Film Credits Order: How It's Actually Determined
The order of film credits looks like an unbreakable tradition, but it is really the product of two forces: individually negotiated contracts and guild collective bargaining agreements. There is no master rulebook, and — contrary to a common myth — the MPA does not regulate it.
This is the reference for why credits fall in the order they do: the opening sequence, the closing cards, the by-department end scroll, and exactly which guild controls which position. It is grounded in the WGA Screen Credits Manual, DGA Basic Agreement Art. 7, the SAG-AFTRA CBA, and the PGA Producers Mark rules.
What determines credit order
Credit order is not handed down by a single authority. It emerges from the interaction of two layers — and understanding the layers is the key to reading any credit sequence correctly.
1. Contracts
Above-the-line placements — director, writer, producers, and lead cast — are negotiated individually. Billing position, card type (solo vs. shared), type size, and "with" / "and" connectors are all deal points. Two films with identical roles can credit them differently because the contracts differed.
2. Guild agreements
On guild-signatory productions, the WGA, DGA, SAG-AFTRA, and PGA agreements impose a binding floor: certain credits are mandatory, in fixed positions, in fixed wording. Contracts negotiate within that floor; they cannot violate it.
What does not set the order: the MPA (it handles ratings and title registration), the studio's marketing department (the on-screen credits and the poster billing block are governed separately), and any single industry "standard" document. Everything below traces back to a specific guild rule or a negotiated contract point. For the institutions involved, see our who-is-who of credit authorities.
Opening credits order
Opening credits use a bookend hierarchy: the least personal credits (studio and production-company logos) come first, and the sequence builds to the single most prominent name — the director — on a solo card. Bookend hierarchy. Begins with distribution/studio logos, ends with the director's solo card. Each position is a separate title card unless noted. Modern productions often omit opening credits entirely except for studio logos and a single 'Directed by' card.
Positions flagged ATL (above-the-line) are individually negotiated; BTL (below-the-line) follow department convention.
| # | Credit | Tier | Why it sits here |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Distribution company | ATL | Studio logo (e.g., Warner Bros., A24) |
| 2 | Production company | ATL | Producer's banner (e.g., Syncopy, Plan B) |
| 3 | Possessory credit | ATL | Optional 'A [Director] Film' — DGA-restricted, individually negotiated |
| 4 | Film title | ATL | Can appear earlier in the sequence |
| 5 | Lead cast | ATL | 1-3 principal actors, often individual cards |
| 6 | Supporting cast | ATL | Billed individually or grouped |
| 7 | Casting director | BTL | First department head credit |
| 8 | Music composer | BTL | Score composer, not songs |
| 9 | Costume designer | BTL | — |
| 10 | Associate producer(s) | ATL | — |
| 11 | Editor | BTL | — |
| 12 | Production designer | BTL | — |
| 13 | Director of photography | BTL | Often 'Cinematography by' |
| 14 | Executive producer(s) | ATL | — |
| 15 | Producer(s) | ATL | May include p.g.a. mark (PGA) |
| 16 | Writer(s) | ATL | 'Screenplay by' or 'Written by' — WGA arbitration may apply |
| 17 | Director | ATL | DGA-mandated final solo credit. 'Directed by' is the only acceptable form. |
Most contemporary American films omit the full opening sequence, showing only logos and a title card and reserving the complete list for the end. The DGA, WGA, and SAG-AFTRA all permit this — opening credits are a stylistic choice, not a requirement.
Closing / end credits order
Closing credits run in two distinct movements. First a set of above-the-line title cards — the inverse of the opening sequence, led by the director. Then the end-credits scroll, which lists the rest of the crew department by department.
Above-the-line cards (in order)
Individual title cards before the crawl begins. Opens with the director (mirror of opening sequence). Each card is governed either by a guild rule or by a negotiated contract; the guild source is flagged where one applies.
- 1. Director DGA
- 2. Writer WGA
- 3. Producers PGA
- 4. Lead Cast SAG-AFTRA
- 5. Exec Producers
- 6. Co-Exec Producers
- 7. Additional Producers
- 8. Editor
- 9. Cinematographer
- 10. Casting
- 11. Sound-Design
- 12. Composer
- 13. Music Supervisor
- 14. Production Designer
- 15. Costume Designer
- 16. VFX Supervisor
The end-credits scroll, by department
Crawl sections organized by department, in standard order. Within each department: department head first, then key crew, then assistants. The departments below run in the conventional crawl order. Departments marked with a guild source carry a mandatory credit.
