This page documents an English Wikipedia style guideline. It is a generally accepted standard that editors should attempt to follow, though it is best treated with common sense and the occasional exception. Any substantive edit to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page.

Shortcut: MOS:FILM

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

Main article: Wikipedia:Naming conventions (films)

• 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

Ideally, an image of the film's original theatrical release poster should be uploaded and added to the infobox to serve as an identifying image for the article. Poster images can be found at websites such as Internet Movie Poster Awards or Internet Movie Poster Database. If a poster image cannot be found for the film, or if the film did not have a theatrical release, then a cover image of the film's display case (VHS, DVD, etc.) may be used instead. Cover images can be found at commercial websites such as Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. In the absence of an appropriate poster or cover image, a screenshot of the film's title card may also be used. When replacing an existing image, upload the new image over the old image (where possible), and update the relevant details on the image description page. Click here to find instructions for uploading non-free images.

Once uploaded, place the file name of the image, e.g., FILM TITLE poster.jpg (or a similar description), in the image= field of the infobox, but do not include the Image: part of the file name. The image_size= field only needs to be filled if the width of the image is less than 200 pixels (the default image width used by the infobox); enter the actual width of the image, in pixels, so it is not stretched in the infobox. The caption= field should describe the image, i.e., identifying it as "Theatrical release poster" or "DVD cover"; repeating the title of the film here is not necessary. Below is an example of how to use the fields:

| name           = FILM TITLE
| image          = FILM TITLE VHS cover.jpg
| image_size     = 150
| caption        = VHS cover

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

{{Start date}} may be used, for the only or earliest date.

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..."). Avoid using the phrase "award-winning" in the opening sentence of the lead section, as it provides insufficient context to the reader. Instead, provide a short overview of any significant awards and honors later in the lead section.

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.

A good plot summary should stick to describing what happened in the film, and does not interpret the reactions or motivations of the characters, attempt to explain the significance of events, or speculate about the purpose of the filmmakers - such analysis belongs in Critical reception and must come from reliable sources.

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 well-written 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. Pleasence 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.

The image in the film article's infobox serves as cover art and identifies the topic. With this significant identification already in place, the inclusion of additional cover art must rationalized with a non-identification purpose. Additions can be used to illustrate secondary sources' coverage of the appearance of cover art and packaging. For an example, see Fight Club (film)#Home media.

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, such as CinemaScore, 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 [1]) 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

Titles

• {{imdb title|id=0088247|title=The Terminator}} gives
  • "The Terminator at the Internet Movie Database"
• {{tcmdb title|id=92566|title=The Terminator}} gives
  • "The Terminator at the TCM Movie Database"
• {{amg movie|id=1:49101|title=The Terminator}} gives
  • "The Terminator at Allmovie"
• {{rotten-tomatoes|id=terminator|title=The Terminator}} gives
  • "The Terminator at Rotten Tomatoes"
• {{metacritic film|id=terminator|title=The Terminator}} gives
  • The Terminator at Metacritic

• {{mojo title|id=terminator|title=The Terminator}} gives
  • The Terminator at Box Office Mojo

Names

• {{imdb name|id=0000881|name=Michael Bay}} gives
  • "Michael Bay at the Internet Movie Database"
• {{amg name|id=2:203853|name=Michael Bay}} gives
  • "Michael Bay at Allmovie"
• {{tcmdb name|id=11789|name=Michael Bay}} gives
  • "Michael Bay at the TCM Movie Database"

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.

Non-free images

Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia, so free images are preferred in its articles. Since the majority of films are copyrighted, it may be necessary to use non-free images in Wikipedia articles about films. These images need to meet Wikipedia's non-free content criteria and acceptable uses. The requirements are summarized below in the context of WikiProject Films, and steps are provided on how to upload a non-free image.

Usage

Non-free images used in film articles must meet Wikipedia's non-free content criteria. While all ten non-free content criteria must be met, three are the most pertinent to WikiProject Films:

1. No free equivalent. Non-free content is used only where no free equivalent is available, or could be created, that would serve the same encyclopedic purpose. Where possible, non-free content is transformed into free material instead of using a fair-use defense, or replaced with a freer alternative if one of acceptable quality is available; "acceptable quality" means a quality sufficient to serve the encyclopedic purpose. (As a quick test, before adding non-free content requiring a rationale, ask yourself: "Can this non-free content be replaced by a free version that has the same effect?" and "Could the subject be adequately conveyed by text without using the non-free content at all?" If the answer to either is yes, the non-free content probably does not meet this criterion.)
2. 1. Minimal usage. Multiple items of non-free content are not used if one item can convey equivalent significant information.
   2. Minimal extent of use. An entire work is not used if a portion will suffice. Low- rather than high-resolution/fidelity/bit rate is used (especially where the original could be used for deliberate copyright infringement). This rule also applies to the copy in the Image: namespace.
3. Significance. Non-free content is used only if its presence would significantly increase readers' understanding of the topic, and its omission would be detrimental to that understanding.

The content guidelines also list acceptable uses for non-free images, including two that are most relevant to WikiProject Films:

1. Film and television screen shots: For critical commentary and discussion of the cinema and television.
2. Other promotional material: Posters, programs, billboards, ads. For critical commentary.

