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    Invelos Forums->General: General Discussion Page: 1 2 3 4 5  Previous   Next
Creating my own movie database with titles/cast/crew and everything
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DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorKulju
Registered: March 14, 2007
Finland Posts: 2,337
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You have many good points but I don't understand why to put so much effort on things you can already do with DVDP. If you like to catalog featurettes you can create child profiles for your movies. If you like to track who is speaking on commentary tracks, you can add them after movie credits, notes field doesn't have character limits so it can be basically used for what ever you like and so on...

I do agree that DVDP db should be "normalized" and I cannot understand why Ken desided to have character limit on Other Features field.

When you import the Cast & Crew data from IMDB you write them separate to tables with GUIDs and have internal linking of your own?
 Last edited: by Kulju
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorWinston Smith
Don't be discommodious
Registered: March 13, 2007
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In general I agree with martian. It would be nice if we could capture more specific info relative to special features, cast and crew...no way. Commentary specifics as you describe...uh uh. Titles of trailers, names of featurettes, some added specifics relative to subs, sure. Scraping data from IMDb, NO, not since I discovered just how inaccurate they.

Btw my guess is that your idea of normalized data has little to do with actual normalization. It sound like you base it on user interpreted data as opposed to simply dealing with the data and going from there.
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Billy Video
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorWinston Smith
Don't be discommodious
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Mark:

I love it. Roflmao
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Billy Video
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantmovie_madness
Registered: August 7, 2007
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Quoting Mark Harrison:
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Finally, IMDB is on-par with Satan for most users here.  Trying to convince them that IMDB data doesn't come from the pits of Hell is a pointless exercise.  But hey, if you like banging your head against the wall, go for it!


I used to think like they do, too, but over time my opinion has changed considerably... 

More on the accuracy of IMDB...  I always feel that the biggest likelihood for errors are those "uncredited" entries of cast and crew.  Somebody had to do that extra bit of research necessary to ascertain that someone who is not credited in a movie is actually in it.  But even so, I rarely find errors there.  As I said, I do pay attention to these things.  When I watch movies, especially those watched repeatedly, I often pay attention to minor characters, who are sometimes uncredited, then I go over to IMDb and see if they are listed.  Either they are missing, or they are listed correctly.  Rarely do I see an outright erroneous entry.
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantmovie_madness
Registered: August 7, 2007
Posts: 97
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Quoting Kulju:
Quote:
You have many good points but I don't understand why to put so much effort on things you can already do with DVDP. If you like to catalog featurettes you can create child profiles for your movies. If you like to track who is speaking on commentary tracks, you can add them after movie credits, notes field doesn't have character limits so it can be basically used for what ever you like and so on...

I do agree that DVDP db should be "normalized" and I cannot understand why Ken desided to have character limit on Other Features field.

When you import the Cast & Crew data from IMDB you write them separate to tables with GUIDs and have internal linking of your own?

It was precisely because it DIDN'T take me a lot of time that I did what I did (as mentioned in my first post).  As I said, I will give those plugins a try, but I don't really have high hopes.  Every third-party utility I've ever used always has a few things that I wish done differently.  With Python scripts, I have the option of modifying them to suit my needs.

I created a separate cast and crew table with the following fields: IMDb movie ID, line number, department, IMDB person ID, IMDb person name, role, notes.  "Line number" is the order the names are listed as shown on the website, with the more important actors listed first and so on.  "Notes" is that little text info in parentheses that you often see on the website, shown next to the actor.  E.g.  Christopher Plummer, Narrator (voice).  "Department" is the internal IMDb keyword that categorizes everyone in the credits: "cast", "producer", "director", "editor", etc.  This keyword is needed to retrieve data with the Python scripts. 

EDIT:  Regarding GUIDs, [IMDB movie ID]+[Line number] is the unique ID of this table.
 Last edited: by movie_madness
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorKulju
Registered: March 14, 2007
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Quoting Winston Smith:
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Btw my guess is that your idea of normalized data has little to do with actual normalization. It sound like you base it on user interpreted data as opposed to simply dealing with the data and going from there.

He get's it, you don't. In well designed and normalized DBs a piece of data exists only in one place. The point is reduction/elimination of redundant data. DVDP Cast & Crew is pretty far from it. Even when you have worked 25 years professionally with databases you can refresh the basics, from example, here.
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantmovie_madness
Registered: August 7, 2007
Posts: 97
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Quoting Winston Smith:
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In general I agree with martian. It would be nice if we could capture more specific info relative to special features, cast and crew...no way.

Surely you must find cast and crew useful.  As I said, there are important documentaries, short films, and the likes found in bonus features.  Films are films.  They don't lack any importance just because they appear in bonus features instead of a DVD of their own.

Quote:
Commentary specifics as you describe...uh uh. Titles of trailers, names of featurettes, some added specifics relative to subs, sure. Scraping data from IMDb, NO, not since I discovered just how inaccurate they.
As I said, DVDP has plenty of records with blank cast and crew and other incomplete info.  I have experienced way more instances of this than I have of erroneous IMDb entries.

Quote:
Btw my guess is that your idea of normalized data has little to do with actual normalization. It sound like you base it on user interpreted data as opposed to simply dealing with the data and going from there.

