How To Post On IMDB so you Release Dated does not get etched in stone!

Filmmakers/Producers - we all know how exciting it is to have your film posted on IMDB when it's in development, production, and even completed. But, putting some information on IMDB is not going to help you -- most of the time, the information will actually work against you.

Here are some real suggestions for your posting that will not lock your film into stone on IMDB (never to be changed again!!!)

Do yourself a favor:
>Keep your film "In Production" -- Never add a completion date!!!! Until you have a distribution date set.
>Handling Festival Runs -- If you are doing a festival run before looking for distribution -- Never add the festival information since IMDB will use that information as your "release" or "completion date"
>Budgets -- never list budgets! I know it's excited you made the film for under X amount (you are not the first to do it, and not the last). BUT, distributors see that and think "Cheap Film"  (in fact, many distributor will not consider any film with a budget lower then XXXX amount)
>Be careful of 'withoutabox.com' and other festival submission tools. Unfortunately with little notifications, the information you are not adding to IMDB is being added to IMDB through WithoutAbox.com -- I can't tell you how many times I omitted the budget on IMDB, for it to appear after a submission to 'withoutabox.com'

Filmmakers/Producers - kept your film fresh and new, do not allow a database to lock your film into areas it is not. Please make sure you read all the submission items, and considered how it will 'Help you and your title' or 'how it will hurt your title' -- it's your film to control!!