Beware giving things temporary names unless you really like them – they could wind up being permanent! Last week’s roundup post included an article on how world wide web was only ever intended as a ‘working title’. Luckily, it was appropriate, everyone liked it and it stuck, but things could have been very different.
It’s like movies – they generally start life with one title, and finish up with another. Imagine, though, if the working titles had stuck – Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Planet Ice (Titanic); Jar Jar’s Big Adventure (Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones).
Using an uninspiring name can be an intentional ploy to divert interest or prevent spoilers of the movie, or it can just be a case of describing the movie you’re working on. Snakes on a Plane was meant to be released as Pacific Air Flight 121, but producers were convinced to leave it, as the new title was too bland. That’s true, but to me the original (and ultimate) name is also supremely unimaginative and it put me right off – if that’s the best they could do on the title, how bad’s the film going to be!
So, it may be temporary, but make it count!
Email this Post
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by First Edition Trans, Macmillan Dictionary. Macmillan Dictionary said: There's more to a name than you think. http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/a-rose-by-any-other-name […]