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Wikipedia:WikiProject Films/Style guidelines
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The following is a style guide for those who edit Film-related articles under Wikipedia:WikiProject Films. This is only a guide, and may change depending on Wikipolicy or participant consensus. For other guidelines:
- See also: Help:Contents/Editing Wikipedia#Manual of Style
Naming conventions
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- If a non-film article already exists with the name of the film that you are trying to create an article for, disambiguate and use (film) in the title: Film Title (film).
- If a film article already exists with the name of the film that you are trying to create an article for, use (YEAR film) in the title: Film Title (YEAR film). Rename the already existing article's title and change it to Film Title (YEAR film) also.
Previously, both Film Title (film) and Film Title (movie) were accepted as film article names; however, this has since changed due to a talk page consensus in early July 2005. The correct title format is Film Title (film).
Infobox
The table to the right is the Infobox Film template for The Terminator. Note that the image has been removed, as Wikipedia fair use policy prohibits the use of fair use images outside the article namespace. Clicking edit on the right will enable you to view and copy the source text to use on film articles. If you have any questions or problems with this table, you can discuss them at Template talk:Infobox Film.
The parameters for the infobox can be found at Template:Infobox Film.
Image
The image presented in the table should ideally be a promotional style-A or teaser one-sheet (27" x 41") poster for the film. Failing that, a DVD or a video tape cover may be used. Posters can be found at various sites, including the Internet Movie Poster Awards ([1]) and the Internet Movie Database ([2], while DVD and video covers are available at Amazon.com ([3]) and Amazon.co.uk ([4]). A screenshot of the film's title card is also acceptable. For films that have multiple posters, limit the infobox poster to either the teaser (first run) or style-A (occasionally second run) version. If necessary, place earlier posters elsewhere in the article that would otherwise be replaced.
Once you have found a suitable image:
- Save it to your hard drive as a JPEG or PNG file. See preparing images for upload.
- Per fair use requirements, one of the image's dimensions shouldn't be larger then 300px. (ex. Image:Helicopterfight.jpg (400x211) or Image:Forrest gump.jpg (248x361)). You should be able to decrease the size of the image on most image-editing software programs.
- Upload it to the wiki at Special:Upload. See uploading images.
- On the file's description page, add a short description of the image (e.g. "A promotional film poster for The Terminator."), a source of where you found the image, the copyright holder (Warner Brothers, New Line Cinema, etc.), and an image copyright tag:
- A fair use rationale must be included or the image will be deleted. The rationale should state why the image should be included on the article. For movie posters, DVD covers, or VHS covers, you can use {{filmrationale}}, which includes a basic fair use rationale. For screenshots and other copyrighted images, a more detailed fair use rationale must be given.
- On the image line of the template, insert the image's filename. A short description can be included in the field image caption. The image size in the infobox is currently set to 200 pixels.
- image = Terminator.jpg
- caption = A promotional film poster for ''The Terminator''.]]
Example images that meet the criteria
Details
- For a full guidelines on filling the infobox, see Template:Infobox_Film
Cast and crew credits for most films are available at the Internet Movie Database, as is distribution, release date, language, runtime and budget information.
When scant information on the film is available, it is not essential to complete all fields in the infobox, or to insert an infobox on every film article.
Release dates
The film infobox is too small to reproduce the long lists of release dates provided by the Internet Movie Database. Release dates should therefore be restricted to the following:
- The film's earliest release, whether it was at a film festival or a public release.
- Its first release dates in majority English-speaking countries only (because this is the English Wikipedia); e.g., United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. In some cases, it may be necessary to distinguish between limited releases and later wide releases.
- Release dates in the country or countries that produced the film.
- In some cases, release dates in countries that are the subject of the film (e.g. Munich is not an Israeli film, but it is not trivial to know when it was released there).
Do not include the following in infoboxes. If desirable, they can instead be included in a separate section in the main body of the article (example):
- Release dates for every country in the world
- Screenings at film festivals (except for the film's very first screening; see above), as these are only seen by a small number of people
Some users like to use flag icons instead of country names. However, this should be avoided, as flags are less recognizable than country names. See Wikipedia:Manual of Style (flags) for a more detailed rationale.
