CreditsTutorial by
YingYong, mr3urious, Hb1290, LogoFun13-YT, and Compooper
Editions by
LogicSmash, mr3urious, Shadeed A. Kelly, kidinbed,jrStudios, and Logohub
YingYong, mr3urious, Hb1290, LogoFun13-YT, and Compooper
Editions by
LogicSmash, mr3urious, Shadeed A. Kelly, kidinbed,jrStudios, and Logohub
AVID:Tutorials
From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum
Our goal at AVID is to document as many company identities as possible, and how you can help, is by writing articles for the wiki. This tutorial is designed to give users a rundown of how articles on AVID should be formatted, as well as comprehensive descriptions on page elements you may run into.
New to MediaWiki?
No problem! If you need help learning the features of the MediaWiki editing system, please refer to MediaWiki Help. This will give you a quick guide on how to edit on the MediaWiki system. This manual may not be needed if users are already familiar with editing on Wikipedia, FANDOM, ShoutWiki, or other Miraheze wikis.
Articles on AVID use a standard format. In order, the article formatting elements used are:
- Credits - Credits should be added to all new pages. It informs the reader the users worked on the article they're reading. *
- Infobox - A template that summarizes the company's background. Useful for articles of larger studios.
- Lead Section - A crash course on the company's history. This may prove more helpful than infoboxes, in certain scenarios. *
- Table of Contents - Helps for easier navigation in an article. Three different types are presented.
- Header - Shows the time period the logo was used between, as well as where it is placed chronologically. *
- Gallery - Where images and videos of the logo are displayed. *
- Description Sections - The most important part of any article, this format has mostly stayed the same for over 20 years. *
- Final Note - If a company no longer exists, this short description essentially explains the fate of the company and how it went defunct.
- External Links - Add supplementary material about the company's history.
- Chronology - Links companies to its successors (and/or predecessors).
- Navboxes - A small box at the bottom of the page which allows for easy navigation between pages.
- Categories - Where articles with a common trait or topic are placed for sorting. *
Any elements tagged with "*" are required on all pages.
Credits
See AVID:Adding Credits for guidelines on how to add credits. An example is provided below:
Descriptions by
The people who wrote the descriptions for the logos.
Captures by
The people whose image captures are included on the page.
Editions by
The people who made small edits to the page over time.
Video captures courtesy of
The people whose videos are included in the page.
The people who wrote the descriptions for the logos.
Captures by
The people whose image captures are included on the page.
Editions by
The people who made small edits to the page over time.
Video captures courtesy of
The people whose videos are included in the page.
The following syntax was used:
{{PageCredits|description=The people who wrote the descriptions for the logos.|capture=The people whose image captures are included on the page.|video=The people whose videos are included in the page.|edits=The people who made small edits to the page over time.}}
Infobox
(optional element)
Infoboxes are used to give the reader bite-sized information about the company being described in the article. Remember, not all articles have infoboxes, as some companies do not have sufficient information to warrant it.
Example
|
|---|
|
|
Lead Section
This is the lead section. The paragraph you type here will describe the history of the company whose logos you're describing. Talk about information such as who founded the company, when it was founded, the company that owns it, any subsidiaries they have, its reputation, and more. It's a good section to write for those who may not know about the company's backstory. Remember, it is required to bold any company name the first time it is mentioned. Also, if the section needs to be split into multiple paragraphs, you are able to do so. If a movie or a television series is mentioned in the description, you may add a link to it on the Opening Sequences & Closings Archive (OSCA). If very little about the company is known, then a simple statement such as "(Company name) is a (country name) film production company" or something similar may suffice alongside adding a {{CompanyInvestigation}} tag, provided there is actually very little information on the Internet. Do not put any headers in this section.
For more obscure or non-English companies, it is recommended to search film databases or the company name in their native language and/or script.
