Shooting on 16mm. Best way to make a title screen?

[Analog_Addict]

I have a short film I have written and plan to shoot within the next 6 months. There is particular goal for this film such as a film festival.

In the script there is one short scene at the start. This cuts into a title screen which is meant to be a simple black screen with white writing. This lasts a few seconds before continuing with the story.

I have two questions:

1. I assume with a film of this type, it would suffice to simply have the film's title and not a 'by insert name here' line.

2. How would I go about making a authentic looking title screen? Bearing in mind it is to be shot in colour 16mm. I have knocked up a few quickies on photoshop but they never look like anything but something produced on a computer. Which I do not want.

How would you go about making a simple title screen like this for 16mm film?

Thanks

 

[Will Vincent]

White lettering on a black card, and shoot it with the camera?

Get some black poster board, and white peel & stick lettering, mount it on a wall, light it, shoot it.

 

[indietalk]

You can get creative while keeping it simple and cheap, for example, if it's a school theme, you could do a blackboard and chalk title. Get it? What's the film about?

 

[Will Vincent]

I always really liked the opening title sequence of "Almost Famous"... since the film is about a kid who gets a job writing for Rolling Stone, it just totally works that the opening credits are a close shot of his pencil writing out the names, erasing, etc.. it's brilliant, and looks really cool.

 

[knightly]

Check the credits in "Napolean Dynamite" too... very creative and no optical tricks needed.

 

[zepplin]

Can someone give me an example of a 16mm camera? Is that able to get to your computer through firewire cord like an hv30/ xh a1?

 

[Will Vincent]

Can someone give me an example of a 16mm camera? Is that able to get to your computer through firewire cord like an hv30/ xh a1?

No, 16mm cameras shoot film, not video.

 

[cyclone]

Be careful with your exposure. If you are using a reflected meter (i.e if it is automatic/in the camera), the stark black and white of your subject will throw off your exposure unless you use a gray card (or an incident meter).