Article body
The following are the standard article components of Wikipedia film articles.
Lead section
The lead section of an article serves both as a quick introduction to the film and a concise overview of the article itself, as per the Lead section style guideline.
More specifically, for a film article, the first paragraph of the lead section should cover the basics, such as the film's release year, alternate titles, genre(s), setting, country, stars, and director (and possibly writer, if significant). Other notable, verifiable facts about the film may also be included (e.g. "At the time of its release, it was the most expensive film ever made..."). It is not recommended that the phrase "award-winning" be used in the first sentence of the lead: it provides insufficient context to the reader, and subsequent paragraphs in the lead can detail the major awards or nominations received by the film.
The second (and remaining) paragraphs should be a brief treatment of the film's impact: whether critics liked the film (and why), whether it was a commercial success, whether sequels to or remakes of the film were produced, and whether it had any significant influence outside the world of film.
Plot
The plot description is a separate section (designated by ==Plot==) and is made self-contained, so plot details and actor names already mentioned in the lead or cast sections are repeated here. Plot summaries should be between 400 and 700 words and should not exceed 900 words unless there is a specific reason, such as a very complicated plot.
Concisely describe the basic premise of the film in a couple of sentences. Introduce key characters, with actors' names in parentheses after them (i.e. "Character (Actor)").
Then provide a more comprehensive plot summary, although the events of the film do not have to be written in the order in which they appear on screen (see Pulp Fiction for an example of a plot description for a film whose non-linear story line is described differently to enhance clarity). Include plot twists and a description of the ending, content which is often perceived as a "spoiler". Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not an advertisement, so spoilers should not be excluded or deleted under any circumstances; this would directly contradict the Wikipedia-wide content disclaimer. There are also other unacceptable alternatives which have been proposed in the past. In short, Wikipedia contains spoilers; please respect this policy. For guidelines on using (and not using) spoiler tags, see WP:SPOILER.
Plot summaries do not normally require citations; the film itself is the source, as the accuracy of the plot description can be verified by watching the film. Exceptions to this rule may apply to films containing plot details that are unclear or open to interpretation, in which case the various interpretations should be cited to reliable sources.
Background/Production
Included here should be a history of the film's background and development, such as how many studios, actors, directors and writers were involved with the project at one point or another. Continuing onto the production of the film, facts such as filming dates, budget figures, any noteworthy tidbits (such as delays, reshoots etc.) should be transformed into prose. Comments from the cast and crew are also welcomed.
Cast and crew information
Background information about the cast and crew should be provided, ideally as well-written prose. There are several ways to provide such information: Halloween contains "Writing", "Casting", "Direction" and "Music" subsections within the "Production" section, which uses brilliant prose to describe the casting and staffing decisions made, as well as discussing the reasons behind some of the cast decisions, the thoughts of the actors themselves about their roles, and some brief explorations of their careers before and after the film, e.g:
- The part of Dr. Sam Loomis was offered to Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee; both declined the part due to the low salary. English actor Pleasence—Carpenter's third choice—agreed to star. Pleasance has been called "John Carpenter's big landing." Pleasence's daughter supposedly saw Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 and liked it, thus encouraging her father to star in Halloween. Americans were already acquainted with Pleasence as the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice (1967).
Alternatively, Tenebrae (film) discusses "Production" in its own section, and provides the cast via the plot summary only. When a character is introduced in the plot summary, the actor playing that role is listed in parentheses immediately following the name of the character. The well-written prose enables the character to be introduced without breaking the flow of the plot, e.g:
- Tilde (Mirella D’Angelo), a beautiful lesbian journalist, is murdered at her home along with her lover. Later, Maria (Lara Wendel), the young daughter of Neal’s landlord, is bloodily hacked to death with an axe after stumbling into the killer's lair.
The key is to provide plenty of added value "behind the scenes" background production information, without simply re-iterating IMDB. Of course, some film articles will lend themselves to one style better than others.