Example
|
|---|
|
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television studio owned by Paramount Skydance Corporation. A member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), it is the second oldest-running American film studio (second only to Universal Pictures), and one of the "Big Five" Hollywood studios, alongside Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and The Walt Disney Studios; it is also the only remaining member of the "Big Five" located within the city limits of Los Angeles. Paramount Pictures was founded on May 8, 1914 by William Wadsworth Hodkinson, who also conceived the studio's original logo featuring 27 stars encircling a mountain (the number of stars was reduced to 22 in 1967). On June 28, 1916, Paramount combined its operations with the Famous Players Film Company (founded in 1912 by Adolph Zukor) and the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company (founded in 1913 by Jesse L. Lasky) to form the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, although it continued to use the Paramount Pictures name for its film business. On April 1, 1927, the company's legal name was changed to Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation; on April 24, 1930, it was again changed to Paramount Publix Corporation. In 1935, after the studio re-emerged from bankruptcy, its legal name was changed to Paramount Pictures Inc. On January 1, 1950, in the aftermath of the landmark Supreme Court case United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., which forced Hollywood studios to divest themselves of their movie theater holdings, Paramount changed its legal name to Paramount Pictures Corporation after relinquishing control of the United Paramount Theaters chain. On March 24, 1966, Paramount was acquired by Gulf+Western Industries; as part of the acquisition, Lucille Ball's Desilu Productions and its associated studio lot were brought under Paramount's control, and on December 29, 1967, Desilu was renamed Paramount Television. On June 5, 1989, as part of a corporate restructuring, Gulf+Western changed its name to Paramount Communications. On March 11, 1994, Paramount Communications was merged with Viacom. On December 31, 2005, Viacom split into two companies: one retaining its original name (inheriting Paramount, MTV Networks and BET Networks) and the other being named CBS Corporation (inheriting Paramount's television production and distribution arms, currently known as CBS Studios, CBS Media Ventures and Paramount Global Content Distribution, respectively), with both companies owned by National Amusements. Television rights to Paramount's library are currently handled by Trifecta Entertainment & Media. On March 4, 2013, Paramount relaunched its Paramount Television division (known as Paramount Television Studios from 2020 to 2024). On August 13, 2019, it was announced that Viacom and CBS would reunite and merge to form ViacomCBS; the merger was completed on December 4 of that year. On February 16, 2022, ViacomCBS was renamed Paramount Global (or simply Paramount), taking its name from the Paramount Pictures studio. On July 7, 2024, Paramount Global entered into a merger with Skydance Media. The merger closed on August 7, 2025, forming Paramount Skydance Corporation. |
Table of Contents
(optional element)
When an article has more than three separate sections, a Table of Contents is automatically included for easier navigation on the page. Typically, they look like this:
However, there are cases where visual previews of the logos may be desired. For that, the ImageTOC template is available, which supports up to a hundred different logos. An example of it is below:
The following syntax was used:
{{ImageTOC
|Dot.png|1st Logo
|Dot.png|2nd Logo
|Dot.png|3rd Logo
|Dot.png|4th Logo
|Dot.png|5th Logo
|Dot.png|6th Logo
|Dot.png|7th Logo
|Dot.png|8th Logo
}}
Sometimes, when a company has gone through one or more name changes, the SeparateTOC template may be of use instead, which supports up to ten name changes. An example of it is below:
The following syntax was used:
{{SeparateTOC
| Old Name|
{{ImageTOC
|Dot.png|1st Logo
|Dot.png|2nd Logo
|Dot.png|3rd Logo
}}
| New Name|
{{ImageTOC
|Dot.png|1st Logo
|Dot.png|2nd Logo
|Dot.png|3rd Logo
}}}}
Header
At the top of a logo description, you will see this header. This is an example of what it looks like:
??? Logo/ID/Open/Trailer/Tag (????) (????-????)
The header provides some info about the logo's lifespan: The first set of question marks are used to identify if the logo is the 1st in the article, 2nd, 3rd, and so on. The second set is used to signify any official nicknames for the logo.
