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The resources department of the Films WikiProject provides a guide to finding information for sourcing articles, whether through online/print sources or members' personal libraries. Articles related to films need sources like any other Wikipedia article. Content must be verifiable. Editors writing articles in the scope of this project, may encounter some problems when finding sources, or citing them. This department aims to point out some possible resources that can be used to gather information.
In articles about films, citing the home video itself is often attractive. Wikipedia favors secondary sources, and the use of primary sources should be minimized. Films are primary sources in articles about themselves, especially for plot summaries. For a reader, who may not own or have access to the film, we should provide inline citations wherever possible, and enable readers to check the facts themselves when they do have access.
Researching a topic edit
Approaches to researching a film-related topic will vary by topic. For individual films, films released in the twenty-first century are more likely to have resources available online than earlier films. For example, there will be more online resources for a 2005 film than for a 1965 film. Films in general receive coverage from a wide range of publications. Periodicals (newspapers, magazines, etc.) are more contemporary in their coverage, and for films released around the turn of the twentieth century and beyond, periodicals sometimes make the coverage available on their websites. Books about films or containing chapters about films are published more in retrospect, though exceptions may include books about films' production published in conjunction with their theatrical releases. For example, the book The Spider-Man Chronicles: The Art and Making of Spider-Man 3 was published with the release of the 2007 film Spider-Man 3.
Films that are significant to the history of cinema or that have achieved a milestone in the film industry are more likely to have comprehensive coverage in print publications. The best resources to use are academic and peer-reviewed publications, which analyze films more comprehensively than most contemporary coverage. The resources are also best to use for film-related topics broader than individual films, such as film genres or film history. Resources used for individual films can also be used for broader film-related topics. For example, the article The Matrix should mention how the film was a milestone in the science fiction genre, and the article science fiction film should say the same in the most suitable capacity.
Editors can prepare a list of resources on the article's talk page or on a sub-page in their userspace, depending if they want to work on the article directly or work on a draft in their sandbox to import into the article later. Online resources can be accessed quickly; for websites that are subscription-based, use the BugMeNot Internet service to bypass registration. Print sources can be located in libraries or book stores. Editors may find it easier to access some periodicals through library databases rather than seek out physical copies.
Custom search engine edit
A programmed google search engine for the following resources is available here.
List of potential resources edit
Gauging whether a source is reliable or not is often difficult in the area of films. The following is a list of sources that have been established as reliable in the field of films per past consensus, except where otherwise noted. Please bring up all new additions on the talk page before posting them below.
Note: "Online access" refers to the publication's principal means of content delivery.
General edit
| Name | Online access | Type | Notes and limitations | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variety | link | General information, production details/budget figures, and reviews on films | Go to News archives become patchier deeper into the past | Penske Media Corporation |
| The Hollywood Reporter | link | General information, production details/budget figures, and reviews on films | Eldridge Industries | |
| Entertainment Weekly | link | General information, production details, and reviews on films and DVDs | All articles from publication's inception from 1990 | Dotdash Meredith |
| Deadline Hollywood | link | General information, production details/budget figures, and reviews on films | Penske Media Corporation | |
| Empire | link | General information and reviews on films and DVDs | Online site is primarily advert and forum for magazine | Bauer Media Group |
| Total Film | link | General information on films and DVDs | Online site requires paid subscription for archived reviews | Future plc |
| IndieWire | link | News, interviews, and reviews of independent films | Penske Media Corporation | |
| /Film | link | General information on films | Static Media | |
| TheWrap | link | General information on films | Subscription to WrapPro required for access to select content | Sharon Waxman (The Wrap News Inc.) |
| Filmmaker Magazine | link | News, interviews, and reviews of independent films | The Gotham Film & Media Institute | |
| Cineaste | link | Articles, interviews, and reviews of films/DVDs | Cinéaste Publishers | |
| Bright Lights Film Journal | link | Articles, interviews, and reviews of films | Gary Morris | |
| Ain't It Cool News | link | Articles and reviews | Dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and current films, television and comic projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, and action genres | Harry Knowles |
| ComingSoon.net | link | Articles, interviews and reviews | Mandatory |
Genres edit
Horror edit
| Name | Online access | Type | Notes and limitations | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinefantastique | link | Articles and reviews on fantasy, science fiction and horror films and DVDs | Site inactive since 2020; online archive limited | |
| Fangoria | link | General information on horror films and DVDs | Fangoria Publishing, LLC | |
| Bloody Disgusting | link | News for horror films and interviews | Cineverse | |