- 1.Production Management DGA
- 2.Interviewees 1
- 3.Stunts 8
- 4.Additional Producers 3
- 5.Additional Documentary Producers 8
- 6.Camera 17
- 7.Camera - Specialty 3
- 8.Camera - Aerial 7
- 9.Camera - Underwater 2
- 10.Continuity 2
- 11.Sound (Production) 5
- 12.Art 15
- 13.Set Decoration 14
- 14.Props 15
- 15.Paint 7
- 16.Construction 11
- 17.Casting 7
- 18.Local Casting 3
- 19.Extras Casting 5
- 20.Costume 15
- 21.Hair 10
- 22.Makeup 5
- 23.SFX Makeup 4
- 24.Special Effects 6
- 25.Grip 13
- 26.Electric 15
- 27.Production Office 24
- 28.Production Accounting 8
- 29.Locations 7
- 30.Stage 2
- 31.Legal Counsel 4
- 32.Choreography 2
- 33.Coaches 3
- 34.Childcare 4
- 35.Animals 6
- 36.Catering 7
- 37.Craft Service 4
- 38.Medical 7
- 39.Safety 6
- 40.Security 3
- 41.Transportation 12
- 42.Picture Vehicles 4
- 43.Editorial 11
- 44.Post Production 4
- 45.Post Production Accounting 6
- 46.Archive 8
- 47.Picture Finish (Color & Online) 7
- 48.Dailies 4
- 49.Sound (Post-Production) 14
- 50.ADR 6
- 51.Foley 6
- 52.Loop Group 2
- 53.Music Supervision 3
- 54.Original Score 9
- 55.Original Score Production 5
- 56.Original Score Performers 5
- 57.VFX Management 3
- 58.VFX Facility 7
- 59.VFX - 3D 4
- 60.VFX - 2D 13
- 61.Motion Graphics 2
- 62.VFX Pipeline 3
- 63.Titles 4
- 64.EPK (Electronic Press Kit) 5
- 65.Publicity + Marketing 6
- 66.Sales + Distribution 6
- 67.Studio/Network 5
- 68.Clearances 4
- 69.Producer Thanks 1
- 70.Special Thanks 1
- 71.Licensed Footage + Audio Vendors 1
- 72.Licensed Footage + Audio 3
- 73.Licensed Art + Photo Vendors 1
- 74.Licensed Art + Photos 3
- 75.Songs 3
- 76.Copyright 1
Within each department the order is consistent: department head first, then key crew, then assistants and trainees. After the last department the scroll closes with songs and music licensing, special thanks, vendor and equipment logos, and finally the copyright and anti-piracy lines.
For deep dives on the individual positions in this hierarchy, see the role references for the director, director of photography, film editor, production designer, composer, and casting director.
Who decides the order
Four guilds set the binding rules on signatory productions. Each controls a narrow, specific slice of the sequence — and the boundaries are commonly misunderstood.
WGA Writers Guild of America
Writing creditsThe only credit determined by a third party, not the producer. When authorship is contested, the WGA runs a confidential arbitration to assign "Written by", "Screenplay by", and "Story by", and to cap the number of credited writers. Producers cannot override the result.
DGA Directors Guild of America
Director, AD & UPM credits, possessory creditMandates the director's solo "Directed by" card as the final credit of the opening sequence, and mandatory credits for the Unit Production Manager and First/Second Assistant Directors. The possessory "A [Director] Film" credit is DGA-restricted and individually negotiated — not automatic.
SAG-AFTRA Screen Actors Guild
Minimum cast creditedThe CBA requires that at least 50 cast members be credited (or all of them if the cast is smaller). It does not dictate the order, size, or placement of cast names — those are negotiated individually in each actor's deal.
PGA Producers Guild of America
The "p.g.a." markGrants the "p.g.a." certification mark to producers who performed a major portion of the producing functions in a decision-making capacity. It is awarded project-by-project, independent of guild membership, and appears as a suffix on the "Produced by" credit.
Four myths about who controls credit order
❌ “The MPA decides the order of credits”
The MPA (formerly MPAA) handles ratings and title registration through its Title Registration Bureau — it has no authority over credit order. Credit rules come from the guild collective bargaining agreements, not from the MPA.