The third set is to signify what year the logo is introduced. Remember, if specific dates are available, use those. If the logo is still being used today, omit the fourth question mark set, otherwise insert the year/date the logo was last used. Additionally, the set has to cover the logo's official lifespan, meaning where the logo made its general debut and end. The following will not factor into the logo's lifespan:
- Trailers and TV spots
- Premieres at film festivals and other similar events
- Home media releases (for film and television only)
- Unreleased media (e.g. beta builds of video games)
- A news article, webpage, or video revealing the new logo
However, if the logo made its only appearance on any of the above options, then they can be counted into their lifespans. They are also permitted to be mentioned in the Availability Notes or tables if necessary. Also, dates in which the logo was used or revived for a brief period of time should not be included unless if it has seen normal use since. If the dates are close to each other in terms of time, then they can be consolidated into one lifespan. A logo that briefly returned 10 years after the time it was retired will not include the newer date in the header.
There is a simplified way to do this; the {{Ordinal}} template. When adding logos, simply add the number you're up to into this template (1, 2, etc.) and it will automatically change to 1st, 2nd, etc. This template simplifies the process of re-adding the suffixes (st, nd, rd, th) to the numbers if a logo is removed or relocated on the page for some reason.
Examples
|
|---|
|
Header for only one logo:
2nd Logo (1994-2012, November 25-27, 2021)
|
Gallery
This is where images and videos of the logos will be displayed, for readers to get an idea of what the logo looks like, as well as to view videos of the logo's full animation. For more specific info, see AVID:Adding Captures. Use a tabber for this section, with the following syntax:
<tabber>
Images=
Put any images here. Please use the gallery template for multiple images.
|-|Videos=
Put any YouTube videos here, using the YouTube template.
</tabber>
...which generates the following:
If a logo has special variations, add an aditional tabber containing {{Variations|Associated logo's year of usage}}. If the page is a subpage, append subst: to Variations.
Description Sections
Visuals: The heart of it all. This is used to describe what happens in the visual identity. Start by stating what the background looks like, and then describe any animations that happen during the sequence. Be very descriptive on this part - try to describe some smaller details if possible. This section should be written in a neutral point-of-view (NPOV) and in third-person; avoid using first-person pronouns.
- Colored text in descriptions are strongly discouraged, which also includes text visualizations. Doing this does not benefit the text at all, and especially not the reader, because it only sacrifices readability for the sake of unnecessary flair. However, please specify what colors are used in the identity.
- If the visual is a still image, describe it as best as possible, including the background and objects depicted in the image.
- Avoid simplifying elements of the identity, such as using "the company name" to describe the company name. If the company name is written in a non-Latin script, it is advised to use an application such as Google Translate to scan or write the script. If the script is unintelligible, you may add the {{TransliterationNeeded}} template, but only if it is truly unintelligible (i.e. blurry or deteriorated).
- Take your time on these, and make sure you revise. Leaving certain details out may lead to discrepancies between the description and the actual visuals.
- You can also list what specific font(s) a logo uses if you're able to identify it, which we recommend using MyFonts' WhatTheFont tool for. Simply upload the capture containing the font you want to identify, click on one of the highlighted texts containing the desired font, and review the results from there. Make sure to check for any design inconsistencies between the original logo's font and the results before adding.
- If the visuals are the same as another but with a minor difference, do not simply redirect to that section and state the differing detail. You may copy and paste that logo's description over to the new one with the small detail re-worded. Identities sharing the same as another's with no indicators for the specific division should be taken out or replaced with a note mentioning this fact.
Examples
|
|---|
|
Animated logo example: Still logo example: The logo is within a thin white border with two vertical columns with the inverted "T" symbol on top, a pattern of downward triangles and two bottom dots below the "T" and two outer white outlines spaced slightly away from the columns.
