The short answer is:
If it's made for TV, it's a TV production; if it was made to be released in theaters, it's a theatrical film.
However, sometimes it's not so easy to categorize titles!
For example:
We've created the following table as a guide to help you make the best determination. It includes the criteria that are normally used to determine whether a production should be listed in the database as a theatrical feature or a TV Movie, TV Miniseries, TV Series or Video.
These are only broad guidelines, as per our general eligibility rules we reserve the right to change and adapt our rules as required by circumstances and may decide to make exceptions for certain special cases or when we lack sufficient evidence to make a final determination.
Please see the Title Formats submission guide for more details on the correct way to categorize different types of titles within our existing title type structure.
Film/TV/Video Title Categorization Guidelines
Originally produced for release | |||||
Initial wide release or premiere (4) | |||||
Actual total running time (5) | |||||
Normally shown in how many parts/episodes? | |||||
How many seasons/years? |
Notes
(1) = TV pilots and TV Specials are also categorized as "TV Movies" | (4) = excluding festivals, film market screenings and other special events |
(2) = Web Series are also categorized as "TV Series" | (5) = not counting commercial breaks |
(3) = Online Standalone Videos, DVD Extras and Commercials are also categorized as "Video" |