Anthologies, Omnibus Films & Episodic Formats

General Info

Anthologies, omnibus films, and episodic-format dramas may all contain self-contained stories, but they are structured differently and should not be treated the same when creating title pages or adding cast and crew information.

Use the rules below to determine the correct format, whether individual stories require separate title pages, how those pages should be classified and connected, and where their cast and crew should be added, as well as how to tag each page.

Understanding the Formats

Anthology

An anthology is a drama consisting of separate, self-contained stories, each with its own plot and story-specific characters. A recurring character may connect, observe, or participate in the stories. Each story may span one or more episodes or an entire season.

A recurring character does not automatically make a drama episodic rather than an anthology. The important distinction is whether the recurring character remains the central focus of the series or primarily connects, observes, or participates in otherwise separate stories.

Example:
Story A → Main Cast A + recurring connecting character
Story B → Main Cast B + recurring connecting character
Story C → Main Cast C + recurring connecting character

The stories remain independent even though one character appears throughout.

Episodic Format

An episodic-format drama has recurring main characters and a continuing setting or premise, while each episode tells a largely self-contained story. The episode-specific plot is introduced and substantially resolved within the same episode.

Example:
Recurring Main Cast → remains throughout the drama
Episode 1 → Case/Story A
Episode 2 → Case/Story B
Episode 3 → Case/Story C

The episode-specific characters and situations change, but the recurring characters remain the main focus.

A drama should not receive the Episodic Format tag merely because it contains several cases, missions, clients, or story arcs. If one story or case continues across multiple episodes before another begins, this is generally a regular drama with multi-episode story arcs rather than an Episodic Format. The individual story must normally be introduced and substantially resolved within the same episode.

Example:
Episodic Format:
Episode 1 → Story A begins and substantially ends
Episode 2 → Story B begins and substantially ends
Episode 3 → Story C begins and substantially ends

Regular drama with story arcs:
Episodes 1–4 → Story/Case A
Episodes 5–8 → Story/Case B
Episodes 9–12 → Story/Case C

Anthology vs. Episodic Format

A simple way to distinguish the two is:

• Anthology: The central story and story-specific main characters change.

• Episodic Format: The main characters remain the focus while the episode-specific story changes.

A recurring narrator, observer, host, framing character, or other connecting character does not prevent a drama from being an anthology.

Omnibus

An omnibus is a movie consisting of multiple separate, self-contained stories or segments, each with its own plot and story-specific characters. A recurring character may connect, observe, or participate in the stories, which may also share a common theme or setting.

On MDL, the Anthology tag is used for dramas, while Omnibus is used for movies.

Separate Pages for Anthology Stories

Not every story within an anthology requires its own title page.

Anthology stories should be handled consistently within the same anthology or season. Either the individual stories are represented through separate title pages, or all stories remain on the mother anthology page. Do not create separate pages for only some stories within the same anthology or season.

When Separate Pages Should Be Created

Separate pages should normally be used when an anthology is structured around distinct, named, self-contained stories that span two or more episodes each.

For example:
Episodes 1–5 → Story A
Episodes 6–10 → Story B
Episodes 11–15 → Story C

The episodes must be officially grouped and presented as one story within the anthology. Ordinary multi-episode story arcs in a continuing drama should not be split into separate title pages.

When an anthology uses this separate-page structure, all officially identified stories within the same anthology or season should be handled consistently. An occasional story consisting of only one episode may therefore also receive its own page when it is officially presented as an equivalent constituent story alongside the other multi-episode stories.

When Separate Pages Should Not Be Created

Separate pages should normally not be created when an anthology is structured primarily around one self-contained story per regular episode.

For example:
Episode 1 → Story A
Episode 2 → Story B
Episode 3 → Story C
Episode 4 → Story D

These stories should remain on the anthology page even when each episode has its own story title, cast, crew, credits, poster, key art, or promotional material.

A single-episode story having these elements does not by itself make it a separate title.