Paramount Pictures Corporation below the logo. The logo is also inside of a frame. Multiple logos example:
Visuals: Here are the main variants of this logo:
Incorrect example - Description is written in a conversational tone (first-person plural is used to address the logo): Incorrect example - The appearance of the actual logo is not described: Incorrect example - Usage of stylized fonts or colored text diminishes readability:
|
Trivia (optional): If there is some trivia about the logo, put them in this section. Examples include: the person/company that designed the logo, what software was used, some behind-the-scenes facts, notable unofficial nicknames the logo was given, the legacy it was given, etc.
- Avoid putting information that is pop culture related/doesn't relate directly to the logo or its production. We recommend putting those in our dedicated pop culture logos page instead.
- Be sure the section is relevant to the logo itself. Avoid citing the reputation of a company, show, person, another logo, etc., as a logo's influence, as they may not have anything to do with its impact. Receptions of companies, shows and people mention it in the Background section, while the reception of that other logo should have a Trivia of its own, but not related to the other logo.
- Speaking of which, trivia is not a place to be talking about how similar it looks, sounds or relates to a specific logo.
- Receptions that any logo has had are allowed here, but given how subjective of a topic receptions are in general, all statements added need to be cited from notable sources. Outside sources may include news articles, websites covering the same topic, a mockumentary, the company's involvement, etc. Do not add comments that are opinionated to your sole judgement or being referred by a certain audience. These include unofficial nicknames of the logo by the community and statements such as "a favorite of many", "nostalgic" or "iconic" as it violates the AVID:POV policy. They should only be included if there are reliable sources to back the information up. Even when you think the logo has a notable reception, it maybe considered opinionated and get challenged or removed if a source is not cited.
- Trivia also doesn't allow what the community speculates for a logo, as it has nothing to do with it.
Examples
|
|---|
|
Single trivia examples: Multiple trivia examples:
Incorrect example - Trivia does not relate to the logo directly: |
Byline(s) (optional): If the logo uses multiple bylines during its period of use, add them here.
Example
|
|---|
|
Bylines:
|
Variant(s) (optional): If there are different variants of a logo (such as a prototype or an extended variation), add and describe them here.
- It's suggested to especially include, and also underline, the sources in which the variant being described can be found, to make locating it easier. It can be something as simple as "seen on trailers of their many films," but including specific piece(s) of media would be greatly preferred.
- Do not describe one-off variations here. In other words, the variant is specific to only one movie/show. These should go in a seperate tabber as stated in the Gallery section.
- If a variant is rare or unusual, be sure to avoid inserting POV terms such as "surprise", "strange", "odd", etc.
Examples
|
|---|
|
If the logo has only one variant: If the logo has multiple variants: Variants:
Variants:
Variants:
Variants:
|
Technique: This is a short section. State the animation technique and/or the type of effects being used in the logo. These are some of the usage examples:
- Analog computer/Scanimate animation/switcher/effects: This logo was animated using effects from an analog device, such as Scanimate or switcher. This animation style can be characterized by the use of trail effects, shines, panning/zooming, etc.
- (2D/3D) CGI/computer animation/effects: This logo was made using computer software, either in 2D or 3D. Some examples of 2D software include Adobe-Animate (formerly Flash) and Toon-Boom.
- Live-action: This logo was produced entirely using live-action footage.
- Motion/Camera-controlled animation: This logo was designed/animated using a computerized stop-motion camera. More often than not combined with cel animation.
- Traditional/Cel animation: This logo was drawn traditionally using ink and/or animated frame-by-frame on cel sheets. Recent logos with this technique would colorize the drawings digitally, via digital ink-and-paint.
For a comprehensive guide on identifying more of these animation techniques, visit this page.
If two or more of these techniques are combined, you can put both in this manner: "A mix of (TECHNIQUE) and (TECHNIQUE)."
You may not redirect Techniques to another logo in this manner: "Same as Example Productions".
