This is the first edition in a new regular series where I attempt to answer your questions about the film industry. We’ll be taking a look at the box office, forgotten Hollywood landmarks, the marketing process and more. Sometimes I’ll attempt to answer the question myself, and other times I will contact experts in the particular field to give a more detailed answer. Please feel free to send your questions to orfilms@gmail.com. I decided to start off this series with an easier question, and use it as a jumping-off point to delve into the more complex world of screen credits.
AND and &
The first question I saw on Twitter from my friend NewBeverlyJulia:
“So on the Tintin posters it has Steven Moffat AND @edgarwright but Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish. Why does 1 get an “AND” and the other a “&”?”
The answer to that specific question is pretty simple:
The word AND is used when two screenwriters worked separately, and the ampersand (&) is used when screenwriters worked as a team. In the case of Tintin, Steven Moffat finished a first draft of the script in 2007, before the Writers Guild of America strike. Moffat become executive producer of Doctor Who as the strike came to a halt leading Spielberg and Jackson to find writers to write additional drafts. Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish worked as a team on those drafts. While the basic story structure remained close to Moffat’s initial draft, Wright and Cornish added enough to also earn credit on the production.
