How to get my film on IMDB?

Will Vincent said:
Using withoutabox to apply will do this for you. ;)
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Well, yeah, I intended my statement to just be in agreement with what has been written, without having to specify each detail. But is it now every single fest through WAB will get you a listing? When I was making the festival rounds, it was only a select few that came with an automatic listing, simply by applying.
 
My understanding is that by using without a box you get listed, yes.. but I'm by no means an expert on IMDB.. I just found out I had a pre-existing entry before Phil's short when my name was added to it. Of course finding that out I immediately updated it to include photos... cuz really, why not. :)

I've since submit one other short, probably about the only other one that can qualify since it's played at two festivals (and won/placed at both).

But, yeah. This is me.. kinda cool to finally see myself listed there, though I don't think it carries any sort of promotional weight really.
 
Will Vincent said:
My understanding is that by using without a box you get listed, yes.. but I'm by no means an expert on IMDB.. I just found out I had a pre-existing entry before Phil's short when my name was added to it. Of course finding that out I immediately updated it to include photos... cuz really, why not. :)

I've since submit one other short, probably about the only other one that can qualify since it's played at two festivals (and won/placed at both).

But, yeah. This is me.. kinda cool to finally see myself listed there, though I don't think it carries any sort of promotional weight really.
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If you just did the free trial then your photo will only last 30 days then it will get deleted unforunately. (or 14 days whatever it is, I did my trial a year and a bit ago)
 
Will: you should see if you can add "Death Bed" to yours... I tried a few times after we got more and more screenings and official selection laurels, but it never was accepted by IMDB... no explanation ever either.
 
knightly said:
Will: you should see if you can add "Death Bed" to yours... I tried a few times after we got more and more screenings and official selection laurels, but it never was accepted by IMDB... no explanation ever either.
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That's strange, films of mine that weren't accepted they always sent me an email explaining why. Usually a lack of evidence that the film existed
 
I think IMDB isn't THAT important for your films. I wouldn't promote a film through IMDB, but it's nice to have a track record to your name.
 
I do think that IMDB is a good way of proving, especially to people outside the film community, that you have some serious experience. All my friends from the non-filmmaking world know and use IMDB, so it's a useful tool for conveying your experience to people who wouldn't necessarily know what to look for in a showreel, or even know what half the crew positions meant.
 
NickClapper said:
I do think that IMDB is a good way of proving, especially to people outside the film community, that you have some serious experience. All my friends from the non-filmmaking world know and use IMDB, so it's a useful tool for conveying your experience to people who wouldn't necessarily know what to look for in a showreel, or even know what half the crew positions meant.
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Yes, for yourself! I do believe it's great to have to make a point that you've got experience. But I don't think it's a tool to promote your film through!
 
Three or four years ago, before the WAB auto-add, knowing a film might potentially be on IMDB was a good way to get some class talent to come to our auditions. Actors would arrive with stars in their eyes and ask more questions about the potential IMDB credit than the rehearsals and shooting dates. They were concerned about building their IMDB credits because this was useful to them. Not so much anymore, now that it's largely automated and you can essentially pay to get a listing (de facto, by entering festivals through WAB).
 
It is possible withtout WAB though. I have three features on IMDB. I had to complete the first two, show them at a theatre, and prove it, in order to add them. With the one I'm shooting this summer, I submitted the info and they added it as in pre-production. Pretty easy. So finish a film, show it, and be able to prove it, and you can get and IMDB even if you don't do the festival thing.

Ironically, though, I could care less about having an IMDB. It means nothing to me. The actors like it and that's why I do it.
 
I absolutely agree with everyone saying that IMDB is not a way to promote your film.

I would add that actors are still very concerned with their IMDB credits, as I've received lots of different emails from actors asking when their IMDB credit will be up and a few signed to the film with the agreement that they would get an IMDB credit out of it. It's fair enough, because when I'm casting, I always have a look on IMDB to see their credits- feels a lot more verified than the casting websites where they input their own data.
 