If the logo is still, do not put "None" as the technique, as that implies identities are made out of thin air. Instead, you may describe that the technique of a still logo includes digital graphics, superimposed, a cel sheet, printed image, etc.
It is acceptable to use simple technique descriptions such as "2D animation" and "CGI". However, please avoid using descriptions that don't describe the technique at all, such as "Animation" and "Everything", as they do not show what is used to make the logo.
Examples
|
|---|
|
Simple animation technique examples:
Single animation technique examples:
Multiple animation technique examples:
Incorrect example - Describing what moves in the logo:
Incorrect example - Unnecessarily praising the logo's animation:
Incorrect example - Unnecessarily criticizing the logo's animation:
Incorrect example - Redirecting the Technique to another logo which encourages misuse:
Incorrect example - Implies the identity is made with nothing:
Incorrect examples - Doesn't describe anything at all, and is a very lazy way of writing a Technique.
|
Audio: Describe the music theme played, whether as a genre (e.g., rock) or as specific instruments (e.g., guitar and drums), and/or the type of sounds are being used in the logo.
- If possible, also mention how the theme or sound is made and who made it.
- If a specific piece of music is used, identify it and consider inserting a link to an upload of the music on YouTube, Vimeo or a similar site if available, in cases where the music and/or artist is less well-known.
- One way you can try identifying specific pieces of music is to use the Google app's Voice Search function (specifically "Search a song") and playing the logo's audio for Google to identify. You may also visit this page to identify other commonly used instruments and techniques used to compose the audio.
- If a logo doesn't contain audio or is silent, put "None".
Examples
|
|---|
|
Logo only used one music track in its lifetime: Logo used multiple music tracks in its lifetime:
Incorrect example - Description is written in a conversational tone (first-person plural is used to address the audio):
Incorrect example - Does not specifically describe the audio:
Incorrect example - Unnecessarily praising the logo's audio, or using adjectives to describe the audio (this can also violate the AVID:POV policy):
Incorrect example - Redirects the audio to another logo that encourages misuse:
|
Audio Trivia (optional): If there is some interesting trivia about the logo theme or sounds, such as who composed it, add them in this section. As like the Trivia section, the same rules do apply here.
Example
|
|---|
|
Audio Trivia: The music, taken from the beginning of Franz von Suppé's "Leichte Kavallerie: Ouverture", was used at the beginning of some old Hong Kong movies. |
Audio Variant(s) (optional): If there are one or more variants of the logo theme or sound, add them here. Again, underline key parts of the variant to make locating it easier.
Examples
|
|---|
|
Single variant example: Multiple variants example:
|
Availability Notes (optional): This section serves as an optional addendum to the availability table below. This section is especially useful for logos that maybe considered "lost media", or that tracking every appearance of a logo can be difficult. This could also be used for "television idents", "cinema trailers", or "commercial tag" when additional information of where they are found is available. State any programs, movies, etc. the logo is found in and/or where it was last seen. Don't forget to italicize titles (or use "quotation marks" for episode names of television shows) from where the logo can be found.
- As with the Variant section, POV should be avoided when describing appearances, which include using "tiers" such as "common" or "rare", describing a source as a "surprise appearance", etc.
- If there is little to no information to which films/shows the logo has appeared, you may avoid using this section.
- Do not state the lifespan of when the identities are seen, whenever in theaters or airing on television. The header already stated the obvious on when the identities were used for.
- When describing where logos are found, include specific examples. Add a table where you can find everywhere you can find the logo.
- Also specify if something that should have the logo doesn't for some reason.
- Personal online uploads of logos are not credible sources. The point of Availability is to describe what primary sources the logo appeared on, such as movies or television shows. However, if the logo upload came from the company itself and/or the person/studio that created it, it is acceptable to include that in the section.
- Don't just say "found on the company's releases at the time", name at least some of the releases the logo is known to be on.
