Film Career · Post-Production
Title Designer
Post-Production · Varies
- Union
- Varies
- Day rate
- ~$500–$1,200/day
- Experience
- 0–2 yrs
What does a Title Designer do?
Title designers create the opening sequence and end crawl, work that ranges from typography over picture to fully produced main-title films. The craft sits between graphic design and filmmaking, and a strong main title can define a show's identity.
What does a Title Designer make?
- Day rate about $500-$1,200 freelance, or $10K-$75K+ flat for a main-title sequence, roughly $70K-$160K a year.
- Creative main-title work pays far above routine end-crawl and lower-thirds.
Film work is gig based, so crew are paid a day or weekly rate rather than a salary. These are realistic 2024-2025 ranges grounded in union rate cards and industry data; actual pay swings with budget tier, market, overtime, and reputation.
Sources & how we estimate pay
Union scale is the floor; the ranges above also reflect market day rates above scale. They are grounded in the following 2024–2025 sources:
Union rate cards & wage schedules
Official guild scale — the floor each craft is paid from.
- IATSE — 2024 Basic Agreement wage scales (PDF) ↗
- IATSE Local 600 (International Cinematographers Guild) — camera rate cards ↗
- DGA — minimum salary rate cards (director, unit production manager, assistant directors) ↗
- WGA — schedule of minimums (writers) ↗
- SAG-AFTRA — theatrical & background rate sheets (cast, stunts, background) ↗
- Teamsters Local 399 — basic feature wage rates, 2024–27 (transportation, locations, wranglers) (PDF) ↗
On the job
- Design main titles that set the film's visual thesis
- Build end crawls to contractual and guild specifications
- Direct or produce title sequences when the design demands it
- Deliver type-safe versions across formats and platforms
You’ll like and be good at this job if:
Hard skills
- You have graphic-design and motion skills
- You can design type and title sequences
Soft skills
- You have a feel for tone and mood
- You collaborate with directors on style
Career progression
Title designers come from motion design and graphic design studios; several dedicated title houses dominate high-end work. Designers build reels of sequences and rise from studio artist to creative lead.
A typical path, from entry to the top of the craft. Times are rough and vary by market, luck, and how steadily the work comes.
- Production Assistant· 0-2 yrs
~$35K–$55K/yr
- Title Designeryou are here· craft peak
~$70K–$160K/yr
How do you become a Title Designer?
Motion design skills plus typography obsession is the profile. Spec title sequences for existing films are a legitimate portfolio move in this niche, and the title houses watch design communities for exactly that work.
Covered by a union? The joining a film union guide explains how each one takes members.