Well, normalization is really an art, not a science.  It really depends on the application and its purposes.  Mr. Ken Cole's decided that every disc must have its own movie details.  Maybe he thinks that there is the chance that a movie on one DVD edition may have differences compared to another DVD edition of the same movie.  Maybe one DVD edition is a truncated version from a public domain print, and another DVD edition is a complete, restored edition.  In fact, I know this HAS happened in some instances, but very rare.  So Mr. Cole has a valid reason for designing his database as such.  But I still want a *movie-centric* database, and not DVDP's disc-oriented design.
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantmovie_madness
Registered: August 7, 2007
Posts: 97
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Quoting Kulju:
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Quoting Winston Smith:
Quote:
Btw my guess is that your idea of normalized data has little to do with actual normalization. It sound like you base it on user interpreted data as opposed to simply dealing with the data and going from there.

He get's it, you don't. In well designed and normalized DBs a piece of data exists only in one place. The point is reduction/elimination of redundant data. DVDP Cast & Crew is pretty far from it. Even when you have worked 25 years professionally with databases you can refresh the basics, from example, here.

Well, it really depends on the application and its purposes, as I said, to determine how to go about normalizing a table.  For instance, you have a customer invoice table with customer's bill-to addresses.  You naturally do not put the actual addresses into this table.  You put them on a separate, normalized customer address table.  But think about this.  What if the customer is moving?  You have to ask yourself: do you want past invoices of this customer to contain their old address?  If you do, then you HAVE to put the address into the invoice table somehow.  That's why I said normalization is really an art; the DB designer can choose to adhere to it or not.  It all depends on real-world applications.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorWinston Smith
Don't be discommodious
Registered: March 13, 2007
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We dont think there are differences we KNOW there are between editions, believe it or not rightdown to cast and crew. I have absolutely zero interest in capturing cast and crew data forbonus features, if that floats your boat, then do it. Bit it doesnt work in profiler.

As for IMDb, dont even get me started. I have designed many databases the last 20 years. It is the worst pile os something I have ever seen.
ASSUME NOTHING!!!!!!
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Billy Video
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantmovie_madness
Registered: August 7, 2007
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Quoting Winston Smith:
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We dont think there are differences we KNOW there are between editions, believe it or not rightdown to cast and crew.

But you can still solve that with a normalized, movie-centric database: have TWO movie entries for the two different editions.  IMDb has something like this too: the original cut of "Superman II" and the 2006 Richard Donner's cut of "Superman II" are listed as two entries in IMDb.

Quote:
I have absolutely zero interest in capturing cast and crew data forbonus features, if that floats your boat, then do it. Bit it doesnt work in profiler.

But doesn't the cast and crew section in DVDP allow you add a heading?  You can add a heading to "label" a supplement (e.g. making-of doc), then add cast and crew under it.  My point is, I don't see how anyone would resist having this info in DVDP.  It would only help, not hurt.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorWinston Smith
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Over the years, many of them, I have seen very little  user interst in that level of detail. Like I said being able to capture the names featurettes yes, the minutia of castvand crew for same...no. Absolutely you create two different profiles, or more appropos, one for each and every release a title gets, the stories I could tell you.
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Billy Video
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorTheMadMartian
Alien with an attitude
Registered: March 13, 2007
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Quoting movie_madness:
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Some discs have very good supplements so you're missing out of them if you never look or listen to them, especially when you've already paid for them.

As a rule, I do not listen to audio commentaries.  I hate when people talk during a film at the theater, so have zero interest in listening to people talk during a film when watching it at home so I honestly don't care who is doing said commentary.
Quote:
E.g., the "Gone with the Wind" Blu-ray has one of the best making-of documentaries ever made, the 2-hour 1988 film "The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind", which has a long list of credits because many people, some of whom have since passed on, appear in it.  You don't think it's worthy to catalog this?

Since it is available on DVD, I am quite sure it has been catalogued in the database.  As I really have no interest in the actual film...I have seen it, have no interest in seeing it again, so don't own any version of it...I have less interest in the documentary so don't have an opinion as to whether or not it is worthy.
Quote:
Let's say you search your DVDP for something Susan Hayward appears in.  You likely won't be able to find out that she actually appears in "The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind".  There is an audition footage of her in it.  Wouldn't you be interested in knowing that??  I bet some people probably own "Gone with the Wind" blu-ray and don't even know it, especially when there's a huge amount of credits involved.  THAT'S the kind of the situation I don't want to be in.  I want to KNOW as much about my collection as I can.  This is not something in the "eye of the beholder".  I would think this is something we ALL want to do since we already PAID for the content we own.

You would think, but you would be wrong.  While I do watch the bonus content, I have no interest in profiling it so, yes, it is in the eye of the beholder.
No dictator, no invader can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever.
There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom.
Against this power, governments and tyrants and armies cannot stand.
The Centauri learned this lesson once.
We will teach it to them again.
Though it take a thousand years, we will be free.
- Citizen G'Kar
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantmovie_madness
Registered: August 7, 2007
Posts: 97
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Quoting TheMadMartian:
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Quoting movie_madness:
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E.g., the "Gone with the Wind" Blu-ray has one of the best making-of documentaries ever made, the 2-hour 1988 film "The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind", which has a long list of credits because many people, some of whom have since passed on, appear in it.  You don't think it's worthy to catalog this?

