5 Ways Your Entertainment Images Are TOTALLY Inappropriate

When it comes to entertainment images, image relevancy is what separates the men from the boys.

Or more accurately, relevancy separates the images from the appropriate and accurate image. Some may claim to possess a huge bank of images, but how many are truly relevant? Truly appropriate? Properly tied to a specific program, actor, director, etc.?

Because, after all, you don’t want images that are just available. You also want them relevant and appropriate.

Here are just a few examples of what we mean:

Group/Cast Photos not up to date—ATTENTION: Charlie Harper is dead.
Certainly, it was a sad moment with Charlie Sheen’s character died on Two and a Half Men. 

Even sadder is the fact that some people are still using the old cast photo with Charlie instead of his replacement, Ashton Kutcher.

It might not sound like the end of the world, but in this day and age, the fans of a show are very sophisticated and very unforgiving when it comes to up-to-the-minute, accurate, knowledgeable, and INFORMED content about “their” show.

So, while an old cast photo might do for some, it’s not relevant unless it’s appropriate and accurate.

What about when a show HAS no group cast image? A news program, a rotating guest cast lineup, or a show with no cast members doesn’t have or require that sort of image. So, if it can’t possibly exist, it can’t possibly be relevant, can it?

TAKEAWAY: Make sure your image provider is doing the heavy lifting for you and providing you images already designated for the appropriate use you have in mind. Up to date and relevant. Right down to the last second.

Individual Celebrity Photo not accurate—FACT: Andy Griffith is not Andy Taylor.
When requesting a celebrity photo, it’s important to distinguish between the actor and the character they play.

For characters in movies and television shows, if the production company has provided an image of a character from a program—that image should be present and associated with the specific program.

But, if none have been provided—then and only then, FYI will use a publicity photo from a studio, or an image captured at a red carpet event. Of the actor, not the character they play.

Because if you want a photo of Andy Griffith, we can do that. But it’s different than the uniformed photo of Sheriff Andy Taylor. One is relevant for a specific use. And one isn’t.

TAKEAWAY: Your entertainment image bank can’t just be deep. It’s got to be smart, too. Smart enough to tell the difference between Mary Tyler Moore and Mary Richards.

Showcards are for TV shows ONLY—LOGIC: If they were for movies they’d be called Moviecards.

Showcards are for shows. TV shows. That’s why they’re only available for TV programs.

Well, with the exception of films released directly to TV or DVD. Because, let’s face it, that kind of program is kind of a “tweener.” Not really a motion picture released to theaters and not really a TV show.

So, when determining the “relevancy” or “usage” of a bank of images, it’s important to factor in those “non-uses” where an image can’t be placed.

TAKEAWAY: Do not judge your image usage too harshly before examining the relevancy. Volume of images has value, but the appropriateness and true utility of an image is of the highest importance. In other words, “You only have showcards for two thirds of our programs” needs to factor in those programs where showcards are not applicable.

Live Stills—REALITY: You can’t show an image from an event before the event happens.
Production stills are usually available for movies and television programs.

However, you can’t really show a production still for a Super Bowl, or an awards show BEFORE the event happens. Kind of flies in the face of that time/space continuum thing.

So, again, when examining the usage of your image database, consider the relevancy of an image to a piece of programming. Naturally, your live and upcoming programs will have no production stills. Those things haven’t happened yet.

TAKEAWAY: Make sure your entertainment image provider has a plan for how to handle specific live events and how to show imagery pertaining to those events—be it stills from the previous year, publicity photos of those involved, or associated program graphics. No image database can contain images that don’t exist, but a good provider will have a plan for when this occurs.

Movie Posters—NOW SHOWING: Only for movies, not for the local farm report.
Why in the world would The Farmer’s Wake-Up Hour need a movie poster?

Very simply, it wouldn’t. Just like the US Open wouldn’t. Nor would South Park. Unless it’s one of the South Park MOVIES.

See? There’s that relevancy thing again. Movie Posters are for movies. And precious little else.

TAKEAWAY: An image database is only as good as its relevancy. That is, how many of the images can be appropriately applied in specific settings? Looking at what’s NOT there isn’t always as it seems.

So when considering your image usage, consider this: IMAGE RELEVANCY. It’s the quickest way to the best possible appropriate image—and it’s worth taking a good hard look at. Just click below and we’ll put things in focus for you.