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

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

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

List of potential resources

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

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

Horror

Further information: Wikipedia:WikiProject Horror/Sources

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

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

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

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

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

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

Databases

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	Resources only exist for older films 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

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

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)
   • Digital access to back issues of Filmmaker Magazine going back to fall 2007.
4. 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

See also: WP:USERG and WP:Citing IMDb

• 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.)