What makes a professional title screen?

Does any one know what makes a professional title screen? One example would be something like the title screen from the Valkyrie Stories. I have GIMP right now and I'm trying to make one.

A good title screen is original and fits with the game (title) i guess... Just make sure it looks good!

I understand that, what I mean is how to make it look professional. You know with all the cool effects.

"Professional" is a broad term. A better idea would be to find a style that works for you and run with it.

For me, I have an odd love of title screens that appear to take place in the world itself. Observe the title screen for my off-and-on project:



For all intents and purposes, it's just another map. The girl sitting on the bench enforces this. (There are also butterflies and squirrels and birds floating about, but it's hard to capture that using Print Screen.) It's my style, though, so that's how I do things.

Experiment a little and you'll find your on way or something.

Wow that looks great, may be a map with fog or something would look nice. In fact I may give that a try.

Would it be possible to have it panning over an active map? That would be awesome.. for a title screen, and in cut scenes!

Actually I`ve seen atleast two of them.