AVID:Tutorial Guide

Hello, there! Welcome to the Audiovisual Identity Database; we're glad you've joined! 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 will show you the proper formatting guidelines that all articles on AVID must conform to. You'll also see examples of templates, categories, and other miscellaneous stuff.

To see demonstrations of what a typical logo description looks like, click any of these three links.

Page Elements
All pages have a basic form that everyone follows. They are:

Page Buttons (optional)
Where a page also has a Logo Variations page or you intend to create them, you should add the  template to allow for easy navigation between these pages. The markup for this is as follows: ,

which results in:

You can add or remove any of the three additional parameters depending on your needs, for example:

,

,

If using this template, be sure to put it on all the pages you added buttons for to ensure coherent and smooth navigation between them. ''See AVID:Credits for guidelines on how to add credits. An example is provided below.''

Background
This is the background. 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, and more. It's a good section to write for those who may not know about the company's backstory, and we recommend to write this for many articles.

If the background needs to be split into multiple paragraphs, you are able to do so.

To the right is an example of an infobox. Infoboxes can help make page navigation much easier, and will supplement very long background sections by offering "at a glance" information.

(The below is an example of what's known as an ImageTOC. Use this template to make a visual Table of Contents for any article)

(Additionally, if the company you're writing about used more than one name in its lifespan, you can add a SeparateTOC template, like so)

(resulting in this)

TIP: For quicker editing, you can also use our "Standard Page" boilerplate. This boilerplate will load a template with blank sections in the correct format including an Ordinal template, and you can edit it as usual.

(The below is an example of a Year heading.)

??? Logo/ID/Open/Trailer (????) (????-????)
''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 the official nickname given to the logo. The third set is to signify what year the logo is introduced. 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. For the second question mark set, you may only use nicknames that are official, do NOT add any that are made by you.''

''Alternatively, there is a simplified way to do this; the  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.''

For example, the code below

will output this:

Logo (????)
(The space below is where you will add image and video embeds) Images= Put any images here, using the gallery template. Videos= Put any YouTube videos here, using the YouTube template.

Logo/ID/Trailer: The heart of it all. This is used to describe what happens in the logo. Start by stating what the background looks like, and then describe any animations that happen during the logo. Be very descriptive on this part - use adjectives if possible, and try to describe every little detail.
 * If the logo is still, describe the image as best as possible, including the background and whatever else is on it.
 * Take your time on these, and make sure you revise, because if you leave an important detail out, you can easily confuse people.

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, official or notable nicknames the logo was given, etc.
 * Avoid putting information that is pop culture related/doesn't relate directly to the logo or its production. Instead, put those here.

Byline(s) (optional): If the logo uses multiple bylines during its period of use, add them here.

Variant(s) (optional): If there are different variants of a logo (such as a prototype or an extended variation), add and describe them here.
 * Do not describe one-off variations here. In other words, the variant is specific to only one movie/show. These should go on a separate Portal:Logo Variations page.

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/effects: This logo was animated using effects from an analog device, such as Scanimate. 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, whether 2D or 3D.
 * 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.

If two or more of these techniques are combined, you can put both in this manner: "A mix of (TECHNIQUE) and (TECHNIQUE)."

Music/Sounds: 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.

Music/Sounds Trivia (optional): If there is some interesting trivia about the logo theme or sounds, such as who composed it, add them in this section.

Music/Sounds Variant(s) (optional): If there are one or more variants of the logo theme or sound, add them here.

Availability: This section 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. Don't forget to italicize titles (or use "quotation marks" for episode names of television shows) from where the logo can be found.
 * To help determine the availability of a logo, we've provided the below scale at your disposal. Remember, you are NOT required to mention a tier from the scale in this section. Preferably, only use this scale if the rarity of a logo is notable. The scale is as follows:
 * Ultra common/Extremely common: Either this logo is found on nearly all shows/movies released from this company, or it plasters a large amount of older logos on newer prints.
 * Very common/Common: You find this logo on newer releases of shows/movies of that company, or is seen/intact on reruns, home media releases or streaming prints.
 * Uncommon: While not too common, you may be able to find this logo on a few releases/prints of films/shows of that company.
 * Rare/Very rare: You don't find this logo much; it only appears on a small number of releases/prints from the company.
 * Extremely rare/Ultra rare: You don't find this logo many times, if at all; it only appears on old releases/prints that haven't been widely distributed.
 * Near extinction/Extinct: This logo is no longer current, and/or it has been replaced with newer logos on later prints. Likely can be found on older releases/prints.
 * Unknown: Very little information on which films/shows the logo has appeared.
 * Unused: This logo has not been used officially by the company.
 * Current: This is the current logo being used by the company.
 * Brand new: For logos that debuted within the past year.
 * Please note that some factors may affect if a logo is actually "rare" or not. For example. older home video logos that at first could be considered "rare" may potentially be found on many prints, if one knows where to look.
 * When describing where logos are found, include specific examples where possible.
 * 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.
 * Be specific! 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.

Legacy (optional): Write about how the logo has affected the logo community and/or broader popular culture and how much of an impact it's left on them (i.e. if the logo is well-liked by the community, such as for the visuals, music, or it appearing on a specific program). If not that important, omit this section.
 * Do not add comments that are opinionated and are only based on your sole judgement. For example, saying "the logo looks ugly", "the CGI is nice", etc. All statements need some form of community consensus.
 * Legacy is also not a place to be talking about how similar it looks or sounds to a specific logo, or how that logo was the first/last appearance of a specific element. For specific elements, those can be in trivia.

Final Note (optional)
This can be used on defunct company pages. Here, write on the fate of the company and/or how it became defunct, whether if it merged with another company or if it filed for bankruptcy.

External Links (optional)
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: 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.
 * A relevant Wikipedia article
 * An IMDB filmography for the company
 * The company's official website
 * 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.

Notes: When having two or more logo descriptions, make sure you hit "Enter" two times in between each one so each description will have enough breathing room. Furthermore, when listing name changes for a company, use a level two heading for each name.

Navboxes
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. TV, Film, Home Entertainment and a company navbox, e.g. Sony, Disney, Comcast. For a full list of currently available Navbox templates, see Category:Navboxes.

Boilerplate
As stated before, 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.

Linking
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: 20th Century Studios produces 20th Century Studios. This allows users to browse through the wiki more effectively and helps tie our site together.

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. 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?

 * 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.
 * Station IDs are categorized into Category:Station IDs.
 * IDs are considered distinct from television logos; therefore they are not 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 logos.
 * Logos appearing in educational media, including classroom films and educational videos, are categorized into Category:Education 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.

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 Sony Pictures Television are as follows:

Bringing a Page to the Top of a Category
If you want to make a page more distinct in a category you can add this:  to create the following markup:

Moving your page
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 speedy deletion using. An admin will then delete your page promptly.

Merging pages
If the company underwent a rename, then it may be acceptable to merge it and its successor's pages. Do not merge pages if:
 * They are only related through operations by the same person (e.g. Ivory Way Productions, Nu Systems Productions, Inc., Ugly Baby Productions, Next to Last Productions, and Wayans Bros. Entertainment are all related through ownership of the Wayan brothers).
 * The preceding company was shut down and its owners moved on to form a new one in its place.
 * They are brands of their parent company.
 * They merged with another company to form a single entity under a new name.
 * They operate the same franchise but are different companies on their own.

Creating a redirect manually
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:

.

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:

.

The markup should produce something like this:

More Information
To learn more about MediaWiki's capabilities, including more advanced markup and "Magic Words", see MediaWiki Help

That's about it. Have fun!

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