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    Invelos Forums->DVD Profiler: Contribution Discussion Page: 1 2  Previous   Next
Copying cast/crew from another profile
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DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorGSyren
Profiling since 2001
Registered: March 14, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
Sweden Posts: 4,508
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I have said this before, and I'll say it again. I don't think you should copy cast and crew from another profile without at least checking that it seems reasonably correct.

Case in point: Someone just copied cast from a 15 year old undocumented profile. It would only take a minute or two to see that the data doesn't even remotely match the actual credits. And it would take less that a minute more to see that it is a perfect match for IMDb.

Is it really too much to ask that people make just a teeny effort to verify that the copied data isn't total bull excrement?
My freeware tools for DVD Profiler users.
Gunnar
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorMad Rockatansky
I'm just here for the Gas
Registered: January 21, 2015
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Italy Posts: 2,133
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Exactly.
A little attention, it wouldn't hurt...
"Two days ago, I saw a vehicle that would haul that tanker. You want to get out of here? ...You talk to me."
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar Contributormreeder50
I was outta bullets
Registered: March 29, 2007
Reputation: Superior Rating
United States Posts: 2,713
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I'm of the same mind as you guys. I will copy from parent to children and vice versa then check the credits. And then if you have theatrical vs. Extended you definitely have to check all the credits. If the length of the credits are the same between parents and children, I will do some skimming.
Marty - Registered July 10, 2004, User since 2002.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributordee1959jay
Registered: March 19, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
Netherlands Posts: 6,014
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Agree with Gunnar. Nothing against copying, but only if it serves as a starting point only, to be followed by verification against the actual credits.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorRutan
Registered: March 14, 2007
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Australia Posts: 2,295
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Agree with Gunnar. Only as a starting point. Then recheck.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorGSyren
Profiling since 2001
Registered: March 14, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
Sweden Posts: 4,508
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It's not quite that simple since the rules clearly allow copying of cast and crew. Consider the following:

- Older movies are more likely to exist in different versions with different cast/crew than newer movies. Especially foreign movies, for example old Jess Franco movies.

- Older profiles are more likely to have IMDb sourced data than more recent profiles. This is especially true of profiles from the old Intervocative time.

Looking into my crystal ball I can see John Wick 3 being released some time from now in different formats (DVD, BD, 4K) and in different regions/countries. I'll probably get the UK Blu-ray. If I have to profile it, and there is already a US profile, here's what I would do.

I would go to the end credits and check the cast. Does the profile seem to have them in the correct order? Does the profile seem to have the correct role names? IMDb often embellishes the role name; full name where the actual credits only have first or last name, descriptions where the actual credits don't have them ( like "Sam, the cab driver" where the actual credit is just "Sam").

If everything looks OK then I'm liable to trust the profile, especially if I see dividers, which IMDb does not support, or if the profile has been submitted by a user I trust.

So, what I'm asking is that we should at least do some basic checking before copying data. If things look the least suspicious, use the tools of your choice to verify the cast and crew. Personally I (obviously) use CastCrewCheck to help me with that task, using data either copied from the profile, or harvested from IMDb using DJs CastCrewEdit, as a starting point.
My freeware tools for DVD Profiler users.
Gunnar
 Last edited: by GSyren
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorNexus the Sixth
Contributor since 2002
Registered: March 13, 2007
Reputation: High Rating
Sweden Posts: 3,188
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We can mope about this all we want in the forums but the reality is most people just want something that is simple to use. It would help things a lot more if Profiler used one set of cast and crew per movie instead of dozens which share no interconnections or updates.
First registered: February 15, 2002
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorCubbyUps
Registered: March 14, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 4,245
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Quoting iPatsa:
Quote:
We can mope about this all we want in the forums but the reality is most people just want something that is simple to use. It would help things a lot more if Profiler used one set of cast and crew per movie instead of dozens which share no interconnections or updates.



Agreed, but allow for differences in regions for cast differences due to languages or restored/special editions and the like.

But having a main profile that could be downloaded for all profiles and be the basis of a starting point would save a lot of time and could also improve the accuracy of the database too.

But the question is how would we go about doing this.
1. Would we vote on a profile as the most accurate?
2. Or would we create a manual profile and submit it and have others improve it so it becomes the best profile possible?
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorGSyren
Profiling since 2001
Registered: March 14, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
Sweden Posts: 4,508
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Quoting iPatsa:
Quote:
We can mope about this all we want in the forums but the reality is most people just want something that is simple to use. It would help things a lot more if Profiler used one set of cast and crew per movie instead of dozens which share no interconnections or updates.