Exception for Independently Existing Works

A single-episode structure may still support separate story pages when reliable official information establishes that the constituent stories are independently produced or released works, rather than ordinary episodes created as part of the anthology.

Evidence may include a separate theatrical, festival, television, or streaming release, or other reliable official information establishing an independent production history.

The same page structure should then be applied consistently to the anthology or season.

Separate Pages for Omnibus Stories

Not every story or segment within an omnibus movie requires its own title page.

As with anthologies, constituent stories within the same omnibus should be handled consistently. Either the omnibus is treated as a collection of individual works with separate pages, or its stories remain together on the omnibus page.

When Separate Pages Should Be Created

Individual stories should receive separate pages when official sources establish that the omnibus consists of distinct short films or independently identifiable works that have been collected or presented together.

Evidence may include:
- official identification as an individual short film or work;
- a separate production or release history;
- an individual title;
- its own director, writer, cast, and production credits;
- an individual poster or key art;
- substantial separate promotion;
- evidence that the work was separately produced, commissioned, selected, or submitted before being incorporated into the omnibus.

An independent theatrical, festival, television, or streaming release strongly establishes eligibility, but a separate release is not required when official information otherwise clearly establishes the stories as individual works.

When Separate Pages Should Not Be Created

Stories created and presented merely as segments or chapters of one omnibus movie should remain on the omnibus page.

A different story, title, cast, director, writer, set of credits, poster, or promotional material does not by itself establish that a segment is a separate work.

The important distinction is whether the omnibus collects individual works or is itself one movie divided into multiple stories or segments.

Content Type for Separate Pages

When separate pages are required, use the following Content Types and Content Formats.

Anthology Series

• Mother page: Drama → Standard Series / Web Series / Vertical Series

• Individual story page: Drama → Drama Special

The mother page represents the complete anthology or season, while each eligible self-contained story is entered as a Drama Special.

Omnibus Movies

• Mother page: Movie → Feature Film

• Individual story page: Movie → Short Film

Both the complete omnibus and its qualifying individual works use the Movie Content Type.

Related Titles

When separate pages are created, the mother page and individual story pages must be connected through Related Titles.

On the Mother Page

After adding each individual story page, choose:

• Compilation

On the Individual Story Page

Connect back to the mother anthology or omnibus using:

• Original Story

This structure applies to both anthology dramas and omnibus movies.

Genres & Tags

Genres and tags should describe the content represented by the page on which they are added. Their placement therefore depends on whether the individual stories remain on the mother page or have their own separate title pages.

Stories Without Separate Pages

When individual anthology stories or omnibus segments do not have separate title pages, their applicable genres and tags should be added to the mother page.

Genres and tags may be added based on the content of individual stories even when they do not apply to every story within the anthology or omnibus. Since those stories are represented entirely through the mother page, their relevant content should also be reflected there.

For example, if an anthology contains separate stories involving romance, supernatural events, school life, and revenge, the applicable genres and tags from those stories may all be added to the anthology page.

• The Anthology tag should be added to the mother page of an anthology drama, while the Omnibus tag should be added to the mother page of an omnibus movie.

• The Multiple Endings tag may also be added to anthology and omnibus mother pages to reflect that the title contains multiple separate stories, each reaching its own conclusion.

Stories With Separate Pages

When individual stories have their own title pages, genres and tags should be divided according to what each page represents.

The mother page should contain genres and tags that describe the overall production, including its shared format, structure, themes, or other content applicable to the anthology or omnibus as a whole.

Story-specific genres and tags should instead be added to the corresponding individual story pages.

For example:
Story A: Horror, Supernatural
Story B: Romance, Drama
Story C: Comedy, Friendship

These genres and tags should be added to their respective story pages rather than automatically copied to the mother page.

The Anthology tag belongs on the mother page of an anthology and should not be added to an individual story page solely because that story is part of an anthology.

Likewise, the Omnibus tag belongs on the mother omnibus page and should not automatically be added to its individual story pages.