Since it is available on DVD, I am quite sure it has been catalogued in the database.  As I really have no interest in the actual film...I have seen it, have no interest in seeing it again, so don't own any version of it...I have less interest in the documentary so don't have an opinion as to whether or not it is worthy.

But what if you don't have that particular DVD?  If you only have the Gone with the Wind Blu-ray, then the documentary won't be in your DVDP collection at all.

Quote:
I hate when people talk during a film at the theater, so have zero interest in listening to people talk during a film when watching it at home so I honestly don't care who is doing said commentary.

Quote:
You would think, but you would be wrong.  While I do watch the bonus content, I have no interest in profiling it so, yes, it is in the eye of the beholder.

Your rationale for not wanting to hear audio commentaries is just too bizarre so I'll just leave it at that.  Ditto your non-answer answer of "You would think, but you would be wrong."  You seem to have unorthodox views in general so let's leave it at that.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorTheMadMartian
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Registered: March 13, 2007
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Quoting movie_madness:
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But what if you don't have that particular DVD?  If you only have the Gone with the Wind Blu-ray, then the documentary won't be in your DVDP collection at all.

That depends on how it is included in the set.  If it comes on its own disc, then it can be profiled under the Bonus Feature Film rule.  Again, not owning this set, I don't know which it is.
Quote:
Your rationale for not wanting to hear audio commentaries is just too bizarre so I'll just leave it at that.

So, because you don't agree with me you are going to leave it at an insult?    Let me be clear here, I watch a film to enjoy *gasp* the film.  If somone wants to tell me about the film in a featurette, I am fine with that, but I do not want to listen to someone talk while I am watching the film.  I don't care who they are or what they have to say.  I won't go so far as to call your enjoyment of listening to someone speak during a movie bizzare, but I have tried it and it isn't for me.
Quote:
Ditto your non-answer answer of "You would think, but you would be wrong."  You seem to have unorthodox views in general so let's leave it at that.

Seriously?  So let me see if I understand you here...because I don't like listening to audio commentaries, don't want to profile them or featurettes, my views are unorthodox?  Talk about bizarre rationale.
No dictator, no invader can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever.
There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom.
Against this power, governments and tyrants and armies cannot stand.
The Centauri learned this lesson once.
We will teach it to them again.
Though it take a thousand years, we will be free.
- Citizen G'Kar
 Last edited: by TheMadMartian
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorWinston Smith
Don't be discommodious
Registered: March 13, 2007
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Movie
As i already tried to explain. Is there interest in more specificity than we gave now relative to bonus content...yes. But in the 12 years I have worked with profiler you are the very first to make such a fuss over what level of specificity, I have never seen anyone go crazy about capturing all bonus content data. 12 years is a long time, shortly after the program started. More info is good, but you are overboard with it, and especially IMDB  I dont trust any of theirvdata for accuracy, it is all user interpreted and manipulated.
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Billy Video
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantMark Harrison
I like IMDB
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Quoting TheMadMartian:
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So, because you don't agree with me you are going to leave it at an insult?    Let me be clear here, I watch a film to enjoy *gasp* the film.  If somone wants to tell me about the film in a featurette, I am fine with that, but I do not want to listen to someone talk while I am watching the film.  I don't care who they are or what they have to say.  I won't go so far as to call your enjoyment of listening to someone speak during a movie bizzare, but I have tried it and it isn't for me.


To be fair to our Martian friend, I sort of agree with him.  I've listened to hundreds, if not thousands, of commentaries over the years.  And I'm tired of it.  I don't want to listen to people talking while the movie is playing.  I end up wanting to watch the movie instead.  I just don't find them that interesting.  There's been a few good ones along the way, but very few.  And none I would ever listen to again.

If I'm going to spend 2-3 hours listening to someone talk about a movie, I'd rather pull a new movie off the shelf and watch that instead.

The same goes with bonus material.  I used to go through everything! And after thousands of wasted hours, I've come to the conclusion that most bonus stuff is crap.  I've heard the same stories, seen the same tricks, etc.  There is good bonus material out there, but it's hiding in a sea of crap.  And I just don't care anymore.  No more will I watch a movie than invest another 5, 10, 20 or more hours into.  I've decided I have better things to do with my time.  I might do deleted / extended scenes (depending on my interest).  I'm a fan of gag reels still.  But the "making of" stuff? No, for the most part it's just the same old story with different actors.

I have no doubt that I'm missing out on some amazing bonus material.  No need to convince me of that! But these days, that's time I'd rather devote to other interests.

So I'm not opposed to additional data.  I'm a computer programmer.  I like data.  I'm just not putting in any additional effort to gather data I have little to no interest in.  5 years ago I would have been all over this.  Now, not so much.  If anything, I'm more attracted to the technical aspects than the gathering of data.  But that's just me.  Still, I think it's a fairly nifty accomplishment with your Python stuff.
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