Failing that, a cast list inserted into the body of the article may be appropriate, though some editors frown on lists inside articles. It should be longer than the list in the infobox, and, depending on the number of minor characters in the film, can be furnished with a dozen or more credits. Credits should be written in the "ACTOR as CHARACTER" format, but for credits where the character has not been mentioned in the plot section, a short summary of the importance and role of the character in the film would be necessary, e.g, an example from Witchfinder General (film):
- Robert Russell as John Stearne: Playing Hopkins’s thuggish assistant, Russell certainly looked the part. However, as filming progressed, Reeves found the actor’s high pitched voice unsuitable for such a rough character, and after production was completed he had all of his dialogue dubbed by another actor, Jack Lynn (who also appeared in a small role as an innkeeper).
Pertinent casting information might also be included in this section (or in production), and only then should bolding be used to make the credits stand out from the additional information. Try to avoid using the section as a repository for further "in-universe" that really belongs in the plot summary.
Major themes
Themes are unifying or dominant ideas and motifs in a film's elements (such as plot, dialogue, photography, and sound) conveying a position or message about life, society, and human nature. Most themes are implied rather than explicitly stated, regardless of whether their presence is the conscious intent of the producer, writer, or director. Inclusion of a treatment of a film's themes – well-sourced and cited to avoid original research – is encouraged since an article's value to a reader and its real-world context will be enhanced. A separate section is not required if it is more appropriate to place the material in the Production or Reception sections.
Release
Provide information on the film's release, expanding upon the information in the infobox where necessary. Do not include information on the film's release in every territory (see above). Include details of notable festival appearances, special screenings and setups (e.g. digital, IMAX), and significant release date changes, with sourced commentary where appropriate. Relevant marketing information can be included in this section, or in a subsection should the coverage warrant it. After the film's release, include the following information:
Theatrical
Provide a summary of the film's commercial performance. Report box office grosses in the film's national currency if possible. If sufficient coverage exists, it is recommended that this information is placed in a "Box office performance" or "Theatrical run" section. In addition to worldwide box office statistics, this section may detail specific results of opening weekends, results from different English-speaking territories, the number of theatres the film was released into, and audience demographics. Coverage of a notable opening in a country not of the film's origin may be included (e.g., an article on an American film set in China may include discussion of the film's performance in that country). Box office statistics can be sourced from dedicated tracking websites such as Box Office Mojo, The Numbers and Box Office Guru, or print publications such as Variety or The Hollywood Reporter. Determine a consensus from objective (retrospective if possible) sources about how a film performed and why.
Home media
If available, provide information on the film's release on home media, such as release dates, revenues, and other appropriate third-party coverage. The section may contain a summary of the extras included with the release, though excessive detail is to be avoided. If supported by filmmaker or third-party analysis, descriptions of deleted scenes included with the release should be placed in the "Production" section; the reason for the footage's removal is the relevant element, not the medium. Include an image of the medium's display case only if it is accompanied by critical commentary about the case itself.
Critical reception
Reliable sources should be used to determine how the film was received. For films, sources that are regarded as reliable are professional film critics, though notable persons or experts connected to the topics covered by the film may also be quoted. The use of print reviews is encouraged. Commentary should also be sought from reliable sources for critics' general consensus of the film. These will be more reliable in retrospect; closer to the release, review aggregate websites such as Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic should be cited for statistics pertaining to the ratio of positive to negative reviews. (Caution: reliable review statistics may not be available for older films. Appraise the sample size in conjunction with other reliable sources, using best judgment to determine consensus.) In order to maintain a neutral point of view, it is recommended to quote a reasonable balance of these reviews. This may not always be possible or desirable (e.g. films that have been almost universally acclaimed or panned), and best judgment should again be used.