Cracker Funk said:
I agree with Will Vincent in that an IMDB listing probably won't create much interest, in and of itself. There are some people who peruse new listings, but in honesty, I don't think a listing for somebody's first short is going to make it on there radar.
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It's a feature, not a short, but thanks for the input.

In general I'm going to have to disagree with most of you. Having lived in Los Angeles working in the film industry for the last several years, I've found that IMDb is always the quickest way to get your basic research about someone in the industry, whether you're just meeting them at a party, or you're about to have a business meeting and you want to brush up on their body of work.

As far as using IMDb as a promotional tool, I don't mean it as the end-all be-all solution, but it's an important tool to have. On the official site for my film, instead of designing a cheesy "cast & crew" link I think it would be better to just link to an official IMDb page.
 
moonshieldmedia said:
IMDb is always the quickest way to get your basic research about someone in the industry, whether you're just meeting them at a party, or you're about to have a business meeting and you want to brush up on their body of work.
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Well that again is looking at someone's resume, not their promotional material...


moonshieldmedia said:
On the official site for my film, instead of designing a cheesy "cast & crew" link I think it would be better to just link to an official IMDb page.
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Why could you not have a non-cheesy page, or list of cast & crew and link those names that do have IMDB entries to their respective IMDB pages, and then if/when the film itself is added to IMDB you could simply add a link to the IMDB entry for the film.


I get where you're coming from, truly I do... But I think you're still overestimating the importance of IMDB for an unfinished film. Especially if the producer/director/etc of that film is not an established person. If this would be the only entry for that person and there's no way for anyone to have seen the film yet, it's probably one of the least important things for you to be worried about because honestly having it listed on IMDB isn't likely to help you at all in that case.


Think of it this way, we're at a party in the Hollywood hills somewhere, and I've just met you. After meeting you I whip out my smartphone to pull you up on IMDB (unlikely I would bother, but you've indicated this is fairly accurate).. I find you, and you have a single entry on your IMDB page for a film that's in production, or post production.. Honestly, that doesn't do anything for my opinion of you one way or the other, unless you're trying to sell yourself as way more experienced (in which case it negatively impacts my opinion), and you still only have the one entry for a film I have no way of seeing (yet).


It just doesn't logically make sense that it would help you at all. If your actors are already listed, having another entry for a film in post production might be a little nice for them, but significantly less so than one for a film that's released, or in Pre/current/post production that has big names attached.
 
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Will Vincent said:
Think of it this way, we're at a party in the Hollywood hills somewhere, and I've just met you. After meeting you I whip out my smartphone to pull you up on IMDB (unlikely I would bother, but you've indicated this is fairly accurate).. I find you, and you have a single entry on your IMDB page for a film that's in production, or post production.. Honestly, that doesn't do anything for my opinion of you one way or the other, unless you're trying to sell yourself as way more experienced, and you still only have the one entry for a film I have no way of seeing (yet).


It just doesn't logically make sense that it would help you at all. If your actors are already listed, having another entry for a film in post production might be a little nice for them, but significantly less so than one for a film that's released, or in Pre/current/post production that has big names attached.
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This.

Simply being listed on IMDB isn't really much of an accomplishment. My dog is on IMDB. Nobody is really impressed that someone is merely on IMDB. It's the body of work that's impressive, not merely the listing.

That being said, if you really want a listing, why don't you just apply to apply to a fest that you have no intention of sending your film to? WAB has a search function for fests that automatically qualify an entrant for IMDB, regardless of whether you're accepted. So pony up the $40 entry fee, and just never send your film. As I mentioned before, eventually IMDB will contact you to see if you've met their qualifications, but that won't be for many months.
 
Good points Will and thanks for the suggestion Cracker.

Overall I still think having and IMDb credit is better than not having it and sooner is better than later, no matter how you spin it.

I might actually try reaching out to some popular film blogs first to see if they'd want to post something about the movie. Since my lead actor has a pretty decent fan following I do think my film qualifies as "of public interest" -- we'll see :)
 
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