Submission Guide: Running Times

• The IMDb running times section records the duration in minutes of titles in the database. For theatrical releases the timing begins from the first distributor logo and ends at the last frame of the end credits. For TV-series we prefer to include the time without commercials, but we appreciate such timings are not always easily available so total running times may be submitted instead as long as the attribute (including commercials) is used.
• We prefer to list one single running time for all titles which corresponds the default running time. This is the running time of the original release version in the country of origin and is indicated by an entry with a blank country field. Please only submit running times for other countries or versions which differ from the default by at least 5% and when you know that specific cuts or changes have been made to the title. We find that differences of less than this are often timing errors or even rounding errors where local reviewers have rounded the true running time to the nearest 5 minutes. The assumption should be that, unless otherwise indicated, the running time for a title in any country is the same as the default running time. Also see the notes below on video timings before submitting any times taken from home video versions.
• Running times should be rounded to the nearest minute. For titles of less than one minute duration, the running time in seconds can be added as an attribute.
• The running times for TV-series should be the duration of one episode, not the whole series. The times for a TV-movie or TV mini-series should be the duration of the whole thing, not individual episodes or parts.
• Silent movies may be shown at slightly different speeds because at that time there was no exact standard of speed (running times for silent films were usually given in feet, but we won't go into such details here), so different people might get different times.
• Important: The European (PAL/SECAM) TV/video running times may be shorter by about 4% due to the fact that film runs at 24 frames, but European video runs at 25 (North American NTSC video actually runs at 30, but the transfer takes the 24/30 difference into account). Please do not submit video running times for countries where this applies as it only creates confusion over whether a title has been censored/cut on video.
• The attribute field is used to provide additional information on a specific running time entry. The attributes need to be enclosed in ( ). For TV series the attribute field was formerly used to record variations in running times; this is now best done by applying any unusual running times to specific episodes. If a movie has been cut or censored then the (cut version) attribute should be used. Common examples include:

  (cut version)
  (including commercials)

• A list of the attributes currently being used can be displayed by clicking on the gray list icon ( ) next to the attribute field.