❌ “SAG-AFTRA sets the billing order for the cast”
The SAG-AFTRA CBA only requires a minimum of 50 credited cast members (or all if fewer). The order, type size, and "with" / "and" connectors are negotiated individually in each actor's contract — not mandated by the union.
❌ “Every director gets a possessory "A [Director] Film" credit”
The possessory credit is DGA-restricted and must be individually negotiated. It is reserved for directors with an established name, a signature style, or a substantial body of work — it is not a default.
❌ “The producer assigns the writing credit”
When a writing credit is disputed, the WGA — not the producer — determines it through binding arbitration. The producer proposes a credit; if a participating writer protests, the guild decides.
Short film vs. feature differences
The logic of the order is the same at every scale, but how strictly it binds — and how much of it appears on screen — depends on the production.
| Short film | Feature | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening sequence | Usually a single "Directed by" card, or none | Often a full bookend sequence (or logos + title) |
| Above-the-line cards | A handful — director, writer, producer, leads | Full set of negotiated solo and shared cards |
| End-credits departments | A dozen or fewer — only what was staffed | Dozens, including VFX, music, and post sub-departments |
| Guild rules | Apply only if the short is guild-signatory (most are not) | Typically signatory — DGA/WGA/SAG-AFTRA/PGA rules bind |
| What sets the order | Mostly convention and courtesy | Convention + contracts + binding guild floor |
The practical takeaway: on a non-signatory short, nothing legally forces the director’s solo card or the WGA wording — but following the convention signals professionalism and avoids confusing festival programmers and distributors who expect it.
Putting this order into a video?
Once you know the order, you can build it as a broadcast-ready scroll. Our generator applies this exact hierarchy — guild rules and department order included — from a filled-in template.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard order of film credits?
Opening credits run distribution company → production company → title → lead cast → key department heads → producers → writer → director (last, on a solo card). Closing credits invert that: the above-the-line cards appear first (director, writer, producers, lead cast, then the design and technical heads), after which the end-credits scroll lists the remaining crew department by department — production management, cast, camera, sound, art, grip and electric, post-production, music, then VFX — closing with songs, special thanks, vendor logos, and the copyright line.
What is the order of closing credits specifically?
Closing credits open with individual title cards for the above-the-line roles, beginning with the director and moving through the writer, producers, lead cast, editor, cinematographer, and the design and music heads. The crawl then takes over, organized by department in a fixed industry order, with each department's head listed first followed by key crew and assistants.
What is the order of opening credits?
Opening credits use a bookend hierarchy: studio and production-company logos first, then the title, then lead and supporting cast, then a run of department-head and producer credits, and finally the director on a solo "Directed by" card — the DGA-mandated last position. Most modern films skip the full opening sequence and show only logos and a title card, saving the complete credit list for the end.
Who decides the order of movie credits?
No single body decides it. Guild agreements set a binding framework: the DGA fixes the director, UPM, and AD positions; the WGA determines contested writing credits by arbitration; SAG-AFTRA sets a 50-member minimum for cast; and the PGA controls the "p.g.a." mark. Within that framework, above-the-line placements are negotiated individually in contracts, and producers order the below-the-line crew by department convention.
Does the MPA regulate film credits?
No. The MPA regulates ratings and registers film titles, but it has no role in credit order. The rules that govern credits come from the WGA, DGA, SAG-AFTRA, and PGA collective bargaining agreements.
Do short films follow the same credit order as features?
The same logical order applies, but short films compress it. A short typically uses a single "Directed by" title card and a short end scroll covering only the departments it actually had — often a dozen or fewer. Guild rules apply only when a production is signatory to the relevant guild, which most student and independent shorts are not, so the order on a short is convention rather than contract.
Why is the director credited last in opening credits but first at the end?
The two sequences mirror each other. The opening builds toward the director as the final, most prominent name; the closing reverses the run so the director leads the above-the-line cards. The DGA Basic Agreement requires the director's opening credit to be the last one before the picture begins and to appear on a card of its own.
Guild rules cited from the WGA Screen Credits Manual, DGA Basic Agreement Art. 7, the SAG-AFTRA CBA, and PGA Producers Mark rules. Hierarchy data shared with the end credits template.