Best ECP designs

I was just thinking about this the other day. Whilst I totally agree that the credits shouldn't be talked over or squashed, I do think there are good ECP designs out there that lessen the blow.

The main annoyance of course about ECPs is that they make the credits smaller and so harder to read, especially on SDTV. However, ITV have gotten this right since 2002. They made a new end credit guideline where the credits would be centered and be static slides. This firstly makes it much easier to read the credits or at least pause them on a particular name. Secondly, they had to be in a particular frame. This meant that instead of squashing the credits, all ITV did was shift them to one side. Not reduced in size, just shifted. For example:



See how much better that is than this:



The scrolling text and the fact that the credits have been reduced to 1/4 screen makes it especially harder to read.

ITV have continued with this design until this day, except for on bigger programmes where the split screen is horizontal and not vertical, but just as readable. Certainly more professional than the BBC's current ECP design, which is now bigger, but looks a bit naff.

Arguably the biggest problem with the updated BBC design is it kind of shows why the credits themselves need to be standardised - they look fine for example on most dramas using white on black, but on something like EastEnders look quite awful. The 4:3 safe zones don't help with ECP designs either.

Both ITV designs are fine and easily the best designed ECPs in the UK, but the problem with ECPs across all channels in the UK is not so much the credits, it's that they're not really used to maximum effect for promotion - they're little more than a still screen just spelling out what is said in the voiceover. Even ITV's "lower third" (well, fifth) design more often than not seems to just be to link to a website, whilst the BBC usually just use a still image. If they insist on using them, use them properly.

It does seem to be the case now many channels have gone back to the system of the 90's of just reducing the credits to 1/4 screen (or less) - a problem standardised layouts was supposed to get rid of. Lower thirds is my preference, with a couple of pages of full screen credits just to close the show before the ECP kicks in.

I don't understand why ITV is maintaining two completely different designs. I wish they'd just stick with the lower fifth one.

The lower fifth design seems to be used on the bigger budget shows like Coronation Street or Paul O'Grady when it's good to have images over the credits, but it's a bit pointless doing doing it on shows like TV Burp - what would you show during the credits?

To me it's C4 who've had this right since day one by allowing designers to have whatever style and animation they like providing they stick to the left hand side. I always think credits should match the titles/graphics used in the programme rather than a generic one, a la ITV (although at least the black background is so generic it doesn't belong to a particular era)

Still, it's nice to see programmes occasionally get away without the rules - Lee Mack's Saturday night show being one of the latest ones where they scoll at the bottom over the end of the song. I guess because it's only the news that follows.

I see your point but the scrolling credits are harder to see especially on SDTV with motion blur, and their ECP seems to somehow slow down the actual video framerate making it look even worse. Not to mention the slug before the credits that as well as the slow-mo bug, also actually squashes the video to accommodate it - not to mention that ITV's black background doesn't get in the way of the credits or distract you from them with moving visuals in the background.

Another example of the breaking away of the credits could be the end of the last series of Newswipe. I also laughed at when Screenwipe showed a picture of someone's behind (shall we say!) over the end credits so you could imagine that the announcer was saying that!

I don't think the C4 one has worked as well though since the 2005 revamp when it switched from being the right third to the right half - especially as you have the 4:3 safe zone - wouldn't be so bad perhaps if the credits could use the entire left hand side. Also don't like the way it animates on/off now on C4 - and it's never been right since it was blue.

Whilst we're on the subject, I did like the way the recent drama Luther did its credits, inter-cutting them with clips from the next episode, meant no annoying ECP and it was rather effective as it gave you some mental breathing space between programmes.

BBC EPG is just a mess, the old one was not to bad but yeah ITV have got it right, I think the lower credit style on ITV 1 tends to be used on primetime shows like after 7pm etc.

STV have got to be the worst culprits for it, squeezing the credits right down to the bottom right hand corner so you can hardly read them.

I'd credit ITV if they changed the god-awful design of the credits. How do they get away with white text on a black background these days? It's so miserable! The example the OP used from the mid 00s was far better.

I think it's so it can easily look as though its part of the current black and yellow/gold sparkly dust ECP. Isn't there a shades of blue variation though? Like this one: