This list is based on a similar guide on our sister site, Science Fiction and Fantasy SE, titled "Tips for asking Story Identification questions," as well as user Skooba’s suggestions on Bringing back identification questions based on the same.
The items listed below are NOT intended to be a list to beat the asker with but rather an aid to prompting additional details that may not have already been given.
Some points for the asker to consider:
No detail is too insignificant.
You might think it's ever so obvious that your characters are white or teenagers or whatever, but you still need to tell us. If you don't tell us, we don't know it.
Try to offer unique details.
That means you need to think about character names, details of any incidents that occurred in the plot, any dialogue that you can remember etc. Anything that can help distinguish your movie or show is key to finding it. Thus, don't refrain from revealing "spoiler" parts; somebody else might remember the same thing you did. If you want, you can partially hide them by preceding the spoiler with >!. For example >! but he dies at the end.
Be available to answer questions about it, and answer them in a timely fashion.
Identification questions will often lead to comments asking for more details. Those users who enter into a dialogue about their question are almost certain to get more interest than those who post and run, never to be seen again.
What is it?
It may seem obvious to you that your question is about a movie or TV show, but harking back to "you need to tell us", if you don't say what it is, you've hurt your chances of having it identified. If we have to spend ten minutes puzzling that out, that's ten minutes less time we'll spend actually helping you.
The type of show is a useful filter when searching, so basic details are often of great value and might be overlooked when asking:
- Can you specify the genre? (Legal / Drama / Horror / SciFi / Crime)
- Was it animated / real life / anime / cartoon?
- What language was it in and what do you think was the original language?
- Was it color or black & white?
When / where did you see it?
It's absolutely no help to know that you saw it “when you were younger” or “in 8th grade”. Be specific. This helps narrow down dates so we can rule out suggestions released after that date, so…
- What year, approximately, did you see it?
- Can you estimate when it might have been released?
It might help to say where it was seen.
- Was it in a theater, a made-for-tv movie, a feature film that was later aired on television, etc.
- What channel / streaming service was it on?
- What country did you see it in?
Tell us what made it memorable.
Often very generic identification questions become answerable when people share why they remember it so vividly. This can also lead to further details emerging about the way that the story was portrayed, the audience it was intended for or where you saw it.
For instance, was there
- a specific scene that you recall or,
- was there any unique prop / scenario / setting / location that you can recall?
- Was there any unusual special effect / lighting / set design / creature etc. that stood out?
Tell us what it isn't.
If you've already spent years posting the same question around the internet, make sure you tell us. There's nothing more frustrating then thinking you've found a mention of the story only to find a post from 2007 on Yahoo Questions that's identical to the one that was just posted. If you've ruled anything out already, let us know so that we don't waste time following the same lines of enquiry.
You've never finished asking.
After posting, come back and review what you've posted. Try to add at least one extra detail, no matter how measly. The more you edit, the more likely you are to remember something else. Don't forget that each quality edit will mean more attention for your question when it gets bumped back to the top of the front page.
Oh, and if someone posts the right answer, remember to be polite and accept the answer, even if that means having to spend a few minutes finding your login details!