| Dread Central | link | News for horror films and interviews | Epic Pictures Group |
Production edit
| Name | Online access | Type | Notes and limitations | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Cinematographer | link | Articles on cinematography | Articles from 2001 issues missing from archive | American Society of Cinematographers |
| Camera Operator | link | Articles on camera operating, camera crew, equipment, and film production | Archives only contain selected articles from each issue | Society of Camera Operators |
| CgSociety.org | link | Articles and interviews about productions and visual effects. | ||
| Cinefex | link (archive) | Articles on visual effects | Requires payment to read print articles; defunct 2021 | |
| Film and Digital Times | link | Articles on equipment | Jon Fauer | |
| FXGuide | link | Articles on visual effects, news | fxguide, LLC | |
| GBCT Techs | link | Articles on British camera crews and production | Guild of British Camera Technicians | |
| ICG Magazine | link | Articles on camera crew, production, and equipment | Selected articles online; also contains some online-exclusive material | Local 600 International Cinematographers' Guild |
| VFX World | link | Articles on visual effects, news | Animation World Network | |
| Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook (KFTV) | link | Productions (filming dates) currently ongoing mainly in Europe/Asia; production news | Media Business Insight | |
| Ontario Film Commission | link | Productions (filming dates) currently ongoing in Ontario | Updated weekly | Ontario Media Development Corporation |
| Toronto Film & Television Office | link | Productions (filming dates) currently ongoing in Toronto | Updated weekly | |
| Creative BC Film Commission | link | Productions (filming dates) currently ongoing in Vancouver, British Columbia | Updated every few weeks | Creative BC Film Commission |
| Georgia Film Commission | link | Productions currently ongoing in Georgia | Updated every few weeks | Georgia Department of Economic Development |
| New Orleans Film Commission | link | Productions (filming dates) currently ongoing in New Orleans | Updated every few weeks | City of New Orleans |
| Film London | link | Productions currently ongoing in London | Updated regularly | |
| Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment | link | Productions currently ongoing in New York City | Updated every few weeks | Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting |
| Art of the Title | link | Title sequence information and interviews |
Box office edit
| Name | Online access | Type | Notes and limitations | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boxoffice Pro | link | Box office performance, home video sales, news, budget figures | Boxoffice.com is the official web presence of Boxoffice Pro magazine, a journal serving the exhibition industry since the silent era. Care should be exercised in regards to their budget figures, since it is not clear what they cover, and are usually inconsistent with other published budget figures; if you decide to use them in this capacity, it would be prudent to corroborate the data with another reliable source. | National Association of Theatre Owners |
| Box Office Mojo | link | Box office performance, home video sales, news, budget figures | IMDb a subsidiary of Amazon.com | |
| Lumiere | link | Database on admissions of films released in Europe | European Audiovisual Observatory | |
| The Numbers | link | Box office performance, home video sales, news, budget figures | Nash Information Services, LLC. |
Reception edit
| Name | Online access | Type | Notes and limitations | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotten Tomatoes | link | Critic's reviews on film and news | See Wikipedia:Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic | Fandango Media |
| Metacritic | link | Critic's reviews on films and DVDs | Fandom | |
| Academy Awards | link | Awards database | URL is dynamic; include parameters in notes | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |
Non-English resources edit
| Name | Online access | Type | Notes and limitations | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kritiker.se (Swedish) | link | Aggregate ratings, links to reviews and quotes | Very few reviews for older films, somewhat irregular updates | Marcus Hansson |
Soundtracks and video games edit
| Name | Online access | Type | Notes and limitations | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack.Net | link | Interviews, reviews, news, track listings | Sean Saulsbury (Autotelics, LLC.) | |
| AllMusic | link | Reviews, track listings | RhythmOne | |
| IGN | link | Interviews, video game information, | News archive goes up to 2000 | Ziff Davis |
Repository of resources edit
Databases edit
| Name | Online access | Coverage | Notes and limitations | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures | link | American films | Good for summary plot information; excellent for release date information; films from 1893–1993 have extra production details under "History" | American Film Institute |
| Baseline | link | Films, biographies, and box office gross | Subscription-only. Some data can be accessed through Hollywood.com. | Tribune Media Services |
| ProQuest | link | Reference database for media coverage of individual films | Subscription-only, but many public libraries have access | Clarivate |
| FilmReference.com | link | Books and articles about films |
|
Advameg, Inc. |
| Index to Motion Picture Credits | link | List of film credits | Provided by producers and distributors, and via research materials at the Margaret Herrick Library. Further background details available here. | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |
| Media Resources Center Movie Database | link | Print and DVD sources for films | University of California, Berkley | |
| Screenonline | link | British films and television shows | Free; subscription required for media downloads | British Film Institute |
| Variety Insight | link | Films, biographies, and box office gross | Subscription-only. Some data is freely accessible through Google searches. | Penske Media Corporation |
