Imdb

[Joseph Piglet]

I'm curious if anyone knows any tricks to getting your movie listed on the internet movie database (www.imdb.com). I've submitted my movie to them at least 5 times, over the course of 2 years, but it's never been listed. Meanwhile I see other films listed, by lower budget filmmakers, who never even finished the film. Any stories from filmmakers about how you got yours listed?

[3ldfilms]

I was in the same boat. i tried several times and nothing.

Eventually one of my movies was listed because it played in a prominent festival BUT I WAS NOT LISTED AS DIRECTOR!

They included other people involved who were already on IMDB but not me!

Until my producer joined IMDB pro. Then, magically, the updates he submitted were listed within a week.

Do is IMDB giving heavily weighted preference to those who shell out $13/month for their service? Seems kind of suspicious to me.

You can always try registering for the 2 week IMDBpro free trial and see if it makes a difference.

If you do, please post back here so we can see if the conspiracy is true!

[Chris Gore]

I think it helps to have outside sources to support your listing. Believe it or not, I've even had trouble with them. If your film has played in a festival, or even if you have a web site online, that's a way for them to confirm the film actually exists. I've had some TV projects not listed because they were in pilot form. Even though they list pilots for many other individuals, mine don't seem to count.

Anyway, registering helps, having an official web site for your film helps, playing a festival that lists your film also helps. I was listed on IMDB in a small way, but here is what worked -- I paid $35 to get my photo posted, then suddenly, ALL my submissions were accepted and my IMDB listing began to grow. Yes, I think the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Shell out the dough, hell, it ain't a lot, and get on IMDB. For me, it's worth it. It shows I exist. And when I go for jobs, an exec can look me up on IMDB and see that I am for real.

It's just one of the many ways filmmakers are bled for cash. But, hey, it's the cost of a dinner, so skip a meal, bite the bullet and get listed. Frankly, it's worth every penny.

[sonnyboo]

The rule for getting into IMDB is listed pretty clearly in the submission page.
--------------------------------------------------

Eligibility rules {} For a work to be eligible for inclusion in the database it:

must be of general public interest and should be available to the public or have been available in the past.

It does not have to be a feature film. We accept most kinds of films/shows:

features

documentaries

experimental films

short films, but for the time being no commercials, video clips or music videos (these go to the biographical section under 'other works')

films made for the big screen, TV and video

TV series and mini series, but for now not individual TV series episodes.

video games

General public interest is assumed if a work...

has been released to cinemas

has been shown on non-local TV

has been released on video or prints have been made available to the public (but see exceptions below on limited distribution titles)

has been accepted and shown on film festivals that don't accept everything regardless of its quality

has been made by a (now) famous artist or person of public interest.

has become famous for some reason and is widely talked about/referenced in non-local media or the 'film community' or is now of general historic interest for some reason.





General public interest is NOT given if a work...

is of a strictly private nature (home movies)

is an amateur production made for local consumption by friends, family members and neighbours, the local school campus etc. (including "local access television")

has been digitized and put on some internet page for downloading (unless general public interest is assumed for one of the reasons stated above)

is being offered to the public on the web via home made video tape copies (unless general public interest is assumed for one of the reasons stated above)

has been made during/for a film class, workshop or any other educational program (unless general public interest is assumed for one of the reasons stated above)

has been made for a local institution (such as a university or company) for internal use (unless general public interest is assumed for one of the reasons stated above)

------------------------------------------

I got lucky, the reason I was able to get my movies listed was by having a distributor and playing at some choice festivals.

SEE : http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0743748/

* It also didn't hurt to list the FILM THREAT reviews...

[FilmDallas]

I have a filmmaking friend who has been making DV movies for a few years now. He would get limited local runs at local theaters for them and sell copies on his website, but the imdb would not list those films.... UNTIL he had one play at a festival (Dead Center Film Fest in Oklahoma), they listed that one, and then even went back and listed some previous stuff he'd done once that was in place.

I don't know, though, if it was merely the festival that did it because that movie also had someone who was already on the imdb for a previous local feature.

I just think it's funny that a local sports radio host is on the imdb as "Indians Fan" in Major League because he was in the crowd (along with about 50,000 other people) during a brief fly-over shot done at Cleveland Stadium (one of the few shots that was actually from Cleveland in the movie). But a friend of mine was an extra in The Rookie and can actually make out his knee in one shot, but he can't get listed.

