Opening credits and Glasgow University Dialectic Society: Difference between pages
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[[Image:Dialectic.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Glasgow University Dialectic Society]] |
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'''Opening credits''', in a television program, motion picture or videogame, are shown at the beginning of a show and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. Where opening credits are built into a separate sequence of their own, the correct term is [[title sequence]] (such as the familiar [[James Bond]] title sequences). Opening credits usually mention the major actors, guest stars, producers and director, as opposed to [[closing credits]] which lists the entire production crew. In television, the opening credits may be preceded by a [[cold open]], or teaser, that helps to set the stage for the episode. |
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The '''Glasgow University Dialectic Society''', re-instituted in [[1861]], is a student society at the [[University of Glasgow]], [[Scotland]], committed to the promotion of [[debate|debating]], [[logic]], [[ethics]] and literary discussion at the University. The Society is independent and open to all students of the University, however it maintains strong links with debating at [[Glasgow University Union]]. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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The date of the Society's foundation is contested; the earliest paper records of the Society are dated before 1770, and there are, moreover, mentions within the University records of a society existing and being open to students who took [[Logic]], back when the University still resided within [[Glasgow Cathedral]]. [[Pope John Paul II]] issued a 'Papal Letter' to the Society upon his visit to Scotland in the 1980's, which recognised the Society's claim to have been established in 1451. The Society was formally re-instituted in 1861. |
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Up until the 1970s, closing credits for films usually listed only the major cast members or even simply just said "The End", requiring opening credits to contain more detail. For instance, the [[title sequence]] of the [[1968]] film ''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]'' runs for about three-and-a-half minutes, and while not listing the complete cast, does list all of its technical credits at the beginning of the film, all set against a background of what appear to be, but in fact are not, authentic nineteenth century engravings of typical London life. The only credit at film's end is a listing of most of the cast. |
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Notable former members of the Society include: |
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Some opening credits are designed to run concurrently with a film's first sequence; in fact, this is one practice even more commonly followed today. The opening credits for the [[1968]] western ''[[Will Penny]]'' ran for a full seven minutes into the film. The opening credits for the 1968 film ''[[Once Upon a Time in the West]]'' lasted for fourteen minutes. This was because they were not presented with one credit immediately following the preceding one (as in films such as ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]''). Instead they are intermittently spread out over the entire opening sequences of the two films. |
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* [[Sir Menzies Campbell]], former leader of the [[Liberal Democrats]] |
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* [[Donald Dewar]], former [[First Minister of Scotland]] |
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* [[Liam Fox]], [[Conservative Party UK|Conservative]] Shadow [[Secretary of State for Defence]] |
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* [[Brian Gill, Lord Gill]], [[Lord Justice Clerk]] |
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* [[Derry Irvine|Derry Irvine, Lord Irvine]], former Lord Chancellor |
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* [[Charles Kennedy]], former leader of the [[Liberal Democrats]], [[Rector of the University of Glasgow|Rector of the University]] |
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* [[Andrew Neil]], journalist and broadcaster |
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* [[John Smith (UK politician)|John Smith]], former leader of the Labour Party |
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==Management== |
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The films of [[Satyajit Ray]] often show creative opening credits. His first film, ''[[Pather Panchali]]'' features completely hand-written opening credits. Further movies of his frequently show credits in some way thematically related to the film, for example, the credits of ''[[Kanchenjunga]]'' are written in a mock-[[Tibetan people|Tibetan]] font. |
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The management of the Society is entrusted to a Board elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Board consists of a President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary, Whip Secretary, Publicity Secretary, Macer, Social Convenor, three Ordinary Members and two First Year Representatives. The President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary form the Executive. |
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The current President is Richard Anderson. |
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Some quirks of the electoral procedure at the AGM are that posts are filled in descending order, allowing those who failed to win more important posts to stand for others, and that candidates must leave the room while a vote is taken on them. |
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The first [[sound film]] to begin without any opening credits, other than the display of the title and the credit "Color by Technicolor", was [[Walt Disney]]'s ''[[Fantasia (film)|Fantasia]]'', released in [[1940]]. The next film to begin with only a title credit was [[Orson Welles]]' ''[[Citizen Kane]]''. This practice was extremely uncommon during that era. |
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The Society at its AGM also elects an Honorary President, up to eight Honorary Vice-Presidents and up to four Honorary Life Members. The current Honorary President in Charles Kennedy, and Honorary Vice-Presidents include [[Baroness Thatcher]] and the [[John Sentamu|Archbishop of York]] |
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In contrast, most [[Cinema of the Soviet Union|Soviet films]] presented all film-related information in the opening credits, rather than the closing ones. Closing credits in Russian films contain just a "THE END" ({{lang-ru|КОНЕЦ ФИЛЬМА}}) frame, nothing else. Partially, this was due to a difficulty in the making of credits; drawn by hand, they were just a sequence of frames which, if too long, could be tiresome for the audience. A typical Russian opening credits sequence starts with a film company's logo ([[Mosfilm]], [[Lenfilm]], etc.), the film's name, continues with a list of cast members (one by one or a couple of names per frame), concluding with the technical staff (composer, artist, etc.) and finally, the film's director ({{lang-ru|Директор картины}}), usually a "[[nomenklatura]]" name rather than the actual [[film director]]'s name (which could have unlimited censoring possibilities). |
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==Activities== |
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This basic method was also followed in most American films from the 1930's through the late 1980's, though, obviously, in American films there was no censoring of the director's name, except in cases of [[blacklisting]]. |
