I suggest that 'Sound Design by' should be added as a top credit along with Editor, Cinematographer etc.

Hey Martin,

IMDb's priorities in dividing out categories aren't directly related to current usage in Hollywood. See this thread, https://getsatisfaction.com/imdb/topics/why_is_there_no_locations_department_in_the_crew_listings#re...
It relates to creation of a locations department, but the explanation there from Giancarlo would apply to splitting out Sound Designers, as well.

Looking at the field browser for Sound Department (under the letter S), http://www.imdb.com/updates/field/sound_department/job?S, we find some 85,757 Sound Designer credits listed in the database. Generously adding the misspelled "sound desinger" and various mixed ("sound design and audio post", "sound design and editing", etc.) and attributed ("sound designer: atmosphere sound", "sound designer: editorial", etc.) sound design credits, let's round that total up to 88,000. Still, that represents a credited sound designer on less than 1.5% of the more than six million titles in the database.

Yes the position (and credit for it) is increasingly coming into vogue in Hollywood, but it still represents only a small fraction of the overall credits that exist over time and geography. Splitting it out of Sound Department wouldn't put a dent in the overall Sound Department numbers. It's not even in the top ten of Sound Department jobs by number, https://contribute.imdb.com/updates/field/sound_department/job.

As noted in the last paragraph of the Other Crew guide, https://contribute.imdb.com/updates/guide/miscellaneous, intentions are to split out more categories/departments over time. To that end, draft guides have already been created for what are likely to be included in the next round of departmental splits (for which there is no current timetable that I'm aware of):

https://contribute.imdb.com/updates/guide/electrical_department
https://contribute.imdb.com/updates/guide/production_department
https://contribute.imdb.com/updates/guide/script_department
https://contribute.imdb.com/updates/guide/location_management

Some day Sound Designers may have numbers enough to justify splitting them off from other Sound Department credits, but - excuse my bluntness, that day is likely a long way off. Sorry.

Thanks for your reply Mayor.

I agree if you look at the numbers it may not be a justification in itself.
I see Supervising Sound Editor has more numbers, perhaps this then could be split off instead in recognition of its important Head of Department role.

I just feel its about time Sound, so long the unsung Brother of Vision in Cinema was given the respect it deserves in modern film and perhaps IMDB could be part of making that start to happen and raising that awareness?
Especially as most of the facts and information people receive about Films now are taken directly from the Internet and primarily, in my experience, from IMDB.

With all due respect to Location Managers, (of course they should be given the credit they deserve also), the sound department and particularly the head of that department have a much greater and considerably longer creative input on the final film. Collaborating closely with the Director often for much longer than anyone apart from the Editor or Producer.

IMHO its a symptom of the historical lack of awareness of the importance of sound in film that so few departmental heads of sound were credited at all and that the credits for that role are confused and diverse.

However, I do believe there is a change happening and that many new Directors understand the importance of Sound in Film more and show it by giving their Sound Designers and Supervisors Proper lead credits on rollers, in accordance with sounds position as 50% of the experience of modern Cinema.

I apologize if this sounds like 'blowing my own trumpet' if you'll forgive the pun.
But if I don't, I don't know who will and I'm only re-iterating what great sound guys like Randy Thom and Walter Murch have said many times over the years.

Time for a change I hope.