Structural tags such as Anthology or Omnibus may only be added to an individual story page if that individual work independently meets the definition of the tag.

Do Not Automatically Copy Genres & Tags

Having separate pages does not mean that genres and tags should automatically be copied between the mother page and its individual stories.

Each page should be considered according to the content it represents:

• Mother page: overall/shared genres and tags

• Individual story page: genres and tags specific to that story

A genre or tag may appear on both the mother page and one or more individual story pages when it genuinely applies to both.

Cast & Crew — Stories Without Separate Pages

When individual stories remain on the mother anthology or omnibus page, their cast and crew should also be added to that page.

Cast

Cast roles must be determined according to each actor's importance within their individual story, not according to how much of the complete anthology or omnibus they appear in.

For example:
Main character of Story A → Main Role
Supporting character of Story A → Supporting Role
Guest character in Story A → Guest Role

Do not classify the main character of an individual story as a Guest Role simply because the actor appears in only one episode or segment of the overall title.

Other available cast classifications, including Cameo, Bit Part, Voice Actor, Extras Casting, and Unknown, continue to follow the normal Cast guidelines.

Character Names

The story or segment title must be placed before the character name using the following format:

• {Story Name} Character Name [Character descriptor]

• Example: {Tell Me Your Name} Yin Jong [Student]

This identifies which story the character belongs to and prevents characters from separate stories from appearing to belong to the same narrative.

Actors Appearing in Multiple Stories

When the same actor appears as different characters in multiple stories, list the individual roles within the actor's available Character field.

Each role must be identified by its corresponding story:

• {Story A} Pedro | {Story B} Ramon | {Story C} Miguel

If all story and character names cannot fit within the Character field limit, include complete story/character entries in chronological release order for as many roles as the field allows.

Do not abbreviate or alter official story or character names solely to fit additional roles.

Crew

Officially credited crew members belonging to the individual stories may be added to the mother page when those stories do not have separate pages.

Since Crew entries contain only the person's name and crew position, the individual story or segment associated with a crew credit cannot be specified.

All normal Crew guidelines continue to apply, including the rule that each person may hold only one crew position per title page. If a person is credited in multiple positions across different stories, use the highest applicable position according to the normal Crew rules.

Cast & Crew — Stories With Separate Pages

When the individual stories have separate title pages, their story-specific cast and crew should be added to those pages rather than duplicated on the mother page.

Cast

• Story-specific cast should be added to the individual story page and classified according to the normal Cast guidelines.

• The {Story Name} prefix is not required on an individual story page, since the page itself already represents that story.

• The mother page should contain only cast members who genuinely belong to the recurring framework of the overall anthology or omnibus, if applicable.

• An actor who appears in multiple separate stories as different characters is not considered recurring cast merely because they have appeared in the anthology or omnibus more than once.

• If all story-specific cast belongs on the individual pages and there is no recurring cast belonging to the overall production, the mother page should be left without cast.

Crew

• Crew members credited specifically for an individual story should be added to that story's page and should not be duplicated on the mother page.

• Crew members officially credited for the anthology or omnibus as an overall production may be added to the mother page.

• A crew member should not be treated as overall-production crew merely because they worked on several individual stories. Their credit must actually apply to the overall production.

• If a person has both an overall production credit and a separate story-specific credit, the appropriate credit may appear on both pages.

• If there is no crew officially credited for the overall production, the mother page may be left without crew.

Episodic Format — Pages, Cast & Crew

Individual episodes of an Episodic Format drama should not receive separate title pages merely because they contain self-contained stories.

Cast and crew remain on the main drama page and follow the normal Cast and Crew guidelines.

Recurring principal characters should be classified normally as Main or Supporting Roles. Characters appearing specifically for an individual episode or its self-contained story should generally be classified as Guest Roles, unless another cast classification is more appropriate under the normal Cast guidelines.

The {Story Name} Character Name [Character descriptor] format used for anthology and omnibus stories is not required merely because a drama uses an Episodic Format.

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