Title card

Piece of filmed, printed text

Cinema etiquette title card (c. 1912)

In films, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i.e. inter-) the photographed action at various points. Intertitles used to convey character dialogue are referred to as "dialogue intertitles", and those used to provide related descriptive/narrative material are referred to as "expository intertitles".^[1] In modern usage, the terms refer to similar text and logo material inserted at or near the start of films and television shows.

Silent film era[edit]

In this era intertitles were mostly called "subtitles"^[2][3] and often had Art Deco motifs. They were a mainstay of silent films once the films became of sufficient length and detail to necessitate dialogue or narration to make sense of the enacted or documented events. The British Film Catalogue credits the 1898 film Our New General Servant by Robert W. Paul as the first British film to use intertitles.^[4] Film scholar Kamilla Elliott identifies another early use of intertitles in the 1901 British film Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost.^[5] The first Academy Awards presentation in 1929 included an award for "Best Writing – Title Cards" that went to Joseph W. Farnham for the films Fair Co-Ed, Laugh, Clown, Laugh, and Telling the World.^[6] The award was never given again, as intertitles went out of common use due to the growing popularity of the "talkies".^[7]

Modern use[edit]

In modern use, intertitles are used to supply an epigraph, such as a poem, or to distinguish various "acts" of a film or multimedia production by use as a title card. However, they are most commonly used as part of a historical drama's epilogue to explain what happened to the depicted characters and events after the conclusion of the story proper.

The development of the soundtrack slowly eliminated their utility as a narrative device (they were common for providing narration, but not dialogue, well into the 1930s), but they are occasionally still used as an artistic device. For instance, intertitles were used as a gimmick in Frasier. The BBC's drama Threads uses them to give location, date and information on distant events beyond Sheffield. Law & Order and its related spinoffs used them to give not only the location, but also the date of the upcoming scene. Guy Maddin is a modern filmmaker known for recreating the style of older films, and uses intertitles appropriately. Some locally produced shows, such as quiz bowlgame shows, use animated variations of intertitles to introduce the next round.

Amateur use[edit]

Intertitles have also had a long history in the area of amateur film. The efforts of home movie aficionados to intertitle their works post-production led to the development of a number of innovative approaches to the challenge. Frequently lacking access to high-quality film dubbing and splicing equipment, amateur film makers must plan ahead when making a film to allow space for filming an intertitle over the existing film. Intertitles may be printed neatly on a piece of paper, a card, or a piece of cardboard and filmed, or they may be formed from adhesive strips and affixed to glass. In the early 1980s, digital recording technology improved to the point where intertitles could be created in born-digital format and recorded directly onto the film. Several specialty accessories from this period such as Sony's HVT-2100 Titler and cameras such as Matsushita's Quasar VK-743 and Zenith VC-1800 could be used to generate intertitles for home movies.^[8]: 20 Early 1980s video game consoles and applications catering to the demo scene were also adapted for the generation and recording of intertitles for home films. Among these were included the ColecoVision, the Magnavox Odyssey² (using programs such as the Type & Talk cartridge and the Voice module), the Bally Astrocade (using the built-in Scribbling program or the more advanced Creative Crayon cartridge), and the intertitle-specialized Famicom Titler.^[8]: 21

See also[edit]

References[edit]

noun

• 1A card containing information about a book, periodical, etc., with the title at the top of the card, to be filed alphabetically by title in a library catalogue.

• 2In Boxing and other combat sports: the list of contests constituting the bill of a title fight event; these contests considered collectively.

• 3Cinema Television
  A full-screen image of text inserted into the body of a film, television programme, etc.

  Title cards were widely used in silent films to express dialogue or to explain the plot, but are now more commonly used to display a film's title, acting and production credits, etc., at the start or end of the film.

Origin

(You may be looking for Episode Title Card.)

In video media starting with silent films, title cards (also called intertitles) are shots of printed text edited into the photographed action at various points. Such cards were a mainstay of silent films, serving to bridge the limits of the technology by providing character dialogue and/or descriptive narration to make sense of the enacted or documented events. The development of the soundtrack (starting in the late 1920s) slowly eliminated their utility as a narrative device, yet the convention was retained for providing narration (not dialogue) well into the 1930s. They were also used to signal an Intermission in movies, a period of nothing but a Title Card and some jaunty music, as a chance to use the restroom or buy concessions, lasting typically between ten and fifteen minutes. While it gradually faded out of use, the intermission card was used as late as the 1980s.

In modern film and television, title cards are used most commonly used as part of a historical drama's epilogue to explain what happened to the depicted characters after the conclusion of the story the audience has just seen. They are occasionally still used as an artistic device to supply an epigraph (such as a poem), to pay homage to the silent era or to distinguish various "acts" of a film or multimedia production.

Compare Title In.

The Blues Brothers (1980)

The typeface might be nothing to write home about, the block of blue behind it might be slightly obvious; but John Belushi glaring at Dan Ayckroyd makes for a classic and iconic card that sums up the pair’s on screen relationship.

Big (1988)

He's so big, even the title looks small. Gettit? That said, what the title lacks in stature, it makes up for by being double underlined.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Little Miss Sunshine isn't your average feel-good smash, and the opening titles live up to this notion as the word "sunshine" flashes up over Steve Carrell's distinctly unsunny character.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Yellow. Arguably Wes Anderson's favourite colour, and used with great abandon throughout the charming Moonrise Kingdom , the titles stick to this theme. An ornate, loopy typeface sets the tone for an ornate and loopy film.

The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

The title sequence for The Adventures of Tintin pays homage to creator Hergé, using the typeface from the graphic novels and the original artist's style. It's hard not to wish that the whole film had been shot in this style.

Atonement (2007)

Aptly using the kind of typeface you might expect your call-up papers for the Great War to have been written in, Atonement's title card is simple and unassuming, but devastatingly powerful.

Life of Pi (2012)

An animal-stuffed menagerie of a film reflected by lush titles slipping on and off-screen like shy deer startled by predators.

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

Like an advert for an old-timey illusionist or silent movie star, Oz shows the important of a title card in setting the aesthetic style for the rest of a film.

Submarine (2010)

As Oliver Tate proves throughout the course of the film (and a wonderful evening of lovemaking,) sometimes it's hip to be square.

Metropolis (1927)

It's difficult to capture the power of Metropolis ' titles given their constant animation, so it's worth watching them for yourself. A masterclass in brutal, artistic graphic design.

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