- Don't make predictions on any upcoming shows or films that you think new logos will appear on, as they may not even use them.
- For similar reasons, do not attempt to predict when a logo will make its final appearance. This also includes saying "this logo's days are numbered".
- If a logo had been spotted on a certain source in the past or now, avoid using the word "recent" to ensure the timeliness of the descriptions.
Examples
|
|---|
|
Single availability source example: Multiple availability sources example:
Availability Notes: It can be seen on the earliest films under the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer name. Some films were still around, while others are destroyed.
Availability Notes: Seen on films of the era, such as Freaks (1932), Grand Hotel (1932), Manhattan Melodrama (1934), The Thin Man films from 1934 to 1947, The Girl From Missouri (1934), Riptide (1934), A Night at the Opera (1935), Fury (1936), Libeled Lady (1936), Camille (1936), Romeo and Juliet (1936), The Good Earth (1937), Captains Courageous (1937), Topper (1937), A Day at the Races (1937), the Andy Hardy films from 1937 to 1946, The Wizard of Oz (1939), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), Ninotchka (1939), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Ziegfeld Girl (1941), Mrs. Miniver (1942), Gaslight (1944), The Asphalt Jungle (1950), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Pat and Mike (1952), as well as the 1930s The Captain and the Kids cartoons.
Availability Notes:
Incorrect example - Uses a personal YouTube channel as a source: Incorrect examples - Does not mention any specific sources:
Incorrect example - Uses uninformative phrases: Incorrect example - Predicts when a logo will debut: Incorrect example - Predicts when a logo will retire: Incorrect example - Adds a "Tier": Incorrect example - Uses POV phrases: |
Availability Section
At the end of a description, add an availability table. This table should not be used for identities that fall under the "television idents", "cinema trailers", or "commercial tag" categories, the Availability Notes section outlined above can be used if additional information about their availability is available.
This table is important - gather all of the information about where this logo can be found. State any programs, movies, etc. the logo is found in and/or where it was last seen. To generate this table, use the following syntax:
{{Availability|Lifespan of logo}} (If the page you're editing on is a subpage, append subst to Availability)
Afterwards, an "Edit Table" button and a transclusion will be generated when the page is saved. Click the "Edit Table" button to create or edit the table. The table contains the following fields:
- Title - the name of the media the logo originates (use the English title if it has one);
- Original Title - the original name of the media if it has an English title;
- Date of Release - the date when the media was released;
- Additional Notes - any additional info about the logo's appearance, such as specifying if it is a variant or not, if it is plastered on certain prints, etc;
- Video Link - if available, supply a video link to the logo's appearance (either YouTube or streaming prints).
There are also additional, optional fields such as:
- IMDB/TMDB/MobyGames - add a link to any of these databases;
- Final Date of Usage and Episode - useful for television media if a logo is only used for a specific set of episodes;
- Format - the format of the media the logo appeared on (check the "Enable format field" box for this to work);
- Print - the specific print the media is on, such as a television station's print or a home video company's print (check the "Enable print field" box for this to work);
- Platform - the platform the media is on (check the "Enable platform field" box for this to work);
- Country/Region - the country or region from which the media originates (check the "Enable country/region field" box for this to work).
You may need to utilize tabbers if there are too many entries.
Don't make predictions on any upcoming shows or films that you think new logos will appear on, as they may not even use them. For similar reasons, do not attempt to predict when a logo will make its final appearance. As with the variants and availability notes sections, if a logo or a variant of it seems rare to you, please avoid using POV terms in Additional Notes by calling the logo "rare" or "extinct".
If you are writing a description for an identity based on a video capture you found on a streaming platform, but the capture does not site a source, use the {{OriginalCaptureMissingSource}} template and place it just below the header.
