A movie title generator suggests title ideas for a film or script. Choose a genre, add a keyword from your story if you like, and this tool combines title patterns that work in that genre with words that fit it, ten titles at a time.
How to use the movie title generator
- Choose a genre, or any genre for a mix.
- Optionally type one word from your story: an object, a place, an animal, a season.
- Generate, copy the titles that make you curious, and say them aloud as if pitching.
What makes a good film title
- It promises a genre. A horror title should feel cold before anyone reads the logline; a comedy title can wink.
- It's specific. A concrete noun beats an abstract one. A title built on one object or place gives a poster designer something to work with.
- It's easy to say and to search. If people can't spell it after hearing it, they can't find it.
- It isn't taken. Search the title with the word film or movie before you commit. Titles generally can't be protected by copyright, but sharing one with a known film confuses audiences and search results.
Working title or final title?
Most scripts go out with a working title and change it later. Pick something good enough to carry the script through readers and contests; you can rename the project at any point. Put it on a proper title page and keep the logline next to it.
How to test a title before you commit
- Say it in a sentence: "Have you seen ___?" If it's awkward to say, it will be awkward to recommend.
- Search it with the word film. If an existing film, book or game owns the first page of results, pick another.
- Read it next to the logline. The title should promise the same genre and tone the logline does.
- Picture it as one line on a poster or a streaming tile. Four short words survive a thumbnail; a long sentence doesn't.
- Ask two people what kind of story they expect from the title alone. If both are wrong in the same way, the title is pointing somewhere else.
Title patterns by genre
| Genre | Patterns that recur |
|---|---|
| Horror | A place or object with a threat: "The ___ in the ___", "Night of the ___" |
| Thriller | A short noun phrase with tension: "The Last ___", "___ Point" |
| Romance | Time, place and longing: "___ in ___", "Every ___" |
| Comedy | A character or situation with a hook: "___'s Big ___" |
| Science fiction | A system, signal or place: "The ___ Protocol", "Beyond ___" |
Need the story first? The plot generator builds a premise by genre, and the logline generator turns it into one sentence.
Questions
Are the generated titles original?
They are combinations of patterns and words, so most are new, but a short title from any film title generator can match an existing film by chance. Search any title before using it publicly.
Can I copyright a movie title?
Generally no; titles are too short for copyright protection. A title can be protected as a trademark in some cases, such as a film series, so check before you build a brand on one.
How long should a movie title be?
Usually one to four words. Longer titles work when they are distinctive or funny, but short titles are easier to remember, search and fit on a poster.
How do I use the keyword field?
Type one word from your story, such as "lighthouse". It will appear in place of a noun in some of the titles, so the ideas start from your own material.