What’s in a Title?

Everything!

We see thousands of screenplays every year, and many share the same issue: a weak title. Often, not only does the name of the movie or TV show not do the heavy lifting it needs to, it takes a shovel and buries the project six feet deep.

The title of your project is the first (and sometimes only) thing someone will know about your screenplay. Make sure it’s compelling enough that gatekeepers will want to know more.

Look, readers at production companies or management outfits are drowning in scripts on any given day; often they are looking for any excuse not to read. Which of the many PDFs waiting in their inbox are they more likely to open – the one with the vague or generic-sounding title, or the one that conjures up a specific image, intrigues, or produces a chuckle?

Your title is a marketing tool. Use it as such.

1. A great title should give us a hint at genre, tone, and content

If you’re writing a comedy, the title should be funny. It’s a thriller? Make it feel dangerous or, dare we say it… thrilling. Romance? Swoon-worthy. Horror? Creepy. You get the idea. BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER–what does that tell you? There’s a horror element, but then, wow, you’ve got a ridiculous name like Buffy. Yup, there’s quite a bit of tongue-in-cheek. We know right away it’s about an unlikely and possibly unwilling heroine. Bingo: the title tells us exactly what it is. 

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING–it gives us a hint of the world (it’s about a tobacco lobbyist) as well as the tone–satire/black comedy. A+ as titles go. Do you need four or more words to accomplish this? Nope! STAR WARS. Two words and it tells you absolutely everything. JAWS–one word, but a loaded one. Often imitated to this day.

2. Avoid the generic

Stay away from trite, hackneyed phrases like “tomorrow is another day,” “so it goes,” “it is what it is,” “calm before the storm,” and on and on. Just, please, don’t! Here is your test: you’re bleary-eyed from sitting in front of the computer all day. You look at a list of titles. One says CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, and the other says BEEN THERE, DONE THAT–which one are you going to open?

3. Stay away from “name” titles

Yes, as in the protagonist’s name. Unless you’re writing about Elvis, Lincoln, or Madonna, name titles generally convey almost nothing about the movie or show.

And, yes, many well-known filmmakers have made that mistake–ANNIE HALL, SHANE, GIA, JACKIE BROWN to name just a few. The difference between your script and their movie? They’re in the club, with huge marketing machines behind them. Their titles don’t have to do anything. Yes, Clint Eastwood can make a movie called RICHARD JEWELL. Good movie; lame title. Probably the worst example in recent history? ELLA McKAY, a title which not only tells us nothing about the genre, tone, or anything else about the movie, but it’s so close to the lead actress’ name (Emma Mackey) that confusion (and thus poor box office) was the inevitable result

Exceptions? Well, the above-mentioned BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER is a great example. It’s not just a name – the rest of the title tells you what the movie or TV show is. That context is important. Same with ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. “Esq.” tells us he’s a lawyer, and we can infer “legal thriller” from that. SHAWN OF THE DEAD — the clever play on words denotes comedy, the “of the dead” indicates zombie horror = bull’s-eye!

Of course, if you’re adapting a well-known literary source like HARRY POTTER, REACHER, or someone recently in the public eye like SULLY, a name title is fine. MICHAEL worked because the name is so closely associated with Michael Jackson, and Jackson himself is still huge.

But in general, names are generally considered to be weak, lazy, or placeholder titles. Beware.

4. Check IMDb

Good news: you can’t copyright a title. However, you want to make sure that you’re not inadvertently using the same name as a well-known property and thereby giving a wrong impression of what your movie is. We saw a script come in last year with the same title as a popular film from the 1970s – with no connection. While that is legally fine, you don’t want to potentially confuse people.

As well, be aware that the big studios and their very pricey lawyers may come after you if you use a well-known title, even if legally you have the right to do so. Save yourself the hassle (and money) and keep looking.

However, if you see the title has been used before by other movies, and they’re not super well-known? Go for it. OBSESSION is a great example – the title has been used for six different features and five different series since the 1970s, including a Brian DePalma-directed big studio movie. That didn’t stop Curry Barker from making the biggest indie horror hit of the 21st century and getting signed to a 9-figure deal last week. 

5. Brainstorm

A good title can be difficult to come up with. Invite over some friends, and have a brainstorm session. No idea is too silly or too far out. It’s a great way to come up with a unique title.

Look at the themes of the movie, the characters, their arcs. Examine the setting, the tone, the key elements of the story. Look at song titles, popular expressions, quotations, lyrics – anything that conveys the spirit of the story or the world.  And have fun with it! Most of those suggestions will be worthless, but one may just be a just what the (script) doctor ordered.