The Movie Database Support
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Content contributions guidelines?
posted by TempetSTAFFMOD on February 20, 2017 at 9:20 PM
One of the FAQs said that TMDb can be thought of as being like Wikipedia, but for movies/tv: based on user contributions.
Two essential questions:
What are the acceptable sources for content data here?
What kind of quality control is in place to verify the accuracy of data that users are contributing? I'm sure mistakes are easily caught for very high-profile productions (as in Game of Thrones, the latest Star Wars, or recent Academy Award Best Picture nominees), but what about for the more obscure older films or low-budget, independent, arthouse-type fare?
Reply by Marr 🇳🇱
on February 20, 2017 at 9:36 PM
When a mod stumbles across an entry, he/she can lock the data which basically means it's verified. But sometimes it's still wrong (only human!) so if you think you notice a little mistake, be sure to hit the report function and tell us about it :).
In the near-future, there will be some sort of "contribution bible" with detailed guidelines and tips&tricks about contributing on TMDb!
For now, acceptable sources are press releases/EPKs (Electronic Press Kit) - unless is obviously a spelling error (so don't add Jennifer Lowrence when we know it should be Jennifer Lawrence, haha!). You can also check the official website for the TV show/movie/production company.
Don't blindly rely on third-party websites such as TVDb/IMDb/Wikipedia. I guess this is about it.
Reply by Tempet
on February 20, 2017 at 9:43 PM
OK.
How about for much older productions (many of which predate the Internet)?
Reply by Marr 🇳🇱
on February 20, 2017 at 9:47 PM
Ooof. That can be hard. It depends, if a trailer or screencapture of it uploaded on youtube or somewhere, you can always try to watch it, to see the main credits. If you (extreme rare) have the DVD/VHS yourself, you can check that out for data. Look on websites of the main actors (if they are alive), or try out fansites/wikis and their sources, search the internet for people blogging/reviewing it. Maybe it's been remastered and screened on some festival, then you can check that out.
It kind of depends, whatever you can find that seems reliable!