# Why are the credits on movie posters always in the same standard format? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423 "2009-10-28T12:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/1 "2009-10-28T12:09:27Z")
At the bottom of just about every movie poster, and on the back of DVDs etc, you’ll see the credits of main cast, producer, director and so on. It’s always in the same layout and the same tall skinny font. Why is that? Is it some kind of union requirement or something? COLOPHON POSTS [SIZE=“1”]PRESENTS JOHN DOE JOE Q. PUBLIC A. N. OTHER ‘WHY ARE THE CREDITS ON MOVIE POSTERS ALWAYS IN THE SAME STANDARD FORMAT?’ AN SDMB PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH CECIL ADAMS MUSIC BY A. MUSICIAN DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Z. LENSMANN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER COLOPHON WRITTEN BY A. COMMITTEE CATERING BY TESCO AND COSTA COFFEE DIRECTED BY CAFE SOCIETY AND THE STRAIGHT DOPE [/SIZE] ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/2 "2009-10-28T12:30:59Z")
Yes, it is a union requirement. [Here](http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060925084058AA5lhKJ) is a good explanation. There are many different unions and guilds involved, so it is very complicated. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/3 "2009-10-28T12:59:04Z")
Credit format/order/size/etc. are probably more meticulously negotiated and standardized than pay scales in the movie industry. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/4 "2009-10-28T14:34:27Z")
Two director credits? The DGA will run you out of town. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/5 "2009-10-28T14:57:19Z")
How were the Coens credited in _No Country for Old Men_? The DGA didn’t seem to have a problem with that film. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/6 "2009-10-28T15:00:11Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > How were the Coens credited in _No Country for Old Men_? The DGA didn’t seem to have a problem with that film. On their movie posters they’re credited as the Coen Brothers, which would get rid of that who-comes-first problem. I don’t know about the end-movie credits, though. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/7 "2009-10-28T15:07:50Z")
I always assumed the lettering was tall and narrow so that you could read it if the poster was mounted up high. Sort of like the elongated STOP lettering on streets as you approach a stop sign. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/8 "2009-10-28T15:14:21Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > On their movie posters they’re credited as the Coen Brothers, which would get rid of that who-comes-first problem. I don’t know about the end-movie credits, though. They used to give Joel the directing credit and Ethan a producer’s credit, but now they are allowed to share the directing credit because of their history of working together. Ladykillers was the first movie where they shared the directing credit. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/9 "2009-10-28T15:17:29Z")
Two directors is unusual, but not unheard of. From the [Wikipedia article on the DCA](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directors_Guild_of_America): > [@](#): > > The rule that a film can only have one single director, adopted to avoid producers and actors lobbying for a director’s credit, is strongly defended by the DGA and is only waived for recognized directorial teams (as determined by the DGA) such as the Wachowski brothers, Hughes brothers, Brothers Strause, and the Coen brothers. The Coens for years divided credit, with Ethan taking producing credit, Joel taking directing credit, and both of them sharing the writing credit (even though the two of them shared all three duties between themselves) until The Ladykillers. For instance, the DGA would not recognize Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller as a directorial “team” for Sin City, which resulted in Rodriguez quitting the DGA so that Miller would receive director’s credit. In addition, animated films almost always seem have two or more directors. The director credit is the last credit shown in the opening credits, and the very first one shown in the closing credits\*. Credits on movie posters are arranged like opening credits. \*: I was shocked by how sloppy some teams in my local 48-Hour Film Project were about this. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/10 "2009-10-28T16:03:22Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I always assumed the lettering was tall and narrow so that you could read it if the poster was mounted up high. Sort of like the elongated STOP lettering on streets as you approach a stop sign. I’ve looked into this a bit further now, and it seems that it’s used because of the requirement to have people’s names a certain proportion of the size of the movie title (or whatever). The “size” refers to the height only, so by using a very skinny font they can still fit it all on the poster. I didn’t know about the “one director” requirement, though. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/11 "2009-10-29T14:36:31Z")
There are even three-director credits: **Airplane** had director credits for Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker, and David Zucker. They had to work hard to prove to the DGA that they did indeed direct the film as a team, but ultimately the DGA accepted it. For **Sin City** , Miller was never actually in the director’s chair; Rodriguez wanted to credit him because he used his advice and stuck closely to Miller’s visuals. ---
**Author:** ![JinWook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@JinWook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JinWook)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/12 "2012-05-15T14:14:12Z")
The billing block has various interesting designer quirks. A few definitions of the billing placements themselves are here: [http://www.billing-block.com/last-billing.html](http://www.billing-block.com/last-billing.html) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/13 "2012-05-15T14:34:52Z")
[The recent 21 Jump Street had two directors credited.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21_Jump_Street_%28film%29) ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/14 "2012-05-15T16:21:44Z")
Also, when there is a picture of the stars of the movie, say 3 of them, the names are sometimes above the wrong person. I noticed it when I was a kid and wondered why. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/15 "2012-05-15T18:12:22Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > Also, when there is a picture of the stars of the movie, say 3 of them, the names are sometimes above the wrong person. I noticed it when I was a kid and wondered why. Because the billing order is decided by contracts long before the poster art is chosen. I always think it’s funny when this happens. I particularly liked when Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams were billed as each other in the posters for Morning Glory. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/16 "2012-05-16T05:49:50Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Because the billing order is decided by contracts long before the poster art is chosen. I always think it’s funny when this happens. I particularly liked when Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams were billed as each other in the posters for Morning Glory. That doesn’t quite make sense, but I’ll take it to mean that the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. If billing was decided long before the artwork was constructed, then the artists should know where to place the bodies correctly. I know billing can be a contentious point, is it possible that one actor agrees to give up top billing in return for a larger image at the center of focus on the poster? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/17 "2012-05-16T06:49:06Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > If billing was decided long before the artwork was constructed, then the artists should know where to place the bodies correctly. Your mistake is assuming ‘placing the bodies correctly’ involves placing them under the matching names, not placing them as works best for the poster design. If those two points agree, great, if not, the poster design being eyecatching, attractive, and, hopefully, giving some idea of the feel of the flick, is more important for getting butts in seats, and thus the priority. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/18 "2012-05-16T06:54:33Z")
The defunct movie magazine _Premiere_, when they weren’t publishing worthless crap about studio executives, had some really fascinating articles about actual movies. One of the most enlightening was explaining credits. One bit that stuck with me was that in writing credits an ampersand indicates a team, while an “and” is a re-write. Screenplay by Schmuck & Goniff AND Hack AND Megahack. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-credits-on-movie-posters-always-in-the-same-standard-format/515423/19 "2012-05-16T11:31:51Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > The director credit is the last credit shown in the opening credits, and the very first one shown in the closing credits\*. If there are rules about the closing credits, they’re constantly broken. I can’t think of specific titles, but I know I’ve seen ones where the director wasn’t credited first.