"hide" parameter
Sometimes on longer articles or where identities are used on a large amount of works, the number of {{AvailabilityTableEntry}} templates used can cause the article to break the post-expand include size limit, in other words, the limit for how large an article can be including all templates. When this limit is breached, all templates on the page stop transcluding until the issue is corrected. This is a rare circumstance, but it can happen.
To address an Availability Table causing the limit to be exceeded, you can simply add |hide=yes to the availability template and the table on the page will be replaced with a simple hyperlink to the Availability subpage which looks like this:
For technical reasons we are unable to include this table here. To view a listing of where this identity can be found, click here.
Final Note
(optional element)
This can be used on defunct company pages. Here, describe the fate of the company and/or how it became defunct, whether if it merged with another company or if it filed for bankruptcy.
Examples
|
|---|
|
Final Note From 2017 onwards, HIT Entertainment programming now has the Mattel Creations (and later the Mattel Television) logo instead of the HIT logo. However, the 2007 HIT logo is still used on DVD releases and trade ads. Final Note: Between 1920 and 1921, films from Universal would either have an in-credit notice, or none at all. It won't be until 1922 that Universal have an on-screen logo again. |
External Links
(optional element)
If there is a site you believe will further inform our readers on the history and/or branding of the company, you can create an external links section. Examples of what you might list here include:
- The company's official website
- A relevant Wikipedia article
- An IMDB filmography for the company
- A relevant Logopedia article
- A site or article discussing the branding of the company, e.g. a page on TVARK or a similar branding compilation site/forum, an article about how the logo was made.
If you have level 2 headings on your page, this should be a level 2 heading to ensure the table of contents is formatted properly. Otherwise, a level 3 heading is acceptable.
Example
|
|---|
|
External Links
External links
|
Chronology
(optional element)
The chronology template is used for linking defunct companies to their successors (e.g. Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and Louis B. Mayer Pictures link to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios), or for linking major rebrands (e.g. MGM/CBS Home Video links to MGM/UA Home Entertainment and CBS/Fox Video). Two examples are provided below:
|
'Company' Other company (for mergers.) |
|
|
'Old Name' |
|
Navboxes
(optional element)
You can add a Navbox to the bottom of your page for easy navigation between related pages. You can add more than one Navbox if you choose, though typically an article would have a section Navbox, e.g. Film, Television, Home Entertainment and a company navbox, e.g. Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony, Disney, Comcast, Amazon, Paramount Global, Nexstar, Hearst, Sinclair, Gray, Tegna, Scripps, Cox, Imagicomm, Allen Media Group. For a full list of currently available Navbox templates, see Category:Navboxes. Eight examples are below:
Categories
Once you've finished your page, you should add it to our category system. You can add a page to a category by adding [[Category:Your Category Here]]. You can see this in action at the bottom of this page, where you will note that this page is in the "Tutorials" Category.
Alternatively, you can turn on HotCat, which can be found on the Gadgets section of your Preferences. This will enable buttons to remove, change or add categories on the category bar.
Which categories do I use?
- Any kind of logo should be categorized into Category:Production logos.
- Logos appearing in film, including theatrical film, short film, direct-to-video film and newsreels are categorized into Category:Film logos.
- Logos appearing in television series and films are categorized into Category:Television logos.
- Logos appearing in home entertainment (VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, etc.) are categorized into Category:Home entertainment logos.
- Direct-to-video films should have both Category:Home entertainment logos and Category:Film logos.
- Logos used by animation studios are categorized into Category:Animation logos.
- Logos (trailers) used by movie theaters/cinemas are categorized into Category:Cinema trailers.
- Logos appearing in music entertainment are categorized into Category:Music entertainment logos.
- Logos appearing online are categorized into Category:Online media logos.
- Logos appearing in educational media, including classroom films and educational videos, are categorized into Category:Educational media logos.
- Logos appearing in video games are categorized into Category:Video game logos.
- Logos and trailers used by technology companies are categorized into Category:Technology logos.
- Television idents are categorized into Category:Television idents.
