What Is a Title Designer in Film?
Saul Bass convinced Alfred Hitchcock to let him design a title sequence for Psycho — and ended up directing it. The title designer is the person who turns the first and last moments of a film into a distinct visual statement.
A title designer is the creative professional responsible for designing the typography, motion graphics, and visual sequences that appear at the beginning (main titles) and end (end credits) of a film, television series, or streaming production. They work at the intersection of graphic design, motion graphics, and cinematography — translating a production’s tone and themes into type and imagery before a single line of dialogue is spoken.
The title designer typically works directly with the director and production designer in pre-production, then collaborates with the visual effects team during post-production to execute the finished sequence.
Title designer responsibilities
What the Role Actually Looks Like on a Production
Title design is a post-production specialty with pre-production roots. The designer needs to understand the film’s themes, color palette, and visual language before any footage exists — and the final titles are often finished in the final weeks of post, after picture lock.
Pre-production duties:
- Meeting with the director to understand the film’s visual concept and tone
- Researching typographic and design references from the relevant genre and period
- Developing initial concept sketches and typographic options
- Presenting multiple creative directions for director approval
- Consulting with the production designer to ensure title aesthetics align with the overall visual world
Post-production duties:
- Refining the approved design direction based on director feedback
- Creating motion tests and animatics to establish timing and rhythm
- Executing final typography, motion graphics, and compositing
- Coordinating with the composer on sync between music and title movement
- Delivering broadcast-ready assets to the online editor and finishing house
- Producing all end credit card specifications: font, size, color, spacing, and layout
The dual function: Title designers work on two distinct deliverables — the opening sequence (which is creative and interpretive) and the end credit crawl (which is largely technical and contractual). A title designer must understand both the artistry of the opening and the strict hierarchical and formatting rules of the closing credits.
Title designer credits
Where the Title Designer Appears in Film Credits
Opening Credits
On productions where the title designer receives a screen credit, it typically appears at the end of the main title sequence or at the start of the end credit crawl, in a key crew section. The credit reads:
Title Design
KYLE COOPEROr, on productions that distinguish between the main titles and end credit layout work:
Main Title Design
ANNIE ATKINS
End Title Design
RYAN SEARSNot every production credits the title designer on screen. Many title design commissions — particularly for major studio films — go uncredited despite representing significant creative work. This is a longstanding industry practice that advocacy groups within the motion design community have pushed to change.
End Credits
When the title designer appears in the end credit crawl, the placement depends on the production’s convention. Common positions:
- Key crew section — Following the director, DP, and editor, before department heads
- Visual effects section — If the title sequence involved substantial VFX work
- Post-production section — Alongside colorists, online editors, and finishing artists
Card Format
Single designer:
Title Design
SAUL BASSDesign company:
Title Design
IMAGINARY FORCESSeparate main titles and end credits:
Main Title Sequence Design
PROLOGUE
End Credit Design
SARAH WILLIAMSONGuild and Union Considerations
Title design does not have a single dedicated guild. Depending on the production and the designer’s background, a title designer may work as:
- A freelance graphic designer with no guild affiliation
- A member of IATSE Local 800 (Art Directors Guild), if the work is classified under production design
- A member of IATSE Local 839 (The Animation Guild), if the title sequence involves frame-by-frame animation
- An employee of a post-production VFX facility covered under that facility’s union agreements
The Motion Design Association (MDA) and Motionographer community have advocated for clearer industry standards around title designer credits and classification, though no single guild currently covers the discipline exclusively.
How to Credit a Title Designer Correctly
The most common credit title is “Title Design” (two words, no hyphen). Variants include “Main Title Design,” “Title Sequence Design,” and “Opening Title Design.” When a design studio is credited rather than an individual, the studio name appears on the card, and the individuals involved may be credited in a subsequent card with their specific roles.
Common credit variations:
| Credit Title | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Title Design | Standard credit for a single designer covering both titles and end credits |
| Main Title Design | When a designer handled only the opening sequence |
| Title Sequence | Alternative phrasing, common on European productions |
| Graphic Design | Broader credit that includes title work alongside other on-screen graphics |
| End Credit Design | Rare; used when the end credit layout was a distinct creative commission |
Title designer vs graphic designer
How the Two Roles Differ on a Film Production
On large productions, the title designer is a specialist hired exclusively for the title sequence. On smaller productions, a graphic designer may cover title design alongside other on-screen graphics — lower-third identifiers, document props, in-world signage, and digital interfaces.
| Title Designer | Graphic Designer (Film) | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Opening title sequence and end credit layout | All on-screen typography and graphics |
| Works with | Director, composer, VFX supervisor | Production designer, art director |
| Phase | Pre-production concept, post-production execution | Pre-production through post-production |
| Motion work | Almost always | Sometimes |
| End credit layout | Yes | Sometimes |
Notable title designers in film history
Three Professionals Who Defined the Craft
Saul Bass — The defining figure in American title design. Bass created main title sequences for Alfred Hitchcock (Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho), Otto Preminger (The Man with the Golden Arm, Anatomy of a Murder), and Martin Scorsese (Cape Fear, Casino, Schindler’s List). His animated sequence for The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) — a white paper-cut arm descending against black — is widely cited as the sequence that established title design as an independent art form. Bass is the only title designer to receive sustained mainstream recognition during his career.
Kyle Cooper — Founded Imaginary Forces after leaving R/Greenberg Associates. His handwritten-behind-glass sequence for Se7en (1995) — designed with Yolanda Cuomo — redefined the visual language of thriller title sequences and influenced marketing materials throughout the following decade. Cooper went on to design titles for Spawn, The Island of Dr. Moreau, and dozens of major studio releases. He later founded Prologue Films.
Annie Atkins — Graphic designer and title designer known for her work with Wes Anderson. Atkins designed the in-world graphics for The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) — stamps, newspapers, lobby cards, and pastries — as well as the title lettering and end credit layout. Her approach treats the title sequence as a natural extension of the film’s production design rather than a separate motion graphics commission. She received the Guild of Motion Picture Art Directors’ Pierre Angénieux Award in recognition of her work.
Sources & Further Reading
- Forget the Academy Awards — The Art of the Title Is the Premier Celebration of Title Design — The New York Times
- The Art of the Title — Archive of title sequences with interviews and analysis
- Saul Bass: A Life in Film & Design — Laurence King Publishing
- Kyle Cooper Interview at Watch The Titles — Motionographer
- The Credits Sequence as Art Form — The Criterion Collection
- Film Credits Format & Order Guide — EndCreditsPro
Recommended Videos
- The Art of Movie Title Design — Nerdwriter1
- Saul Bass Title Sequences Supercut — Various
- Kyle Cooper on Designing Se7en — Art of the Title
Create Professional Credits with EndCreditsPro
Format title design credits alongside your full end credit crawl — with correct card layout, font specifications, and credit hierarchy. Generate broadcast-ready end credits with EndCreditsPro or browse our credit templates.