Critical commentary and discussion of the film must come from reliable sources and not original research from the editors themselves. Critical commentary should be embedded in the body of the film article. A non-free image can be used to illustrate the target element of the critical commentary only if it cannot adequately be substituted by a free equivalent image or descriptive text. The non-free image should be significant in increasing the readers' understanding of the topic. Non-free images can illustrate technical and/or thematic aspects of the film. Examples include, but are not limited to: production design, makeup, costume design, camera technique, visual effects, lighting, and iconic shots.

Since a film article's "Plot" section contains descriptive claims about the information found in the primary source (the film) and not information found in reliable sources regarding the film, the section is not considered critical commentary or discussion of film. Thus, non-free images need to belong in other sections in which they can be supported by critical commentary.

Instructions

1. Save the non-free image to your hard drive as a JPEG or PNG file; see Wikipedia:Preparing images for upload. The image's name should include the film's title and a brief description of the image.
2. Per the fair use requirement of low resolution, one of the image's dimensions should only be a maximum of 300 pixels. Decrease the size of the image using an image-editing software program.
3. Upload the image to Wikipedia at Special:Upload; see Wikipedia:Uploading images.
4. On the image description page, write a brief description of the image, identify the copyright holder, and identify the source of the image (i.e., where you saved it from). Next, write a fair use rationale that justifies the usage of the image, explaining how the image is used in a way consistent with Wikipedia's non-free content criteria. See WP:NFC#Images to learn in what context usage of non-free images is acceptable and draft your rationale accordingly. The template {{Non-free use rationale}} can be used to fill in the details. Lastly, add an image copyright tag that pertains to the image:

• Posters: {{Non-free poster}}
• Video covers: {{Non-free video cover}}
• Screenshots: {{Non-free film screenshot}}
• Promotional shots: {{Non-free promotional}}
• Production stills: {{Non-free fair use in}}

Examples

• Theatrical posters: Image:Forrest Gump poster.jpg, Image:Aliens vs Predator Requiem poster.jpg, Image:The Deer Hunter poster.jpg
• Video covers: Image:Kings Go Forth DVD cover.jpg
• Screenshots: Image:Fight Club cigarette burn.jpg, Image:The Road bleak scenery.jpg

Free licence images

Free licence images can include filming locations, on-set photos, and photos of the cast and crew. Some older films may be in the public domain, and screenshots can be used in articles without fair use constraints. Older films still in copyright may have trailers in the public domain, and screenshots from these trailers can be freely used.

For filming locations, free images of a specific and mostly unchanged location in the film can illustrate the places used in a film's production. On-set photos showing production in process may be used if they are evidenced to have been released under an appropriate licence. The cast and crew can be photographed at the various premieres of the resulting film as well as any components of production on display (such as costumes or vehicles). If marketing materials are captured in freely released photos, caution must be exercised to ensure that they are not derivative works.

Linking dates

Months and days should generally not be linked, and years should be linked only when there is good reason - i.e., when the link provides the reader with a connection to additional information and context specifically related to the date that is linked. The template {{filmyear}}, or {{fy}}, is available to conveniently link to "Year in Film" articles but its use should not be indiscriminate. Generally, it should be used to link release dates of films and other significant film-related events.

Marketing

Films are marketed by their studios to different audiences, and a film's marketing campaign may be detailed in its Wikipedia article if reliable sources exist. Details may be contained in a "Release" section, a "Marketing" subsection within it, or a stand-alone "Marketing" section, depending on the amount of coverage available. Since films tend to be treated by studios as commercial products, care must be taken to provide a neutral point of view about a film's marketing campaign.

Topics that can be covered include target demographics, test screenings, release dates, scale of release (limited vs. wide), product placement, merchandising, marketing controversies, and contending for awards. Do not merely describe the content of customary marketing methods such as trailers, TV spots, radio ads, and posters. Instead, use reliable sources to provide useful commentary about a method, such as the filmmakers' intent with the presentation of a trailer or the audience's reported reaction to it. For example, the viral marketing campaign for Cloverfield began with an untitled teaser trailer that generated strong hype. For merchandising and other tie-ins, cite reliable sources to demonstrate relevance outside a studio's website(s) or shopping websites. An example is to include commentary about how a studio used product placement in the film to lower its production costs.

In the past, film articles have sometimes displayed taglines in the lead sections. Since taglines are generally a small part of a film's marketing campaign, they are usually too indiscriminate to belong in what is intended to be a concise overview of the film article. Exceptions may include famous taglines such as Jaws 2's "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water..." so use reliable sources to back claims to fame. If the tagline is not very famous but still considered relevant to a film's marketing, it can belong in the appropriate section of the article body.

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.

• Category:Films by year
• Category:Films by country
• Category:Films by language
• Category:Films by genre
• Category:Films by studio
• Category:Films by director
• Category:Films by geographic setting

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:2000s comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]

See also

• Wikipedia:Manual of Style (writing about fiction)
• Wikipedia:WikiProject Films/Templates seems to have been "lost" after creation. Good place for more film templates.
• Category:Film template pages
• Wikipedia:Notability (films)
• Wikipedia:WikiProject Films/Essay on writing film articles, old essay from meta that still applies

Index Of Related Pages

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