To my opinion, if the film is the same, multiple versions of it should be in the same profile.
Event if the cast change (for example, if a cut scene introduce a new character that we see 15 seconds), it's the same film. Use dividers if you want to add the cast change, but it's a feature.

Example : in the french film "ASTÉRIX & OBÉLIX : MISSION CLÉOPÂTRE", the director has added a director's cut of the film. The running times goes down from 103mn to 6mn. With such a difference, is it a new film ? No, it's a feature.

The only film I see that could use a different profile is Superman II. With a different director, it's a clearly a different film. I precise that I used the word "could", not "must".

Quoting Jayce:

Quote:
To my opinion, if the film is the same, multiple versions of it should be in the same profile.
Event if the cast change (for example, if a cut scene introduce a new character that we see 15 seconds), it's the same film. Use dividers if you want to add the cast change, but it's a feature.

Example : in the french film "ASTÉRIX & OBÉLIX : MISSION CLÉOPÂTRE", the director has added a director's cut of the film. The running times goes down from 103mn to 6mn. With such a difference, is it a new film ? No, it's a feature.

The only film I see that could use a different profile is Superman II. With a different director, it's a clearly a different film.

But what in your eyes constitutes a "different film"? Just a different director, or do you need more? For example, your way would mean that Brazil and Dune get different profiles, but Dawn of the Dead would not (as all versions are directed by Romero).
I think we're heading in the right direction - it does seem that most of you seem to feel that it's the differences in the films that dictate the use of another profile or not.
Do you think we can get it tied down any further - or do you think we can only tell these things on a case by case basis?

Quoting northbloke:

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I never mentioned packaging. I was simply giving examples of how alternate versions can be set out on the disc(s).
If you're saying it should have nothing to do with how the films are presented (which I think you are) - are you saying that deciding whether an alternate version gets a profile or not depends entirely on the film itself?
what criteria would you need to see before you gave an alternate version a separate profile?

Semantics.... I said packaging and you are talking how many discs are involved and calling it "presented". Same thing. What you wrap it in or how many discs you use should not make any difference whatsoever.

Criteria on how to decide? Where do we start? Hell, how does hollywood decide? You see, we are attempting to profile the contents of our DVDs. Some of us want a large amount of detail while others don't. Some couldn't care less about short subjects (45 minutes or less) while others of us would very much like to profile all of our silent films. Many of which were on 1 reel or less. Some would even like to see our individual cartoons profiled. Imagine the profile on the Looney Tunes collections.

So, if you want my opinion, profile it all. Yes, all of it. All the way down to who the caterer was (if he/she is credited). Well, maybe not that much detail. Anyway, my point is, I'm probably not the person to ask what criteria to use because I want to see all of the information on each of my films and I want to attach it to my individual purchases.

I currently have over 300 silent titles in my collection that I cannot profile because of the way they are packaged/presented. It would be nice to have them profiled so I could run a search and find them. It would also be nice to be able to share that information with others who have these.

Quoting Mark Harrison:

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It seems to boil down to the same question I asked in another thread.  At what point does a piece of work deserve it's own profile.  It doesn't matter what, if anything, it was released with, what side of the disc it's on, which disc in the set it's on, etc.  That's all the delivery mechanism.  And that's not what I'm interested in profiling.  I want to profile the contents of my collection regardless of where they come from or the form they come in or how it was marketed.

The tricky part then is really, when does something deserve it's own profile?  That's an extremely tough question to answer.  As Dan pointed out, there really isn't a right and wrong answer.  But no two people will give you the same answer.  Then as soon as you nail down some definition, there will be an exception.

That's exactly why I've been against all these methods people are coming up to profile anything that moves.  Whether its the 1925 version of Ben Hur or as in this case, alternate versions of the same film on one disc.  If you start down this path, it'll get slipperier and steeper.  That's just my opinion, and I'm sure somebody will slap me down and call me names, but such is life.