I tried once to get one of my movies on there, but I've quit trying....I wonder, though, now that the star of that movie is on the imdb whether I could get it listed now.

[sonnyboo]

You could get added if one of your stars is now more famous from something else.

try it. Just one more time... I'd been trying for 3 years before I got through.

[FilmDallas]

Well, it's only been 2.5 years for me, so far. I just kind of thought that they'd never pay attention to something from 2001 now that it's about to be 2004. I thought I'd missed my window.

Perhaps not.

Since it's not all that difficult to try again, I imagine I might as well.

[AmyLynnBest]

I think Mike was able to list the Resuuraction Game the first time because Debbie Rochon was listed as an actress and she already had a listing on imdb. Severe Injuries took about 2 tries and about 2 weeks the second time. I've heard that it's all manually done and they do try to verify to make sure it's an actually movie & not someone trying to beef up their resume with fake listings.

[sonnyboo]

They do manually verify all new titles & all new names (IE writers/directors/actors)

[FilmDallas]

I resubmitted my first movie since the star of the movie now has other credits listed on the imdb, and I discovered that another of my actors is also on there now for other stuff.

So, I assume the chances are better now that it will be accepted, but I won't be heartbroken or anything if it isn't.

[JasonJolliff]

I first submitted info to the IMDb for the first feature film that I worked on, "Suspended Animation" (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0271809/combined)
I was an uncredited assistant editor. That submission did not kick in until about 5 weeks later. I was a bit surprised to see it accepted since it was my first credit on IMDb.
After that, I did a movie called ."Losers Lounge" (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0382816/combined)
It was months after my submission that I realized that they improved their system and I could actually check the status of anything that I submitted. I saw that we needed a play date at at least one theater. So I begged the theater that would be playing Losers Lounge to list the showdate on his website and then linked to that listing. I also bought a domain name from godaddy.com and forwarded it to movie info on my website. Those two things seemed to help. I also became an IMDbPro subscriber in there also. Ever since then, the submission process has become a breeze. However I am more inclined to think it is because it is because of my growing number of credits.
I also actively add photos to my listing ($$) so I'm sure that helps as well. Well worth the cash in my book. The IMDb is a great resource and tool.

I am actually shooting a movie partially about the IMDb. Click the links below to find out details.

[wim daniels]

Somebody posted the info for my first film, "The Keyman" and then when it came time to list the next movie, it went up in a few days, so I haven't had that problem.

The problem I have had with IMDB is changes/corrections. "Betty A. Buckley" helped me produce and she is not the actress, yet everytime I go to pull the Betty Buckley the actress off the producers list, it has never taken in a year, with about 4 tries.

I am registered, a IMDB Pro user, so I don't know what gives there. Here's my latest movie IMDB site: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339537/maindetails

Take care!

[Skip Winston]

We've been trying to get listed for about a year and a half. The only thing I think holding us back as far as I can tell is that our movie A) hasn't been shown in theaters or on TV, B) hasn't appeared in a festival or C) doesn't have major distribution. It's a direct-to-video release, so it won't appear in theaters, and it's not really a festival-type movie. It is however available to the public, as it is for sale or rent in multiple states. I guess it all just depends on if they decide to take you seriously.

[Gravy Train Fil]

One thing I find annoying...they clearly allow "CustomFlix[us] as a distribution company (it's one of the choices), yet I keep getting kicked back on my video release for the IMDB because they can't "verify" it from the link I provide.

Very irritating.

[Gravy Train Fil]

Clearly, the IMDB is not supportive of indie filmmakers trying to make it themselves, outside of the "validation" of the larger distributors and studios.

This was their response to me when I asked about self-distributed titles:

Generally speaking, we're looking for evidence someone is selling this film in a normal (i.e., not vanity press) distributor relation. CustomFlix does not count as independent for our purposes, though it is certainly a step up from making copies in your basement.

I'm glad that my film is a "vanity" thing. I'm glad I could spend three years and almost $10K on "vanity".

[Gravy Train Fil]

Whoohoo! One of our shorts finally got listed (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0404143/maindetails). Maybe this will make it easier to get our other work listed now..

[JasonJolliff]

Congrats!!!
Now get a poster and some publicity photos up there:-)

[Gravy Train Fil]

Aha...just noticed today that the IMDb listed another of my films (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407713/).

I think the fact that I am now a Pro subscriber helped. Of course, my name still hasn't been added...:)