Late last week, we launched a large update to IMVDb. All this week, we're going to be writing and tweeting about these new features and how you can use them. Today, we're checking out one of the main updates - our brand new video page and two new features: music video discussions and trivia.

A New Design

Our music video page has gone through a lot of iterations since it was first launched, and this latest version is designed to let the beautiful visuals of each music video stand out and truly be a home on the web for each music video. Whether we have 50 data points for a music video or just a handful, the page is designed to grow with us as our feature set grows without becoming cluttered, which was a problem in previous versions.

As you can see, we've put an emphasis on the year as well as the stats for a video - the shares and the views. A side bar hides auxiliary data, while the left hand side holds our data - credits, stats, release info, and everything else that we have a on a music video. We're really excited about this new layout, and think it'll serve us well into the future.

Music Video Discussions

A feature we've wanted to develop for a while is a mini forum around every music video on the site where people interested in a video can come and discuss the video in question. We're calling them discussions, and you can find the discussion link on the right hand column. You can start a discussion or comment on an existing one. We want to create a place where music video fans and even the people behind them can share thoughts on certain music videos, and this discussion feature is the first step towards getting that started. Implementing a feature like this is relatively simple, but adoption of a feature like this is a huge challenge. We're in it for the long haul, however.

While we're on the subject, discussions brings up another feature - the ability to comment as any page you are the manager of. So, if you manage the page for you or your company on IMVDb, you can comment as them by switching your identity in the user menu. You can do this anywhere there are comments in the system, not just in discussions.

Video Trivia

Trivia was actually part of the first IMVDb version, but we never really had a place to put it that made sense before this version. We're going full-on into trivia with this release, however, allowing trivia to be added (with a source) and displayed on a special video trivia page. One piece of trivia will also be displayed on the video page as a preview. Also, if you submit your trivia from an account that managed a page that has a credit on the video in question, it'll display that the trivia came from you. So, if you worked on a video and have some information right from the set or post production, you don't need to source your trivia.

Easier Data Contributions

We've also totally revamped the way you contribute to the music video page as well. All you need to do now is click "Edit This Page" on the top right hand corner, and you submit all sorts of changes from trvia, video sources, and even removal of data. Each new piece of data enters the system immediately, so there's no need to add a group of credits and then submit that group of credits. It makes adding data quick and easy.

Completely Revamped Technical Details

Technical details were previously very limited. They were added as a feature to the very first version of IMVDb (then called FilmedInsert) and never really updated. We've heard users calling us to put some effort into technical details, and this version is a major overhaul. We have separated technical details into categories that make sense, allowing you to add cameras (with notes), software, the master format, and even technical notes which allow you to add free-form notes about the technical process of making the video. We're also actively expanding our software and camera list. 

Check the blog tomorrow for more awesome new IMVDb features - many have already been launched and many are close to completion. If you have any issues or questions, please feel free to contact me at adam@imvdb.com.

Adam Fairholm is the co-founder and lead developer of IMVDb. You can find him on twitter at @adamfairholm.