Inter Title
Created on : January 4, 2024 11:15
Denotation
In films, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of 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".
Description
In the film industry, an "inter-title" refers to a piece of text or a card that is inserted between scenes or shots in a silent film. Silent films which were prevalent in the early days of cinema before the advent of synchronized sound, relied heavily on visual storytelling. Since there was no dialogue spoken by the characters, inter-titles of the film played a crucial role in conveying essential information to the audience.
Inter-titles typically displayed dialogue, narration or explanations to help the viewer’s understand the plot of a film, character motivations or key developments in the story. These cards were intercut with the visual sequences and served as a bridge between scenes, enhancing the overall narrative coherence. The text on inter-titles was often accompanied by artistic typography or illustrations to add a visual element to the storytelling.
As technology advanced and synchronized sound became a standard feature in films, the need for inter-titles diminished. However, they remain a distinctive characteristic of silent cinema and an important historical aspect of film language and storytelling.