MiembroRavenspine

Nombre verdadero

Sylak

Sobre mi biblioteca

This is my video library.
It may also contain books and magazines; such as in the case of DVDs where copies of the original book or screenplay come packed together - however in such cases it is more likely that I would have listed any such items separately on my other LT account which I reserve for books and ephemera only. In these cases a link will be made under work-to-work relationships.

Why I have chosen to list my video collection on LT.

(It was a long decision that took time to consider, in fact a good few years).
LT is still very much a book cataloguing site as far as I am concerned. But, over the past few years I have gradually changed my view of the site in terms of other media.
This decision has been aided by the fact that I would not be alone - there is already arguably a strong media presence on the site in terms of audio recordings (vinyl records, CDs and on-line access), as well as video. Tim Spalding even has video films listed on his own account - and he's the company's founder!

Personally, I still think it daft to list items of clothing or furniture on the site - but each to their own I guess. However, I have slowly been brought around to the concept of listing films and other recordings on the site.

It is a slippery slope, but here is the quick progression of facts (five questions I asked myself) which helped change my previous philosophy on the subject of cataloging films on LT.

Q1. Are books on the site defined as printed matter only?
A. No (e-books and other media are accepted)

Q2. Should audiobooks be classed as books?
A. Yes - spoken word replaces text (in the case of opera it is even sung!).

Q3. Can film scripts be catalogued on the site.
A. Absolutely (as paperbound, e-book or *other media types)

Q4. In regard to film scripts (*) does the actual film itself constitute another media type?
A. Yes. See answer to Q2.

Q5. Does this set a precedent to allow all video.
A. Yes few films are made without a script or screen play and fewer still without any words at all (as mentioned in the answer to Q2 if opera be accepted then a precedent already exists to allow other media including performance on video).

Another fact I considered was that; ever since DVD replaced Video Tape, it has become standard to include options on every DVD to view text on screen. Turning each DVD into a book with pictures that move!

Once all the facts above are considered, it becomes obvious that this is a justified and correct course of action.

The other options

Previously, I had tried listing my video collection on other sites (including Take11.com - which has ties to LT via it's own founder who is also a LT member) but, either they failed to be what I was looking for, or collapsed after a few years.
LT may not be a film cataloguing site like mymovies.dk (Which I gave serious consideration to, but which ultimately I rejected since it does not allow the user to select other media types such as videotape or 8 & 16mm film); but, LT does offer the stability and longevity I am looking for above all else (there is nothing worse than investing time and resources into a site that ultimately fails not far down the line).

The other benefit of listing video on LT is (as mentioned above) the possibility to link bundled books and magazine attachments as separate items with their own unconnected listings (as in original novels or script books bundled with 'special edition' copies of certain films) linked through work-to-work relationships on the main 'book' page.

Collections

I use collections to group certain films. I am getting around to organising my collections and tags more constructively; but, for the moment some things listed as collections should probably be tags and vice-versa.

Tags - a brief overview

Tags are essential when searching my video library for something to watch as it enables me to pick films in a more structured way than simply looking at spine titles on a shelf.

film genres horror, or science-fiction for example.
boxed set Individual films can be hidden within director's boxed sets - I found this a problem when looking for an individual film title.
Firstly, there are two types of boxed sets:
The first type are standard retail tapes or discs bundled together in a slipcase. So, I split each one, on the site, and list them seperatly - problem solved.
The second type is more tricky; collectors boxed sets - films sharing one box; so, these I have to list as one item. I try to list all the films contained within on the title line itself, but this is limited to 512 characters; so, I also list each film in comments. That way when I do a search by film title, the boxed set shows up.
Languages = Unless stated otherwise English is the default language. e.g. French language, means this is the main language of the film. French dub, just means it is available in spoken French too. I don't have a tag for subtitles because it is not an issue for me.
black & white = films shot solely in monochrome.
b&w and colour = films which incorporate both mediums (Rumble Fish, Wings of Desire, etc.)
Region codes = Bah! A horrible idea! Some films are not released in my country (e.g. Snowpiercer, Beyond the Black Rainbow, etc.) forcing me to buy from overseas. I list all regions supported by my discs. Mainly to avoid inserting discs into the wrong drive which would result in locking up my machine. This is an ongoing problem.
slipcase = A DVD with a removable carboard slipcase.

All things considered, this is my personal best option.
Real world libraries also stock videos and sound recordings by the way. ;)

TinyCat

Until TinyCat came along laying hand on one of my 500 DVD boxes not to mention my video tape collection was a memory game that was getting harder to win all the time! But now not only can I keep track of books and videos I may have lent out; but I can also log where they are situated in my own house 'Livingroom bookcases', 'Bedroom shelves', 'Box no.01 in the loft' etc.

Sobre mí

I love books. But, I love films too. This does not make me a bad person. ;)

I am in the process of cataloguing our home recreational viewing media.
Many years ago unhappy with the way TV licensing was being *managed, and also disillusioned by the way the BBC was being run, and in the wake of Operation Yewtree, we felt that as a family we could no longer support the organisation that we had respected since childhood and in protest chose to withdraw from televised services.

Since then our already substantial video collection has taken on gigantic proportions!
Things had got to the stage where it was often taking us 45mins to find something to watch or we were unable to locate a chosen title at all. On more than one occasion I purchased duplicate DVDs out of forgetfulness.
Something had to be done!

Personally, I'm a fan of avant-garde cinema, experimental animation, documentaries (on almost anything!), science-fiction (especially focusing on time-travel), horror (vampires, zombies and werewolves), and French cinema. If you look hard enough you will find them in my collection. ;)

Our film collection comprises of many DVDs - mostly in the standard European format of region 2. Any Blu-ray discs we own will have come as duel DVD packs.
In 2017 we managed to Jerry-rig a remote DVD drive, patch cabled to our screen, and set to region 1, in order to expand our access to cinema and 'made for TV' series unobtainable in Europe.

We also have many programmes still on video tape in formats VHS and SECAM.

*When we first enquired about exclusion from paying a TV licence (back in the 1990s) because we did not view live services, wanting only to own a TV to view pre-recorded video cassettes, we were informed that the TV licence was to do with owning a television set period!
A few years later we were told that owning a computer with internet connection required a TV licence.
Reluctantly we conceded and paid licensing fees for the next 20 years, admittedly signing up to Cable TV along the way.
When we eventually had enough of the degrading standards in programming fuelled by Reality TV shows and unimaginative and repetetive TV show formats, as well as ignorant values upheld by certain stations such as an unwillingness to Show black and white films anymore (some of the best films ever made)... we were further given the run around by the BBC licensing bureau who provided the usual unhelpful, obstructive and misinformed advice. To top it all, when we finally relinquished our licence we were threatened with further action in two years if we failed to inform them that we still did not require a licence. Something we have no intention of doing.

Membresías

TinyCat

Actualmente leyendo

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Stargate: The DVD Collection [SG1 seasons 1-10 | Stargate Atlantis seasons 1-3] Complete Collection DVDs 1 - 90 + Children of the Gods (TV movie) por Brad Wright

Babylon 5 The Ultimate Collection | DVD | PAL | Region 2 por J. Michael Straczynski

Autores Favoritos

Michael Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, Bourvil, Guillermo del Toro, Fernandel, Terry Gilliam, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Glen A. Larson, David Lynch

Conexiones de miembros

Amigos

Sylak

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