- Television idents are considered distinct from television logos; therefore they cannot be categorized into Category:Television logos.
After adding the section categories, be sure to add the country categories according to the company's country of origin, and if available, the company category. For example, the categories for Solax Studios are as follows:
[[Category:Production logos from the United States]]
[[Category:Production logos]]
[[Film logos from the United States]]
[[Category:Film logos]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]
[[Category:Amazon Inc.]]
Description Tips
With that, we conclude the article elements section. However, we would like to provide some other tips to remember when writing an article:
- When creating a new page, you can load a standard template to simplify the editing process. When creating a new page, a box will appear above the editor asking you to choose a boilerplate. Ensure that you have selected the appropriate page template, then click Load. This will load in a blank description template that you can use to build your page. We currently have boilerplates for Standard Pages and Logo Variations.
- When writing two or more logo descriptions, make sure you add a line break in between each one so each description will have enough breathing room.
- When listing name changes for a company, use a level two heading for each name.
- If your page mentions a company which has its own article on this wiki, please add a link to said article by wrapping the name in square brackets - for example: [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios]] produces Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. This allows users to browse through the wiki more effectively and helps tie our site together.
- Use formal language instead of informal/colloquial language (e.g., use "atmosphere" or "feel" in place of "vibe(s)").
Page Templates
- Main article: AVID:Page Templates
Adding Citations
If there is a statement written in an article that some are likely to challenge, why not back it up with a reputable source? That is where the References feature comes in. To add references, simply type the following code:
<ref>[URL]</ref>
[1]
The code is to be written directly after the statement in the article in which you want to add a citation. The reference will automatically be listed at the bottom of the page, like so:
- ↑ [URL]
You can also add text sources if you really wanna go there. Write the reference in the following format:
<ref>Author, ''Title'', (Publisher, YEAR), Pg#-Pg#</ref>
[1]
- ↑ Author, Title, (Publisher, YEAR), Pg#-Pg#
When adding citations, ensure you add a “references” heading at the bottom of the page for your citations to fall underneath. If your page has navboxes and or chronology templates, you may need to manually define where your reference list is shown by using the <references /> tag. Preferably, your reference list should be at the end of the article, but above any bottom navigational templates such as navboxes and chronology links.
Moving Pages
If your page title has a typo in it or the subject of your page has changed their name, you may wish to move your page to a new title. To do this, simply go to the "More" menu at the top of the page and select the move button. You will be prompted to provide your changed title. If you are simply moving your page to a new namespace, click on the dropdown that says (Main) and select the namespace you want.
Once you have made the desired change, click the button to confirm your change and the page will be moved. Your original title will be preserved as a redirect, so you won't need to update any wikilinks to your page. If your move was to correct a typo in the title, please blank the resulting redirect page and mark the page for deletion using {{Delete|Typo}}. An admin will then delete your page promptly.
Creating Redirects
If the subject of your page is known by another title or an abbreviation, you might like to create a redirect so that any user who searches or links using this alternate name will easily find your page. To make one, simply create a new page with the desired alternate name and put the following on the page:
#REDIRECT [[Your Title Here]].
The markup should produce something like this:
Once you save your redirect page, any user who follows a link to this alternate title will be sent directly to your page.
If your page has Level 2 headings, you might want to use this markup to create a redirect to a certain section of a page:
#REDIRECT [[Your Title Here#Section Name Here]].
The markup should produce something like this:
Alternatively, you can use Special:CreateRedirect to make a redirect in a more user-friendly manner. This page also allows you to create multiple redirects at once.
Conclusion
We've reached the end of this comprehensive tutorial guide! We hope this has quelled a few questions regarding how to write articles on the wiki.
Provided are three different demo pages containing examples of proper formatting. They are simply shorter excerpts of an AVID page, but demonstrate good examples of following the Tutorial Guide.
That's about it. Have fun!
The
Team
.svg){kind=small}
