith). Thus, Abraham asked for his name to be completely removed, even from the credits.
- In the film Miami Vice, Colin Farrell originally received top billing. However, after Jamie Foxx won an Academy Award he requested top billing and received it. Foxx's name appears first in the opening credits, while Farrell still receives top billing in the closing credits.
- In the opening credits of The Bridge on the River Kwai, Alec Guinness, who is generally regarded as the main character in the film, receives third billing, after William Holden (who demanded top billing) and Jack Hawkins (who does not even appear until halfway through the picture). However, in the closing credits, Guinness is billed second and Hawkins is billed third.
Filmmaker billing
- In 1980, George Lucas resigned from the Directors Guild of America after it insisted, against his wishes, that Irvin Kershner, the director of The Empire Strikes Back, be credited at the beginning of the film; it had previously allowed the original Star Wars, which had a similar opening sequence, to go unchallenged. Because Lucas got his way, he has been generally viewed as being responsible for popularising the "title only" style.
- Kevin Smith doesn't use the tag "A Kevin Smith Film" in the credits of his movies. His feeling is that a movie is made by everyone involved, and not the product of just the director.[2]
Unbilled appearances
- As Gary Oldman appeared under heavy make-up in Hannibal, he requested that his name be completely removed from the billing and credits in order to "do it anonymously".[3] However, Nathan Murray is still credited as "Mr. Oldman's assistant" and Oldman's name was added to the end credits upon the film's home video release.
References
- ^ IMDb.com: Keyword 'no opening credits'
- ^ Enhanced Playback Trivia Track. Clerks. X Tenth Anniversary Edition [DVD]. Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc..
- ^ IGN.com: Interview with Gary Oldman
See also
External links
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