From Video Underbelly

Every film's death or sleaze should be categorized. Use these guidelines for proper cataloging.

Quick tips

1. Categorize the entire death scene, not just a single frame or image upload.
2. Be as specific, but generic, as possible (ie., "death by knife", not "hunting knife").
3. Use modifiers as necessary ("preamble", "insurance", "accidental", etc.).
4. Always use Template:Death by to indicate deaths.

Additional notes

When in doubt, ask. If you don't know how to classify a death, describe the scene, provide screens, and ask in Talk:Death by guidelines.

Use your best judgment. Any categorization system, controlled or not, can fail due to strictness or a distinct lack thereof. Know when to stray, or provide enough information and screen captures to let someone else double-check your thoughts. Some people have the right mindset for vocabularies, and some don't. No worries.

Be specific, but not too specific. Very narrow categories like "Death by 5-inch knife", "Death by hunting knife" or "Death by toothed knife" aren't entirely useful - those should all be classified as simply "Death by knife". Exceptions to this consideration include differently named items ("Death by switchblade" and "Death by machete" are OK), or of unique interest ("Death by butter knife" might be OK, but it'll probably only ever be used once, making it useless as a "category"). "Death by werewolf" is OK (as would be "vampire", "midget", "chupacabra", "scarecrow", etc.) but "Death by bear" is better stated as "Death by animal" (with a matching screen of a bear).

Modifiers

Modifiers tweak any death to indicate specific conditions and are always placed in parenthesis, such "Death by axe (accidental)". Only one modifier is allowed per usage - instead of "Death by axe (accidental, sleaze)", use "Death by axe (accidental)" AND "Death by axe (sleaze)" (represented with Template:Death by as {{Death by|axe (accidental)|axe (sleaze)}}. Only use the modifiers defined below, and only when necessary. If you've suggestions for more, use Talk:Death by guidelines.

accidental 

The character's death was accidental (falling on an axe, slipping off a mountain, etc.).

insurance 

This didn't cause the death, but happened afterwards as a bit of insurance that the character would stay dead. Decapitating someone with an axe, then throwing their head in a fire, would be "Death by axe", "Death by decapitation" and "Death by fire (insurance)". Using Template:Death by, your code would be {{Death by|axe|decapitation|fire (insurance)}}. Compare insurance (always after death) with preamble (always before death). Insurance should only be used when there is no doubt the character is already dead.

offscreen

The death occurred entirely offscreen. We may see a shot of the character screaming about his impending doom, but if the scene changes and we never see that character again, the implication is they died offscreen. No part of the act of death has been filmed.

preamble 

This injury didn't kill the character outright, but would have given patience. If someone has been stabbed with an knife twenty times, begins to feebly crawl away, then gets shot with a shotgun, it'd be "Death by knife (preamble)" and "Death by shotgun". Compare preamble (always before death) with insurance (always after death). Preamble should only be used when there is no doubt the character will die from their injuries, but still clutches to life. Chopping off someone's hand is probably not a preamble, as the character could create a tourniquet and have a decent chance of living. Chopping off someone's foot and then leaving them to bleed slowly to death tied to a pipe would be "Death by dismemberment" (no preamble, since there's no other followup).

self-inflicted

The character died by their own hand (such as hanging themselves, etc.).

sleaze 

The death occurred when the character was nude (half- or full-frontal) or otherwise demonstrating a sleazy situation (while wearing lingerie, having sex, etc.). When using this modifier, you should also use a matching sleaze by with the death modifier.