Finding Film Reviews and Finding Film Reviews and Film CriticismFilm Criticism

1. Describe organization of library information

2. Introduce selected sources for finding books and journal articles in film studies

3. Discuss how to select article databases (and determine what’s in them)

4. Discuss how to develop search strategies

5. Discuss how to develop search strategies

Writing About Writing About Film…Film…

CurrenCurrentt

HistoricaHistoricall(The movies are (The movies are over 100 years over 100 years old!)old!)

ScholarlScholarly/y/In-depthIn-depth

IndustryIndustry

Pop and Pop and fanfan

•ReviewsReviews•Critical/Scholarly Articles Critical/Scholarly Articles

inin•Periodicals (aka magazines, Periodicals (aka magazines,

journals, serials…)journals, serials…)•NewspapersNewspapers

•BooksBooks•Biography, genre writing, Biography, genre writing, thematic writing, individual thematic writing, individual films, individual directors, films, individual directors, specific erasspecific eras

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

•Other online databasesOther online databases

What Kinds of Stuff is out there?What Kinds of Stuff is out there?

Reviews? Reviews? Critical Articles?Critical Articles?

Whas tha difference?Whas tha difference?

Journal Articles:Journal Articles: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 journals

Multiple Disciplines!!!!!! Everyone is interested in film!

Discuss 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

Journal Articles:Journal Articles:

Critical analysis:

Scholarly writing about film…really only took off after the 1950s

So…..So…..

Critical analysis of pre-WWII films written atCritical analysis of pre-WWII films written atthe time the movie was released are rarethe time the movie was released are rare

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

•Catalogs: Catalogs: OskiCatOskiCat

•Article databases (Indexes)Article databases (Indexes)

Inventory of what the Inventory of what the Library owns:Library owns:BooksBooksJournals (Journals (BUT NOT what’s BUT NOT what’s inside of them!!!!!!inside of them!!!!!!) )

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

Search by:Search by:•AuthorAuthor•TitleTitle•Subject (keywords)Subject (keywords)

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

……But what But what isis OskiCat, OskiCat,my darling?my darling?

The Information Universe: Finding ArticlesArticle Databases (Indexes/Abstracts)

**Databases produced by different commercial publishers; often look/act differently from one another.

• ** Regularly updated

• ** Allow subject/author searching in a group of journals in a particular discipline or topical area.

• ** Some indexes also offer abstracts AND/OR FULLLLL FULLLLL TEXXXXT!TEXXXXT!

•Look at the listings of article databases available via the library www.lib.berkeley.edu

•General Databases are often good places to start (particularly for newsy/topical issues)

Choosing an Articles database (index)Choosing an Articles database (index)

Gary’s Desert Island Index/Article Database List

NoNow Playing

GH Desert Island Index/Article Database List

NoNow Playing

•Academic Search Complete

•MLA Bibliography

•FIAF Index

•International Index to the Performing Arts

Two possibilities:

•Links you to full-text Links you to full-text in ANOTHER article in ANOTHER article databasedatabase

OrOr

•Flips you over to Flips you over to MELVYL so you can MELVYL so you can locate a physical copy locate a physical copy of the journal at UCB or of the journal at UCB or elsewhere.elsewhere.

Connecting from off-campus

Instructions at http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/Instructions at http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/HELP/CONNECTING FROM OFF CAMPUSHELP/CONNECTING FROM OFF CAMPUS

But Remember: Not everything is online!!!!!:

•Article Databases: Generally only go back 10-20 yrs online (some exceptions – e.g. Historical Newspapers)

•Not every journal is indexed (but most major scholarly ones are)

•Fairly small (but rapidly growing) subset of the books and journal universe is currently available in full-text

Online is Cool…

Remember Also:

•Not every topic has lots written about it, either in books or journal lit.

--Research on very current topics

--Research on radically specific topics

--Research on topics off the beaten academic track or off the current pop culture radar

How to Begin? Before you click: THINK

•Formulate a concise, concrete statement of

the research problem•Formulate your search in terms of

keywords and key phrases:

The impact of television advertising and television violence on school performance and pre-adolesecent social interaction.

How to Begin? Before you click: THINK

•Think of synonyms for key words/phrases

The impact of television advertising and television violence on school performance and pre-adolesecent social interaction.

ChildrenYouthAdolescents…etc.

CommercialsAds…etc.Academic achievement

Grades…etc.

MediaTV…etc

Socialization, relationships,peer interaction…etc.

The Information Universe

What to do if nothing is turning up:

•Tweak your topic: Broaden it / select a different angle•Rethink your search strategy (new keywords, new concepts, etc.)•Bail out completely and choose another topic

A few cautionary words about research on the Net

LibraryLand

The NetGoogle Rocks!

Gooooogle Scholar???

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).

…being driven over the edge by your research?

Call me:Gary Handman

643-8566

ghandman@library.berkeley.edu