New Movie Portal - ideas/suggestions/thoughts

Started by Private User on Sunday, January 25, 2015
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Private User
1/25/2015 at 1:20 PM

I have started a new Movie Portal: http://www.geni.com/projects/Movie-Portal/24281 and it has been suggested that we start a discussion here to make sure we can get people's thoughts, ideas, suggestions etc.

I understand there may be some angst about starting projects for individual movies, but I'd like to take this option for several reasons:

- It's easy to 'lose' profiles when there are large numbers in the project, especially when there is no search function or list available (for example, the entertainment industry people project has over 1,700 profiles and you have to scroll through every page to see who is there, or isn't).
- Smaller projects will bring greater focus and be more inclusive - by including the directors and producers etc
- It will bring greater meaning to the individual profiles - the projects they are included in will be more specific
- It will help us to uncover less known actors and actresses - each of them have helped contribute to the industry, not just the most famous.
- Eventually, the smaller projects can be useful in seeing how people that have worked closely together are related.

1/25/2015 at 1:32 PM

Private User I applaud you initiative to make all these individual profiles more accessible and meaningful when in context.

1/25/2015 at 1:37 PM

Is the project limited to Hollywood movies, or open to Foreign movies and actors too?

Private User
1/25/2015 at 1:42 PM

Here are a couple of my concerns:
* having actors in dozens of individual movie projects will flood out the master/portal/umbrella projects, obscuring them (imagine Tom Cruz added to 100+ movie projects?!)
* Geni shouldn't be a copy of Wikipedia, so making a project for each movie with a synopsis and detailed cast is overkill and should be left to Wikipedia and IMDB

Maybe not the best solution, but this what what I came up with for TV shows:
http://www.geni.com/projects/American-television-actors/10227

So my recommendation would be to create something similar on the about pages of the Entertainment industry people and its subprojects, like Film actors and Film directors.

Private User
1/25/2015 at 1:52 PM

Malka Mysels - the portal would not be limited to American. I also agree, the profiles have a lot more meaning when given greater context.

Private User - I appreciate your concerns. The individual movie pages would not be too detailed, people can visit wikipedia and IMDB for much more detail. Only a few sentences on what the movie is about as well as the directors, producers, cast etc would be listed - I like using lists so I know who is actually in the project at a glance instead of having to scroll through pages and pages. I also like being able to navigate through Geni and find a lot of useful information without having to go to external sites all the time.
- I appreciate some profiles will be in dozens of profiles, but I still think this approach provides a lot more meaning then just being lumped into a large overall project that doesn't provide much meaning (except they were an actor/actress) - what did that actor/actress do? What have they achieved? Who have they worked with? How does their piece of the puzzle fit with every other piece? - higher personalization.

The world and society is a complex and highly integrated thing. I don't see any problem with creating many more projects with more specific context and integrate them all together appropriately. Help to see what society has created rather than keeping it at such a high level.

Private User
1/25/2015 at 2:16 PM

Nathan, I agree that listing casts is interesting and useful, which is why I did so on the TV project, but I disagree in the method you're employing. Can you hold off on adding more projects until we get some more ideas and opinions from others?

Private User
1/25/2015 at 2:17 PM

I suppose I can hold off for a bit........ ;-)

1/25/2015 at 3:52 PM

Hello to all, in the Discussion Round.

I find the idea, as a good one, but I totally agree with the overflow issue, as Victar has so exceptionally described.
Seeing as there are currently, projects on Geni, for Entertainment Business Notables: i.e. Producers, Directors etc., as well as the American Movie Actors and American TV Actors projects...
Possibly, simply the addition of an Euro- Cinema Actors (and their Euro- Cinema Business Notables, as a pendant and Euro- TV Actors, as sub- projects), Asian Cinema Actors (and their Entertainment Business notables and Asian TV Actors, as a pendant sub- projects.), Russian Cinema Actors (sub- project for Russian Entertainmant Business Notables and TV), Continent for Continent... etc. etc. would be a more compact (and managable) format, to feature that which may be lacking still, for this/these Topic(s) and their respective profiles, which would be added to them, on Geni. (naturally, some few profiles, may cross over, into the entire spectrum of these projects... but, my estimate is, these wouldn´t be that numerous, as to cause a hinderness.)

More detailed information, should indeed be added to each individuals own profile´s, "about" section: What their total accomplishments are/were, Film/TV show titles and airing channels, external links to Wiki/IMBD etc. and their names listed/hot linked from A - Z on the "project´s or sub- project´s front page". (As Victar, has also, aptly noted, "The Tom Cruise", example, was truly self explanitory.)
I do not wish to designate myself here, in any way, shape or form, as an expert on the subject: "Project organiziation", just my "two cents" and that is what, par what I could extract, from the previous discussion thread, was being requested.
In the hope that it helps, "round out", that 100%

xoxoxoxoTheresa Renée

1/25/2015 at 4:16 PM

Afterthought: there are also, already: "Forgotten actresses", "Forgotten actors" etc- projects, to boot, on Geni... to help raise more awareness, for the lesser famous, of the Genre, as well as, "The Brat Pack" and the recently initiated: "Entertainment Biz Families" projects to enhance association. Possibly, a sub- project(s), something to the likes of, "Frequent Film Collaborations" or "Frequent Co-Stars", would "fit the bill". And a "Director's Choice" project (to sub- order those who frequestly worked together.) ?

Private User
1/25/2015 at 4:34 PM

Thanks for the feedback and thoughts. Although I still think that deepening some of those larger projects (especially as they grow larger) is a good idea, perhaps this can be revisited at a later stage.

In the mean time, I'll continue to make use of the projects already in use (american film actors etc).

1/26/2015 at 1:02 PM

No need to hold off completely, I think... I would really, go ahead and begin developing, the idea. As IT is a good ONE! :-)
Just, sort of kind of see where maybe, the over flow to the Master/Portal/umbrella projects can be limited, to some extent. (As Victar mentioned), by utilizing Victar's- American Television Actors project, possibly, as a "set up" guidline, you're sure to be on the right track.

Hi and good Day, Nathan.m

I, personally, fancy the idea of Movie Actors by Continent, as I suggesteded earlier, yesterday. (As we know, there are some, for some areas, already in place. Just project search: "Actors" and "Film" and "Cinema" and "Movie", to Get the overview on which projects are already in place, but possibly not yet, added as "related projects" to Main "Entertainment Industry Notables" and "Entertainment Industry People", projects .) and making thorough additions, to each ones Geni profile, concerning their individual achievments/movie title lists/links etc..
I also, wanted to add a correction to one of my previous comments, the newly initiated project was called- "Show Business Families", not "Entertainment Biz Families", regarding groups of individuals, who are related (by marriage, as well) and often seen as, greatly influencing the Industry.
There is also, a "Movie Directors" project in place, which may again, offer you some good ideas for the sub- ordering of your own great idea.

xoxoxoTheresa Renée

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