I was about to start the project on my own to find headshots for all the cast in my db, when I found this thread and the files here.
Great.

However, I don't totally agree with the rules about the pictures.
Some pictures in the db of actors, are either terrible in size and resolution, or you can't really tell who it is for other reasons, or it's just generally unflattering.
And about e.g. child stars, some are of adults when IMO they shouldn't be. Like with Carrie Henn. She only made Aliens and therefor the photo of her should be when she was that age, not an adult.
Some child star photos submitted, of now-adults, are just plainly irritating to find, in the db. It's like the persons who have submitted them are bragging about having found what they look like now! Even if they never did anything else or very little after their breakthrough.

I think the rule should be that the photo of the person should be as you MOST would recognize him/her as from most of the movies, etc, that person made. Like with a common name, there should be a common photo.

I mean, why not?? The rules aren't followed that strictly anyway, because some old actors who now look like "skeletons", because they are so old, have headshots of them in the db from when they were much younger and made more movies. (random example: Kirk Douglas)

Another example. I changed the photo of Kate Winslet because it looked like a photoshopped model session picture and even if I know very well what she looks like in movies and off screen without lots of make-up, I couldn't really tell it was her. She looked like "anyone" in that photo and Winslet is quite easy to recognize in general.

Ditch the rule about "the most recent photo 'if they have been active the last 40 years'" and implement something more clever. It really should be "use the photo from which you best can recognize the actor"!

I will definitely refine the db with better photos (as some are just ripped randomly from imdb as the first photo in a gallery) and also add lots of actors who are still missing.
But I won't follow the rules as they are stated now, but instead choose a representable photo as I see it and where most people could say "ah – it's him/her!", right away.

If you think I'm a rebel for this and think I should only refine my own db after my argumentation, I can say that I have randomly gone through my db for the submitted headshots, and lots of them do not follow the rules... So it shouldn't be a big deal to change it to my proposal; i.e. again, to use the most recognizable photo (and of course to have a good resolution).

Quoting MikaLove:

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But I won't follow the rules as they are stated now, but instead choose a representable photo as I see it and where most people could say "ah – it's him/her!", right away.

There are not really "rules" for headshots. Dr. Killpatient, as he makes a huge job to build database, chose some rules he follows when he has to compare two photos. Those are his own choice, and I understand them, though I do not agree with all of them.

In fact each of us has his own preferences, some prefer just the head, other do not mind to have shoulders or even half the body. I think all shared databases are worth to consider, allowing every user to choose what he prefers.

For those that are interested, I remind that I update my own database quite each month. It is available using the link in my signature.

Note that I've relaxed a LOT in my comparisons of headshots.  I'm now far more inclined* to accept a contributed headshot as long as it fits the guidelines even if I personally think the existing one is a better headshot.

* As I am only human, the more energy I feel like putting into the comparison, the more likely I'll accept one.  At the start of the process = lots of energy.  At the end = not so much.

With v6 coming out soon, it's best to wait for it as it includes almost all of the ones listed in this thread.

One tip to help with contributing headshots is to create a manual profile and add any cast & crew to it that you updated the headshots for.  Then to contribute, you back up your database and restore just the single profile into a new database.  Then back up that new database and contribute.

Others may have additional tips.

Quoting cvermeylen:

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Quoting MikaLove:

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As some contributed images consists of like 36 pixels. Then IMO it's better to not contribute at all.

Can't say that I agree with this. When somebody contributes a very small headshot, it probably means not much exist of this cast/crew member. It will also be mostly somebody rather unknown. Having a low quality image may help other contributors in recognizing this one in better quality images.

My thoughts exactly. My attitude towards headshots is the same as towards profile contributions: any improvement, no matter how small, is to prefer over no improvement at all. And adding an image where there were none previously is most definitely an improvement in my book.

Quoting cvermeylen:

Quote:
Quoting MikaLove:

Quote:
As some contributed images consists of like 36 pixels. Then IMO it's better to not contribute at all.

Can't say that I agree with this. When somebody contributes a very small headshot, it probably means not much exist of this cast/crew member. It will also be mostly somebody rather unknown. Having a low quality image may help other contributors in recognizing this one in better quality images.

I don't quite agree because I have found numerous examples of contributions where the photo has been terrible. Not just small ones, but with awful resolution close to none. And that of actors which I know have lots more photos of them. And more flattering ones too.

And also, some images of even well-known actors are not pitch perfect, because they aren't as flattering as they could be or they IMO don't look typically like the actor usually looks.
Maybe it's a matter of taste, but I found for example the picture of Natalie Portman yesterday which I felt the urge to exchange. Short hair (ugly hairdo) and not such a nice smile and bad resolution. But that is just one example...
When I find photos, I take my time to pick the really great ones. But also I sometimes have a hard time to decide if a photo is really good or if it's average. I spent about an hour for Natalie yesterday. Hmm.

Just want to give a public "Well done and Thank You!" to the good Dr.

And I am looking forward to Version 6 (In which the pictures are not numbers, but free men(women)!)

(Forgive The Prisoner reference please :D Thank you)