Yeah, but let's be realistic. That's not going to happen. 
My freeware tools for DVD Profiler users.
Gunnar
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorCubbyUps
Registered: March 14, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 4,245
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Quoting GSyren:
Quote:
Quoting iPatsa:
Quote:
We can mope about this all we want in the forums but the reality is most people just want something that is simple to use. It would help things a lot more if Profiler used one set of cast and crew per movie instead of dozens which share no interconnections or updates.

Yeah, but let's be realistic. That's not going to happen. 


Sad, but fairly sure it was hinted, by Invelos itself, that a major change to the way cast/crew was done
Sadly, it appears nothing ever came of it.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributorrdodolak
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Superior Rating
United States Posts: 1,598
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I don't remember the title, but within the last few months when adding a new Blu-ray profile I came across an older DVD release with credits that did not match the credits on the Blu-ray.  It had been a long time since the last update to the DVD profile as well.  Suffice to say, I decided not to clone and then verify the cast and crew from the DVD, but chose instead to start from scratch from the Blu-ray credits due to the vast differences.  I also did not update the DVD cast and crew since I did not have the DVD in hand to verify the credits at the time.

Quoting iPatsa:
Quote:
We can mope about this all we want in the forums but the reality is most people just want something that is simple to use. It would help things a lot more if Profiler used one set of cast and crew per movie instead of dozens which share no interconnections or updates.


The same could be said for alternate Disc IDs simply for the sake of different cover art.  It would be nice if there was one Disc ID profile and specifics which aren't related to the disc itself weren't stored with the disc profile (e.g. cover art, overview, etc.).  But what we're left with is a fragmented database.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributorrdodolak
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Superior Rating
United States Posts: 1,598
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Quoting CubbyUps:
Quote:
Sad, but fairly sure it was hinted, by Invelos itself, that a major change to the way cast/crew was done
Sadly, it appears nothing ever came of it.


They also mentioned alternate cover art for releases which were identical (not the same as alternate versions) which never came to fruition.  Let's not mention DVD Profiler Online (DPO). 
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorGSyren
Profiling since 2001
Registered: March 14, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
Sweden Posts: 4,508
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Here is a little tip:

If you see "Cast and crew copied from [UPC]" in the contribution notes and you want to know what the contribution notes for the copied profile says, you don't have to go through hoops to find those notes. Just copy this URL to your browser:

http://www.invelos.com/Forums.aspx?task=contributionnotes&type=DVD&ProfileUPC=

and add the desired UPC at the end.

If you don't see any mention of the source for cast and crew, be suspicious. Be very suspicious.
My freeware tools for DVD Profiler users.
Gunnar
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorSpaceFreakMicha
Jesus-Freak
Registered: March 13, 2007
Reputation: High Rating
Germany Posts: 1,774
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I wish the rules would be changed to allow copying only, when Disc-IDs match. This would eliminate the problem with copying credits when there are different masters used.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantPlooker
Registered: March 25, 2007
Norway Posts: 1
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While I can understand the wish for people to be at least a little thorough when adding titles, I think the decline in physical sales have started to show in the DVD Profiler database, at least in my part of the world (I'm in Norway). More and more often I find that I have to add a title from scratch, with all the work it entails. And since time is limited, the profiles often ends up with less info than I wanted.

I think having high standards of what needs to be added is great, but the more time it takes adding a title, the less likely it is that it will show up in a reasonable amount of time, if at all. Copying from other profiles is great to make sure a profile isn't barebones, but expecting users to go through a lengthy process to make sure the profile they're copying is correct is probably more than most people want to do. Just checking that it's not completely wrong, sure, but sitting down and going through the credits for example is something very few users would be willing to do.

Now I may of course be wrong about this, but I think most users are interested in the title, ccover and synopsis, while the rest is just icing, so the easier to add a profile the better. I know I'd rather have a few errors in the profile, or even a barebones one, than nothing at all.
 Last edited: by Plooker
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar Contributormreeder50
I was outta bullets
Registered: March 29, 2007
Reputation: Superior Rating
United States Posts: 2,713
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Quoting plooker:
Quote:
While I can understand...

I agree with some of what you are saying, but personally I love data...the more the better. In fact sometimes I tend to go to far and shot down. I love physical media and this program. Yes, I wish it would get some updates, but pound for pound it's still the best thing out there, because of the things you can do locally. This is my hobby and I love taking all the time it requires to go through profiles from top to bottom.

Bare bones is better than nothing and can at least give a starting point for someone who wants to continue filling it in.
Marty - Registered July 10, 2004, User since 2002.
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