Update: Credit Sequences

A follow-up on this post. In response to this question from Gregaria:

First, you said it’s generally the mark of an amateur if a script includes an opening credit sequence. With my script, there’s an entire montage-y scene at the beginning that begins introducing the numerous characters and plot lines. The scene takes place in the course of one day to establish “normal” life before everything is disrupted. I can only see this working as a credit sequence. I haven’t included the credits themselves. Do I need to re-work this scene?

After going through rationales and conventional wisdom, I concluded this:

You’re right re about not including a credit sequence in a spec script. You may have absolutely splendid ideas about it, you may even ‘see’ exactly how your movie should start. But as you say, a credit sequence in a spec script is a sign of an amateur. Why? Because the credit sequence is a production decision. The director makes that choice. Now let’s say you sell the script. Certainly you may make known what your splendid ideas are for a possible credit sequence. But that’s the time to convey those ideas, not in a selling script.

That sparked a lively discussion in comments which you may see here.

One of the comments from Martin_B was the introduction from the script for Contact (screenplay by James V. Hart and Michael Goldenberg, story by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, novel by Carl Sagan):

UNIVERSE — EIGHT BILLION LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH

The cosmos on the grandest scale we know. Clusters of
galaxies strewn like sea froth; whorls and smudges of
light representing hundreds of billions of stars each.

MILKY WAY GALAXY

A view from the edge. We DRIFT ABOVE the majestic,
spiraling disk, tens of thousands of light years across.

RING NEBULA (M57) — CONSTELLATION LYRA

A local group of stars, the brightest of which is a point
of hot, blue-white light…

VEGA

Rings of glowing gas and debris surround the giant, blue-
white star… and then we notice something ahead of us in
polar orbit.

CLOSER

An immense, world-sized construct gleams in Vega’s blue
light. Far too big to be artificial, by human standards
 — but this wasn’t built to human standards.

Bowl-shaped transmitters cover the quicksilver gel-like
surface of the polyhedron, forming then vanishing again.
We DESCEND INTO one vast bowl as it deepens — 

 — then silently convulses. A lost chord. We SWING
AROUND, assuming a breathtaking, MOVING POV — 

A message begins its journey.

DISSOLVE TO:

SUBTERRANEAN DARKNESS

Shadows appear, dark and murky. Slowly we become aware of
a MUFFLED, PULSING sound; like a DISTANT, BOOMING
HEARTBEAT.

Suddenly a bright light unzips the amniotic darkness; two
great hands reach in to assist what we now realize is a
Caesarean birth.

ELLIE ARROWAY

age five seconds, opens her eyes wide.

My response to Martin’s comment:

Martin: I have no problem with that introduction (“Contact”), in fact I quite like it. It’s visual, lays out one of the story’s central themes — the wonders of outer space — and it’s compelling. Also note, nowhere does it say the words “CREDIT SEQUENCE.” Savvy readers may assume it is intended to be a credit sequence, however because of the reasons listed above and the fact it has a beginning, middle, and ending, transitioning to the story’s Protagonist, I think it stands on its own two celestial feet.

So there you have a possible solution: a credit sequence that doesn’t say it’s a credit sequence. In other words, an implied credit sequence.

I would still offer this caveat: Don’t include an implied credit sequence to open your script unless what you write is essential to framing the story / themes, advances the plot, and has a beginning, middle, and end. Anything less than that is likely to come across to a reader as artsty-fartsy verbiage.

And thanks again to Martin for posting the introduction from Contact.

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