It is recommended that reviews are used from the film's country of origin (e.g., Canadian reviews for a Canadian film, Australian reviews for an Australian film), though evaluations from several English-speaking territories are desirable. In the case of films not in the English language, the section should contain quotes translated into English from non-English reviews. For older films, seek reviews both from the period of the film's release and the present in order to determine if a film's initial critical reception varies from the reputation it has today. Do not quote comments from members of the general public (e.g. user comments from Amazon.com, the Internet Movie Database or personal blogs), as they are self-published and have no proven expertise or credibility in the field. Polls of the public carried out by a reliable source in an accredited manner may be used. Do not include user ratings submitted to websites such as the Internet Movie Database or Rotten Tomatoes, as they are vulnerable to vote stacking and demographic skew.
Documentaries
Documentaries present a special case, as they present themselves as recounters of fact. Therefore criticism of content ought to be included if it is presented with reasonable documentation and if there is evidence of public awareness of the controversy. Responses to such criticism should likewise be presented on the same basis. The existence of a public controversy ought to be acknowledged whatever can be said about it; the publicity is by nature citable, and omission creates the false impression that the subject matter is uncontroversial. Cite specific critics, not just "some people have criticized".
It is not the purpose of Wikipedia to act as an investigator of claims, though if criticisms are addressed by others, they should as well be cited.
Soundtrack
If the soundtrack does not have a separate article and is included in the film article use the WikiProject Albums' Track listing guideline.
References
In accordance with Wikipedia's verifiability policy, all articles should cite their sources. A variety of methods to present your references is available at Citing sources:Style and how-to, as well as an inline citations/footnoting system at Help:Footnotes. If you are unsure of how to use internet links as references, simply inserting the URL into square brackets at the end of the corresponding text (e.g. [http://www.google.com/] becomes [5]) is an adequate form of referencing the web, although providing the date on which you accessed the web page would enable other users of Wikipedia to retrieve it using the Wayback Machine, should the web link change or cease to function.
External links
Other article components
The sections listed above are the standard film sections and by no means should they act as limits to the content of film articles. Larger and more complex film articles would warrant additional sections, such as Music, Themes and Cultural significance.
Tagline
Even the Greatest of Taglines is Still Just a Marketing Gimmick
As a general rule don't include taglines in an article. "Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information". However, if a particular tagline was a significant part of the cultural influence of the film, create a section for it and describe its effects. For example, none of the many taglines for Wes Craven's New Nightmare deserve mention. On the other hand, discussing Jaws 2 without mentioning "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water..." would be a glaring omission. (You make the call... remember be bold.)
Trivia
Trivia may be a useful section in a film article, as it can serve as a "Miscellaneous" area for important facts (not just fan facts) that may not yet fit easily elsewhere. This is especially true for articles in early stages of development or about new releases. As the article matures, however, as per the Trivia sections style guideline, these items should be either moved to other sections of the article—preferably written using prose, not bullet points or lists—or removed entirely. Remember to include citations to reliable sources for any facts included in this section; otherwise they can be deleted.
Adaptations
Differences between a film adaptation and its source work(s) can be addressed by including text detailing the reasons for a change, its effect upon the production, and the reaction to it. This material should be placed within a relevant section of the article (e.g., Production, Themes, or Reception). Noting the differences between a film and its source work(s) without real-world context is discouraged. Creating a section which merely lists the differences is especially discouraged; while articles in the early stages of development (or about new releases) may contain information which does not easily fit elsewhere, this material should either be moved to the relevant section or removed entirely as the article matures.
Upcoming
Here are templates to add to the top of pages about things yet to happen:
Lists
Once an article has been created for a film, it can be entered into a number of lists to allow easier browsing for viewers. All films should be included in the Lists of films. Each film can be included in lists based on the alphabet, year, language, genre, location, etc. that a film can be included in.
Categories
The article should include categories at the bottom. At a minimum, year, country, language and genre categories should be included. It is best to keep them in alphabetical order for easier browsing. The generic categories, among others, are listed below for browsing. If the article title begins with "The" or "A", use {{DEFAULTSORT}} at the top of the list of categories in the article.
For example, you would add the following to the bottom of a page titled "The Movie" for an English-language American comedy film that came out in 2008:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Movie, The}}
[[Category:2008 films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:Comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
See also
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