Film Research: The BasicsFilm Research: The Basics

Gary HandmanGary Handmanghandman@library.berkeley.edu3-86663-8666

1. Describe the types and sources of information available related to film studies and other media research

2. Discuss how to find this stuff in the library, using print and online resources

CurrentCurrent

ScholarlScholarly/y/In-depthIn-depth

Pop and Pop and fanfan

HistoricalHistorical

Writing About Writing About Film…Film…

IndustryIndustry

Cabinet of Dr. CaligariCabinet of Dr. Caligari

•Journals, Magazines, NewspapersJournals, Magazines, Newspapers•ReviewsReviews•Critical/ScholarlyArticles Critical/ScholarlyArticles

•BooksBooks

•Web Sites (more about this Web Sites (more about this later…)later…)

•Other online databasesOther online databases

Sources for Film & Sources for Film & TV Scholarship TV Scholarship and Researchand Research

Journal Articles:Journal Articles:Reviews? Critical Writing? Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the Diff?What’s the Diff?

Reviews:

Found in popular periodicals, film periodicals, and (less often) in more scholarly journals

Assessment of aesthetic and content merits of a film

Usually cover current releases, more pop theatrical releases

Tend to be relatively short and relatively superficial (with some exceptions and depending on the publication and who’s doing the writing)

Journal Articles:Journal Articles: Reviews? Reviews?

Critical Writing? What’s the Diff?Critical Writing? What’s the Diff? Critical analysis: Found in books and scholarly or film-related journalsDiscuss films in:

broader historical, cultural, political, artistic context and/orFocus on a specific aspect of a film, film genre, or filmmaker

Tend to be longer, more substantive than reviews (with some exceptions and depending on the publication and who’s doing the writing)Often include notes, bibliographies, other scholarly apparatus

Len LyeLen Lye

Found in:Found in:•Popular & fan journals and Popular & fan journals and newspapersnewspapers•Film studies & scholarly journalsFilm studies & scholarly journals•Web sites Web sites

•Fan and enthusiast sitesFan and enthusiast sites•Commercial sites (e.g., studio Commercial sites (e.g., studio

sites, video sites, video distributors)distributors)•Academic sites Academic sites

REVIEWSREVIEWS•CurrentCurrent•Historical (older)Historical (older)

Found in:Found in:•Film studies Film studies

& scholarly journals in & scholarly journals in other other disciplines—eg:disciplines—eg:

•Language & LitLanguage & Lit•Women’s studiesWomen’s studies•Gay/Lesbian studiesGay/Lesbian studies•Area studies…etc.Area studies…etc.

•Web sites (even lessWeb sites (even less occasionally…except for occasionally…except for academic and commercial academic and commercial databases)databases)

Critical/Scholarly ArticlesCritical/Scholarly Articles•CurrentCurrent•Historical (scholarly Historical (scholarly writing about film: writing about film: 1950’s--)1950’s--)

Journal Articles and ReviewsJournal Articles and Reviews

. Beller, Jonathan L. . Beller, Jonathan L. ““Man with a Movie Camera Man with a Movie Camera (movie reviews) (movie reviews) Communication Communication ResearchResearch April 1993 v20 n2 April 1993 v20 n2 p298(16) p298(16)

ReviewsReviews

Carroll, Noel Carroll, Noel "Causation, the Ampliation of "Causation, the Ampliation of Movement and Avant-garde Film." Movement and Avant-garde Film." MillenniumMillennium /10-11, Fall-Winter 81- /10-11, Fall-Winter 81-82; p.61-8282; p.61-82

Critical/ScholarlyArticlesCritical/ScholarlyArticles

Jean-Luc GodardJean-Luc Godard

BooksBooks•Scholarly/authoritative worksScholarly/authoritative works

•Pop schlock and fan worksPop schlock and fan works

How Do You Tell em’ How Do You Tell em’ apart?apart?

• Author’s credentials/affiliationsAuthor’s credentials/affiliations

• Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI, University Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI, University Presses vs pop press)Presses vs pop press)

• Scholarly apparatus and sources: Scholarly apparatus and sources: notes, bibliographies, other notes, bibliographies, other documentationdocumentation

• If they’ve been widely cited by other If they’ve been widely cited by other scholarsscholars

……But how do you locate this stuff?But how do you locate this stuff?

…Use Pathfinder

Search by:Search by:•AuthorAuthor•Title Title (phrase or (phrase or keywords)keywords)•Subject (phrase or Subject (phrase or keywords)keywords)

Inventory of what Inventory of what the Library owns:the Library owns:Books Books

Journals (but not what’s Journals (but not what’s inside of inside of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Media (video & sound Media (video & sound recording)recording)

Manuscripts, documents, Manuscripts, documents, maps…etc. etc. etc. etc.)maps…etc. etc. etc. etc.)

Articles/ReviewsArticles/Reviews(how do you find this (how do you find this

stuff?)stuff?)

Film-related (not many exist) Film-related (not many exist) General news General news Literary and ArtsLiterary and ArtsOther disciplines: e.g. Women’s Other disciplines: e.g. Women’s Studies, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, History…etc.Studies, History…etc.

Jumping Off point for Finding Online Indexes:Jumping Off point for Finding Online Indexes:http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/filmstudies/reviewslist.html

Article databases andArticle databases andPrint IndexesPrint Indexes

Once You Find a Citation, Once You Find a Citation, How Do You Find the Journal/Article?How Do You Find the Journal/Article?

•Some indexes provide Some indexes provide holdings info [UC eLinks]holdings info [UC eLinks]

•Some indexes Some indexes link tolink to full-textfull-text

If neither…use If neither…use PathfinderPathfinder to look to look up the JOURNALup the JOURNAL

MetropolisMetropolisFritz LangFritz Lang

How to Begin? Before you click: THINK

Formulate your search in terms of:

•KEY WORDS and SYNOMYMS: --Looks for words anywhere in record: title, subject, abstract and full-text (if avail)

•PHRASES:--Looks for words in the exact order entered

Seashell & the ClergymanSeashell & the ClergymanDir. Germain DulacDir. Germain Dulac

How to Begin? Before you click: THINK

Formulate your search in terms of keyword and key phrases:

Sex and Death in the films of Andy Warhol

The representation of gender and masculinity in adult films

How to Begin? Before you click: THINK

Formulate your search in terms of keyword and key phrases:

Sex [women, love, relationships] and Death [dying, mortality, fate] in the films [cinema, movie*] of Andy Warhol

The representation [reflect* portray*] of gender [sex*] and masculinity [masculin*, male, men] in adult [erotic, pornographic] films [cinema, movie*]

Truncation varies from db to db: * # ?emigra* = emigrant, emigrants, emigrate, emigration

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/FilmBibMenu.html

a growing listing of bibliographies on various film topics and individual films compiled by MRC (includes bibs for genres, filmmakers, national cinemas, and individual film).

Marcel DuchampMarcel Duchamp

…being driven over the edge by your research?

Call me:Gary Handman

643-8566ghandman@library.berkeley.edu

Review this presentation at:http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/filmstudies/instruction.html