Books edit
| Series name | Website | Coverage | Notes and limitations | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BFI Filmstore Books & Magazines | Link | Books and magazines about film | Use books' details to find books at local libraries or book stores Click on "BFI Classics" for list of books about specific films (e.g., The Godfather) |
British Film Institute |
| Directors' Cuts | Link | Books about filmmakers | Books, in covering filmmakers, explore their films | Columbia University Press |
| Contemporary Film Directors | Link | Books about filmmakers | Books, in covering filmmakers, explore their films | University of Illinois Press |
| Philosophers on Film | Link | Books about specific films | Routledge Philosophy | |
| Directors on Directors | Link | Books about filmmakers | Books, in covering filmmakers, explore their films | Faber and Faber |
| Interviews (Conversations with Filmmakers Series) | Link | Books about filmmakers | Books, in covering filmmakers, explore their films | University Press of Mississippi |
| The Scarecrow Filmmakers | Link | Books about filmmakers | Books, in covering filmmakers, explore their films | Rowman & Littlefield |
| Rutgers Films in Print | Link | Books about films | Rutgers University Press | |
| BFI Film Classics | Link | Classic films | Macmillan | |
| BFI Screen Guides | Link | Top 100 films under different genres | ||
| British Film Makers | Link | Self-explanatory | ||
| Cinema and Society | Link | Self-explanatory | Examples: Shooting the Civil War, Hollywood's History Films, Film Propaganda | |
| Film – General | Link | |||
| Film History & Criticism | Link | |||
| Film Reference | Link | |||
| French Film Directors | Link | Self-explanatory | ||
| Inside Popular Film | Link | Examples: Interpreting Rock Movies, Defining Cult Movies, Realism and Popular Cinema | ||
| KINOfile | Link | European films | ||
| Spanish and Latin American Film | Link | Self-explanatory | ||
| Tauris World Cinema | Link | World cinema | Published by I.B. Tauris | |
| Turner Classic Movies British Film Guides | Link | Books about British films | ||
| Books in Film Studies | Link | Various film-related topics | University of Chicago Press | |
| Film & Drama | Link | Various film-related topics | Cambridge University Press |
Members' libraries edit
In addition to the vast array of sources available above that can be used for improving an article you are working on, below is a list of member's home video and print libraries. Members who have posted their libraries are willing to provide information about plot summaries, special features, print screenshots, and/or look up information to assist you. Keep in mind that members' lists may not always be accurate and to be polite in requesting assistance for information on an article. Send requests to the members' talk pages. Borrowing materials is entirely up to the editors, and discretion should be used. If you would like to add your library below make sure to mention any exclusions or areas you can help out with. For listing your libraries, either use external databases or create a subpage listing the media you own.
- Nehrams2020 (talk · contribs) Requests may take a while, depending on the task.
- DVD/Blu-ray Disc library – Over 290 DVDs on mostly action/drama/comedy ranging from mainly 1980-2000s. Willing to help with questions on special features, plot summaries, requested screenshots, or possibly anything else.
- Print library – I have copies of Entertainment Weekly from April 2007 to present (I may be missing a few issues). I also have access to a university database, which can help find older articles.
- MrDannyDoodah (talk · contribs)
- VHS/DVD Library, in particular Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks and other similar animations.
- Print Library - "Guinness Box Office Hits", which contains all number 1 films in the UK up to 1994 and which I would be willing to use to improve and extend the number 1 films in the UK pages if it legally possible to incorporate the data (not the actual book content just the list of number ones and their dates etc); I own several books on animated films and films in general.
- Secundus Zephyrus (talk · contribs)
- Digital access to back issues of Filmmaker Magazine going back to fall 2007.
- Ched (talk · contribs) Requests may take a while, depending on the task.
- DVD/Blu-Ray - over 1200 films 1930s - present (likely closer to 2K, but not much in the slasher or horror genre)
- User:Ched/movie-reference#Books
Questionable resources edit
- Blu-ray.com should not be used for its home video release information as its database is provided by its userbase and can be edited by anyone without any fact-checking.
- Comicbookmovie.com relies on user-submitted content and its use is strongly discouraged. However, many of its articles link to other sources that may be considered reliable. So consider using these sources instead. Exclusive interviews published on the website may also be considered reliable, especially if accompanied by audio or video.
- Fandom / Wikia sources are user-generated and should not be used.
- FilmAffinity, a social media site with a film database. The site has no clarification on how it is sourced or how their information is gathered and is predominantly a social media platform.
- IMDb content is mostly user-submitted and often subject to speculation, rumor, hoaxes, and inaccuracies. The use of the IMDb on Wikipedia as a sole reference is usually considered unacceptable and is discouraged. Its romanization of Chinese titles does not follow the standard. Reliable sourcing from established publications cannot be stressed enough. Anonymous or pseudonymous sources from online fansites are generally unacceptable. So, while itself discouraged as a source, IMDb might provide information leading editors to the preferable reliable sites.
- Wikipedia, non-English Wikipedias, and sites that mirror them, are not considered reliable sources for the content taken from the articles themselves, even when such articles are sourced by reliable sources. Use the sources instead. (WP:CIRCULAR, WP:COPYWITHIN.)