# Movie Opening Credits **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 17, 2005, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058 "2005-03-17T21:52:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/1 "2005-03-17T21:52:25Z")
I’ve noticed that in a lot of movies, if the name of the director of photography appears in the opening credits, it is usually followed by one or two abbreviations. ASC (which I assume stands for American Society of Cinematographers) is probably the most common one. Is there a reason for this? I mean, I don’t see any of the other members of the production team splashing their credentials around the screen. (Not that I see this as a problem, mind you) Should I leave the theater during the opening credits if I notice that the DP’s name unadorned by initials? Just wondering. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/2 "2005-03-18T01:35:30Z")
The other is, I think, BSC and I believe that is for British cinematographers. It is probably something the union negotiated in their deal with the producers to indicate in which organization they have membership. Not only should you leave the theatre if you don’t see this, you should flee! Run out screaming flailing your arms and knocking as much popcorn in the air as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/3 "2005-03-18T02:11:46Z")
There was a Muppet movie, with Kermit and Fonzie in a hot air balloon while the credits are rollings. Fonzie Asks “Hey Kermit what does BSC ((Or what ever it was)) mean?” Kermit “Gee Fonzie I don’t know” ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/4 "2005-03-18T02:16:16Z")
The casting agents usually have letters after their names as well, so it’s not unique to cinematographers. **Zebra** ’s hypothesis seems correct - it probably has to do with union negotiations. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/5 "2005-03-18T02:17:11Z")
Editors often do, too. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/6 "2005-03-18T03:15:42Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > There was a Muppet movie, with Kermit and Fonzie in a hot air balloon while the credits are rollings. Fonzie Asks “Hey Kermit what does BSC ((Or what ever it was)) mean?” Kermit “Gee Fonzie I don’t know” Oh yeah. _The Great Muppet Caper_. Forgot about that. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/7 "2005-03-18T08:54:19Z")
According to the official [American Society of Cinematographers](http://www.theasc.com/clubhouse/inside/history.htm) website, > [@](#): > > The first ASC screen credit was given to charter member Joseph August when he photographed a William S. Hart picture in 1919. Later that year, producer-star Mary Pickford had the initials ASC lettered after Charles Rosher’s name on her credit titles. Since that time, these letters have come to symbolize excellence in the motion picture industry. That site also says that the ASC is neither a labor union nor a guild, which I did not know. ---
**Author:** ![Kaspar\_Hauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/8 "2005-03-18T16:46:42Z")
A related question – when did screenwriter credit jump from third to second, right behind director? Must have been recent. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/9 "2005-03-18T18:02:19Z")
I know it was already established by 1982 that screenwriters would get equal sized billing with directors in screen credits, and that the screenwriting credit would come right before the director credit; and I believe this practice began in the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![Kaspar\_Hauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/10 "2005-03-18T18:45:52Z")
I don’t think that’s right. At least through the nineties writers were only getting third billing, behind the producer. Then I stopped paying attention for a while, I guess. But I recently noticed that they now get second billing, right behind the director. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/11 "2005-03-18T19:09:00Z")
> [@Kaspar Hauser](#): > > I don’t think that’s right. At least through the nineties writers were only getting third billing, behind the producer. Then I stopped paying attention for a while, I guess. But I recently noticed that they now get second billing, right behind the director. Is this some sort of law? Or unwritten convention? I thought that credits were negotiated separately for each picture. ---
**Author:** ![Kaspar\_Hauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/12 "2005-03-18T19:25:18Z")
I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/13 "2005-03-18T20:03:54Z")
> [@Kaspar Hauser](#): > > I don’t think that’s right. At least through the nineties writers were only getting third billing, behind the producer. [Cecil speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_368.html). See the last paragraph. ---
**Author:** ![Kaspar\_Hauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-opening-credits/295058/14 "2005-03-18T20:13:55Z")
Cecil said: > [@](#): > > the writer appears first, the producer second, and the director third Well, that confirms that that’s how it was twenty-three years ago, when the column was written. That’s not how it is now, and as I said, I was just wondering when it changed.