Wikipedia:WikiProject Film/Resources

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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

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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

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A programmed google search engine for the following resources is available here.

List of potential resources

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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

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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

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Horror

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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

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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

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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
The Numbers link Box office performance, home video sales, news, budget figures Nash Information Services, LLC.
Lumiere link Database on admissions of films released in Europe European Audiovisual Observatory

Reception

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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

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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

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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

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Databases

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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
  1. Resources only exist for older films
  2. Not a reliable source for article use; use only for research purposes
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

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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 British Film Makers
Cinema and Society Link Cinema and Society 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 French Film Directors
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 Spanish and Latin American Film
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

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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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Secundus Zephyrus (talk · contribs)
  4. Ched (talk · contribs) Requests may take a while, depending on the task.

Questionable resources

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  • 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.)