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The Society organises a variety of events during term-time, including weekly lunchtime debates at the [[Glasgow University Union]], as well as an Annual Dinner and New Members' Dinner, a St Andrews-tide football game and a Sports Day, the Dialectic Olympics. The Society also takes part in [[Freshers' Week]]. |
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Three internal competitions are organised by the Society: the Reftable, the Intra-Varsity and the Roderick F. Neilson Memorial Debate. |
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==Recent trends== |
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In recent years, many major American [[motion picture]]s have done away with opening credits, with many films, such as ''[[Van Helsing (film)|Van Helsing]]'', ''[[Batman Begins]]'', ''[[The Mummy Returns]]'' and ''[[Teacher's Pet (film)|Teacher's Pet]]'' not even displaying the film title until the closing credits begin. [[George Lucas]] is credited (or blamed) with popularizing this with his ''[[Star Wars]]'' films which display only the film's title at the start. His decision to omit opening credits in his films ''[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope]]'' ([[1977]]) and ''[[Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back]]'' led him to resign from the [[Directors Guild of America]]. However, [[Hollywood]] had been releasing films without opening credits for many years before Lucas came along, most notably ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' and ''[[The Godfather]]''. However, it was with the release of ''[[Lethal Weapon 2]]'' in 1989 that the "title only" opening became an established form for summer blockbusters. [[Clint Eastwood]] has done away with opening credits (except for the title) in every film that he has directed since approximately [[1982]]. ''[[Fahrenheit 451]]'' uses spoken opening credits instead of written ones, to provide a taste of what life is like in a non-[[literacy|literate]] culture. |
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==Archives== |
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The archives of Glasgow University Dialectic Society are maintained by the [[Archives of the University of Glasgow| Archives of the University of Glasgow (GUAS)]]. |
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With regard to television series, it is now an accepted practice to credit regular cast members for every episode of a season, even if they did not appear in each episode. For example, during the second season of ''[[Lost (TV series)|Lost]]'', the complete credited cast appeared in only two episodes out of twenty-three. |
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==See also== |
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* [[Closing credits]] |
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* [[Title sequence]] |
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* [[Billing (film)]] |
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* [[Production logo]] |
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==References== |
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* [http://www.archives.gla.ac.uk/collects/catalog/dc/001-050/dc038.html Records of Glasgow University Dialectic Society, student society, University of Glasgow, Scotland] |
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* [http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/03/26/retro_titles.html Article: The Art of Retro Title Sequences] |
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* [http://www.latrobe.edu.au/screeningthepast/20/novelty-title-sequences.html Novelty Title Sequences in Classical Hollywood Cinema] |
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* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/classic/titles/drwho1.shtml Original Doctor Who opening credits] |
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* [http://www.submarinechannel.com/titlesequences/ A collection of title sequences and interviews with designers] |
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==External links== |
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[[Category:Film and television opening sequences]] |
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* [http://www.gudialectic.co.uk Glasgow University Dialectic Society] |
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[[Category:University of Glasgow|Dialectic Society]] |
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[[de:Vorspann]] |
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[[Category:Student debating societies]] |
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[[fr:Générique (cinéma)]] |
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[[Category:1861 establishments]] |
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Revision as of 20:03, 12 October 2008
The Glasgow University Dialectic Society, re-instituted in 1861, is a student society at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, committed to the promotion of debating, logic, ethics and literary discussion at the University. The Society is independent and open to all students of the University, however it maintains strong links with debating at Glasgow University Union.
History
The date of the Society's foundation is contested; the earliest paper records of the Society are dated before 1770, and there are, moreover, mentions within the University records of a society existing and being open to students who took Logic, back when the University still resided within Glasgow Cathedral. Pope John Paul II issued a 'Papal Letter' to the Society upon his visit to Scotland in the 1980's, which recognised the Society's claim to have been established in 1451. The Society was formally re-instituted in 1861.
Notable former members of the Society include:
- Sir Menzies Campbell, former leader of the Liberal Democrats
- Donald Dewar, former First Minister of Scotland
- Liam Fox, Conservative Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
- Brian Gill, Lord Gill, Lord Justice Clerk
- Derry Irvine, Lord Irvine, former Lord Chancellor
- Charles Kennedy, former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Rector of the University
- Andrew Neil, journalist and broadcaster
- John Smith, former leader of the Labour Party
Management
The management of the Society is entrusted to a Board elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Board consists of a President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary, Whip Secretary, Publicity Secretary, Macer, Social Convenor, three Ordinary Members and two First Year Representatives. The President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary form the Executive. The current President is Richard Anderson.
Some quirks of the electoral procedure at the AGM are that posts are filled in descending order, allowing those who failed to win more important posts to stand for others, and that candidates must leave the room while a vote is taken on them.
The Society at its AGM also elects an Honorary President, up to eight Honorary Vice-Presidents and up to four Honorary Life Members. The current Honorary President in Charles Kennedy, and Honorary Vice-Presidents include Baroness Thatcher and the Archbishop of York
Activities
The Society organises a variety of events during term-time, including weekly lunchtime debates at the Glasgow University Union, as well as an Annual Dinner and New Members' Dinner, a St Andrews-tide football game and a Sports Day, the Dialectic Olympics. The Society also takes part in Freshers' Week.
Three internal competitions are organised by the Society: the Reftable, the Intra-Varsity and the Roderick F. Neilson Memorial Debate.
Archives
The archives of Glasgow University Dialectic Society are maintained by the Archives of the University of Glasgow (GUAS).