---
{"title": "How to track films seen by director in 2026", "description": "Build a director checklist, mark films as seen, and keep a clear total with a spreadsheet, paper record, or a separate list workflow.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/how-to-track-how-many-films-by-a-director-are-seen-for-director-focused-viewers/", "date": "2026-11-10"}
---
Build a director checklist, mark films as seen, and keep a clear total with a spreadsheet, paper record, or a separate list workflow.

Choose a director, make a checklist of the films included in the project, and give each film a clear seen or unseen status. Count only the films marked seen. Keep the same inclusion rules throughout, so the total reflects a consistent viewing project.

| Option | Role in the workflow | Things to check |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet | Keep a film checklist with a viewing status beside each title. | Check counting by status, saving a copy, and editing on the preferred screen. |
| Paper checklist | Mark completed films and maintain a written total. | Decide how to record corrections, uncertain viewings, and repeat viewings. |
| Watcharr | Turn a public IMDb list into a movie link for Radarr and a show link for Sonarr. [^1] | Check where completed viewings and the director total will be recorded. |

## What you need before you start

Decide what belongs in the director project before building the checklist. A project might cover feature films, short films, documentaries, or a chosen combination. Write down whether shared directing credits count and whether unfinished films or television work belong in the record. These choices define what the total means.

Prepare a working film list with titles and release years. Keep a note of where the information came from so uncertain credits can be checked later. When titles have alternate names, put those names together in the same entry rather than treating them as separate films.

Choose what counts as seen. Finishing a film, watching part of it, and planning to watch it should have separate meanings in the record. If an earlier viewing is uncertain, leave a note instead of adding it to the confirmed total.

Choose where the record will live and how it will be updated. A spreadsheet or paper checklist can hold the viewing record. Keep a separate place for films still being considered for inclusion. That prevents an unresolved credit from quietly changing the scope of the project.

## Step by step

1. **Define the project.** Write the director’s name and a short inclusion rule at the top of the record. State whether the project includes features, shorts, documentaries, and shared directing credits. Keep the rule visible while adding titles so later decisions follow the same approach.

2. **Build the film checklist.** Give each film its own entry with its title and release year. Add an alternate title when it helps identify the film. Check whether similar entries refer to the same work before keeping both. Put uncertain directing credits aside until they can be resolved.

3. **Create clear viewing statuses.** Use labels such as unseen, started, and seen. Keep planned viewing separate from completed viewing. Decide how abandoned films will be recorded, then apply that decision consistently. A film can remain on the checklist without contributing to the seen total.

4. **Record earlier viewings.** Work through the checklist and mark films already completed. Add a viewing date when it is known, but leave it blank when memory is uncertain. Use a note for films that seem familiar but cannot confidently be marked seen. Avoid turning a guess into a confirmed viewing.

5. **Count completed films.** Count the entries marked seen and compare that count with the included film list. In a spreadsheet, check that any counting formula covers the intended entries and uses the exact status label. On paper, review the completed marks and write the total beside the checklist.

6. **Choose the next film separately.** Keep a watch-next note beside the viewing record. Availability, interest, or a chronological approach can guide that choice. Moving a film into the next-watch position should leave its viewing status unchanged until it has actually been completed.

7. **Update after watching.** Mark the film seen, add any useful date or note, and update the total. Record repeat viewings in the existing entry so watching the same film again does not increase the count of distinct films completed.

8. **Review changes to the project.** When adding a newly discovered title, check it against the original inclusion rule. If the scope changes, write down the reason. Review the checklist for duplicate titles, uncertain statuses, and entries that no longer belong before relying on the total.

## Tools that can do it

**Spreadsheet**

Use a spreadsheet as the viewing record by giving each film a row and keeping its title, year, viewing status, and notes together. Keep the status wording consistent so the completed entries can be counted reliably. Before choosing an app, check how to save a copy, use it on the preferred screen, and count entries by status.

**Paper checklist**

Write the included films on paper and leave space beside each title for its viewing status. Keep the current total beside the list and revise it after marking a film completed. This approach needs a clear way to handle corrections, alternate titles, and repeat viewings. Choose a place to keep the checklist where it will be available after watching.

**Watcharr**

Paste a public IMDb list into Watcharr to get a Radarr link containing its movies and a Sonarr link containing its shows. [^1] It accepts public IMDb watchlists and lists from the desktop site, phone site, and IMDb’s other-language pages. [^1]

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [^1] If you sign in, Watcharr re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. [^1] If a read fails, its links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [^1]

**Things to check before you choose**

Check whether the chosen tool records completed viewing, counts films by director, and distinguishes repeat viewings from distinct films. Also check whether the film list can be corrected without losing viewing notes. For a list-to-library workflow, decide where the separate seen record will be maintained.

## Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid counting films that are merely on a watchlist. A plan to watch a film and a completed viewing need different labels. Keep those meanings separate when copying titles between records or choosing what to watch next.

Avoid changing the inclusion rules without updating the project note. Adding short films or shared directing credits changes the set being tracked. Record that choice so a later total can be understood without reconstructing every decision.

Avoid giving alternate titles separate entries for the same film. Check the release year and existing notes before adding an unfamiliar title. Record a repeat viewing beside the original entry instead of making another completed-film entry.

Avoid treating an uncertain memory as a confirmed viewing. Leave a clear note and return to it when more information is available. The record is easier to trust when uncertainty remains visible.

Avoid keeping totals that cannot be checked against the underlying checklist. After editing entries or changing statuses, review which films contribute to the count. Keep a saved copy or a legible correction history so an accidental change does not erase the viewing record.

## Frequently asked questions

### How can a spreadsheet track films seen by director?

Create an entry for each included film and keep the director, title, release year, and viewing status together. Use consistent wording for completed films, then count entries with that status. Check the count against the checklist after changing its scope, and record repeat viewings beside the existing film entry.

### How should a paper checklist count repeat viewings?

Keep a repeat viewing beside the film’s existing entry. The completed-film total should reflect distinct films seen, while a separate note can record another viewing. If the project also tracks viewing occasions, label that total separately so it cannot be confused with the number of different films completed.

### Can Watcharr turn an IMDb director list into library links?

Paste a public IMDb list into Watcharr to get a link for Radarr containing the movies and a link for Sonarr containing the shows. [^1] Keep a viewing checklist alongside the list workflow, and check where completed films and the director total will be recorded before choosing the tracking method.

### Does Watcharr require an account or installation?

The hosted version of Watcharr needs nothing to install and no account. [^1] Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title on two lists is added only once. [^1] Decide separately how each viewer’s completed films will be recorded.

### What happens when Watcharr cannot read an IMDb list?

If a list read fails, Watcharr’s links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [^1] For signed-in users, it re-reads the list about every 15 minutes and warns when a list fails three reads in a row. [^1] Keep completed-viewing notes clear so list changes can be reviewed against the tracking record.

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [^1] - [Visit Watcharr](/go/start-watcharr)

## Sources

[^1]: Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-watcharr)