TheTVDB Bible: Updated Guidelines, Policies, & Procedures (Updated July 23, 2020)

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Episode Images

• Dimensions: 640x360 pixels (HD 16:9 episode) or 640x480 pixels (SD 4:3 episode)
• Format: JPG
• Maximum size: 500kb
• Guidelines:
  • Each episode is limited to one image.
  • Use an official episode image when available. The image should be indicative of the content of the episode without revealing any spoilers.
  • Wherever possible, especially for newer series, the image should not contain the network watermark/logo.
  • The image should not be a title card, and ideally will have no writing on it whatsoever. The reason for this is that episode images are supposed to be language-agnostic.
  • For YouTube series, DO NOT just use the thumbnail image from the episode, unless there is NO writing on it whatsoever.
  • Of course, podcasts don't normally have screenshots, in the traditional way that TV series do. It's our preference that podcasts do not have episode images added, unless they have released official episode images, such as in the case of Criminal.
  • If an image on the site needs to be replaced, you will have to post a request in the forums for an admin to do so.
  • Images should be uploaded in their original aspect ratio if the show is 16:9 then that should be the ratio of the image, even if your local network broadcast it in 4:3.
  • Images shouldn't just be a title shot from the episode. We already know the episode's name, we don't need to see it again.

Actor & Character Images:

• Dimensions: 300x450 pixels
• Format: JPG
• Maximum size: 500kb
• Guidelines:
  • Character images should be an image of the actor in this specific role. If an animated series, this should be a photo of the character they voice, from the chest up — a picture of the voice actor can be added for the Actor Image. If an image is already set for this actor, uploading an image will replace the existing one.
    • For animated characters that are human (or at least, shaped like a human), we require their images to be a headshot. If an animated character is not large enough to be able to grab a headshot for (an example is Klaus from American Dad), you can add a photo that shows more of their body, or their entire body where applicable.
  • Each actor should also have one official actor image, which will be populated on a series or movie page in the event that there is no character image uploaded for their specific role.
  • Images should not be stretched in any way. If you can't find high-quality images that meet our requirements, please leave it for someone else to fill in.
  • There should be no writing on the actor images.
  • Images should ideally be headshots or stay above the waist.
  • Actors should not have hats, glasses (unless they wear them full-time), hands, props, or anything else in their photo. It should just be a clear shot of their face and chest, looking at the camera.
  • Images must take up the entire canvas; bars on the sides or top are not allowed.

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New Features 10/23/19

• TALENT AT THE EPISODE LEVEL – Writers, Directors, and Actors are now attached at the episode level, providing greater flexibility to show which pieces of talent were responsible for a single episode. To add a person at the episode level, please select the episode, and then hit “Add Person” to search for their profile. If one isn’t available, please create it. From here, please select the type of role the talent is responsible for including “actor, creator, crew, director, producer, writer, guest star.”
• ALIASES – We finally support aliases or akas, which will help search considerably. With known series (i.e. “Mayday” in Canada and “Air Crash Investigations” in the U.S.) please add the searchable aliases in the “edit translations” section under “aliases.”
• Genre – You’ll notice that we’ve added a few new categories in recent months including miniseries, romance, anime, and musical. Now you can filter by these genres.
• Networks – We’ve added the ability to filter by network and to drill down into a network’s programs.
• Countries – You can sort networks by countries using the countries in the drop down.
• NETWORK SEARCH – Users are now able to search by networks to see their programs. Please see the upper right top-hand nav and click on the hyperlink of the network.
• NAMING SEASONS – When a season has a particular name, (i.e. American Horror Story: Apocalypse, The Haunting of Bly Manor) please name it by going to the “edit translations.”

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POLICY UPDATES June/July 2020
Highlights of new/amended policies. Search the Bible below for full policy explanations.

• OVAs should always be entered in as a movie, no matter if they're related to a series, or a standalone series of OVAs.
• For Scripps series (Food Network, HGTV, etc.) we are going to use the "watch.network.com" sites (i.e. watch.foodnetwork.com instead of foodnetwork.com) for the Aired Order.
• Character photos for animated characters should still be headshots (chest-up), unless they are an oddly-shaped character (like Klaus from American Dad).
• For co-pros, any episodes beyond the initial season will use the Original Network for the air-dates, regardless of which production partner airs those seasons first.
• Dead pilots can now be added as movies, as long as they actually aired. These should be tagged as "Dead Pilot" in the taxonomy.
• Educational content is allowed to be added, with some structural requirements — see section below for details.

NEW FEATURES June/July 2020

• Certified Records — Moderators and admins now have the ability to Certify a record at the Series, Season, Episode, and Movie level. A Certified Record means that all of the data for that specific record has been manually vetted and approved, and prevents users from editing/adding any more info to the record. While it is rare, if you do see any errors or missing info on a record that has been Certified, please let us know.
• We have vastly expanded the amount of tags that can be applied to a Movie, Series, Actors, Characters, etc. Tags are a series of keywords or metadata descriptors that define factual and plot-based characteristics or traits of a particular entity, intended to provide both users and moderators with more of the descriptive tools they need to categorize content. You can see all of our newly added Tags & Tag Options, as well as suggest a new tag, here.
• You are now able to select "No Studio" for a movie in the Studio dropdown menu. For a movie that isn't attached to a studio, instead of leaving this field blank, you should instead select "No Studio" from the dropdown menu.