film research: primarily primary library film studies site: gary handman...

Film Research: Primarily Primary Film Research: Primarily Primary

Library Film Studies Site: Library Film Studies Site: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/filmstudies/index.htmlhttp://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/filmstudies/index.html

Gary HandmanGary [email protected]@library.berkeley.edu3-86663-8666

1. Describe the primary and secondary sources available for film studies and other media research

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

3. Introduce a group of basic moves and features common to many online catalogs and indexes.

4. Practice using these features in selected databases.

•Journals, Magazines, Newspapers Journals, Magazines, Newspapers •Reviews Reviews •Fan Writing / GossipFan Writing / Gossip•Industry newsIndustry news•Scholarly (or at least serious) Scholarly (or at least serious) analysis and criticismanalysis and criticism

•BooksBooks•Scholarly Scholarly •Pop schlockPop schlock•Hybrids (thorough but popular)Hybrids (thorough but popular)

•The WebThe Web•Ezines (pop and more substantive)Ezines (pop and more substantive)•Fan sites, blogs, and sundry Fan sites, blogs, and sundry weirdnessweirdness•Studio sites / other commercial sitesStudio sites / other commercial sites•Licensed commercial databasesLicensed commercial databases

Where Does Writing About Film Where Does Writing About Film “Live”“Live”

18951895

Brothers Auguste & Louis Lumiere stage 1st public film screening, Paris

Film Scholarship & Film Criticism

Movies = 100+ YearsMovies = 100+ YearsFilm Film ScholarshipScholarship = 50 years = 50 years

William K.L. Dickson (Edison Labs)invents the “Kinetoscope”

18891889

19019033W.S. Porter

“The Great Train Robbery”

1950’s1950’s1960’s1960’sFilm StudiesFilm StudiesFilm ScholarshipFilm Scholarship

Writing about film = fan, pop, and industry perspectives Writing about film = fan, pop, and industry perspectives until until 1950’s/60’s1950’s/60’s

18891889

•Journals, Magazines, Journals, Magazines, Newspapers: Newspapers:

•From the birth of the movies on…From the birth of the movies on…

•Early reviews often utilize critical Early reviews often utilize critical apparatus of theatre and other apparatus of theatre and other performing arts (theatre reviewers performing arts (theatre reviewers frequently become film reviewers)frequently become film reviewers)

•Pre-1950 – “moving picture play” Pre-1950 – “moving picture play” reviews, gossip, newsreviews, gossip, news

•Fanzines (eg: Fanzines (eg: Photoplay, Motion Photoplay, Motion Picture HeraldPicture Herald))•Industry news (e.g. Industry news (e.g. VarietyVariety))•Daily newspapers (eg, Daily newspapers (eg, NY NY Times)Times)•Pop press Pop press (e.g.Time, (e.g.Time, Newsweek,The Nation, Newsweek,The Nation, ))

Post-1950=Post-1950=expanding expanding coverage in both coverage in both pop pop andand scholarly scholarly press across press across disciplines (Literary disciplines (Literary journals, ethnic journals, ethnic studies, women’s studies, women’s studies, political studies, political science, history, science, history, etc.)etc.)

……How do you locate How do you locate this stuff?this stuff?

•Listing of pre-1980 film Listing of pre-1980 film journals journals http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/Mhttp://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/ filmstudies/ RC/ filmstudies/

•At UCB, many broken At UCB, many broken holdingsholdings•Indexing of titles is spotty Indexing of titles is spotty at bestat best

Early film writing: Journals and MagazineEarly film writing: Journals and Magazine

……but first, a but first, a digression…digression…

The Information UniverseThe Information Universe

Library Catalog(s)

Journal/NewspaperIndexes

(sometimes aka article databases)

Library Catalog(s)

Pathfinder: UCB Library holdings only

MELVYL (CDL cat): All 9 UC Campuses

•An inventory of what the library owns, from books and journals, to maps, manuscripts, media…

•Search by Author, Title, Subject (keywords and phrases)

•Whole books & print and electronic journals, NOT what’s inside of those publications

NNOOTTE E

BBEENNEE

•Library indexes in all subjects at: Library indexes in all subjects at: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/•Film Studies indexes at:Film Studies indexes at:•http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/filmstudies/http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/filmstudies/reviewslist.htmlreviewslist.html

•Best bet general retrospective online indexes:Best bet general retrospective online indexes:

•Readers Guide RetrospectiveReaders Guide Retrospective (pop journals & Film Quarterly back to (pop journals & Film Quarterly back to

1867.1867.

•Historical NewspapersHistorical Newspapers ( (full-textfull-text including ads!) including ads!)

•NY TimesNY Times 1851-current, 1851-current, •LA TimesLA Times 1881-1923 and 1999-current 1881-1923 and 1999-current

•Periodicals Contents Index (PCI)Periodicals Contents Index (PCI) (first issue– (first issue– indexing) indexing) Monthly Film BulletinMonthly Film Bulletin (1934/1935- (1934/1935-1991); 1991); Sight and Sight and SoundSound (1932-1991); (1932-1991); Film Film QuarterlyQuarterly (1945- (1945- present); present); Film ReviewFilm Review (1944-present), et al. (1944-present), et al.

Early film writing: Journals and MagazineEarly film writing: Journals and Magazine

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 JOURNAL up the JOURNAL holdingsholdings

MetropolisMetropolis

Fritz Lang, 1927Fritz Lang, 1927

……Other useful resources for primary source Other useful resources for primary source writing about filmwriting about film

•AFI Catalog (online credit database that AFI Catalog (online credit database that includes selective cites to articles and reviews)includes selective cites to articles and reviews)

•British Film Institute, Film Index International British Film Institute, Film Index International (FII) (selective cites to current and (FII) (selective cites to current and retrospective reviews and articles—emphasis retrospective reviews and articles—emphasis on Brit pubs)on Brit pubs)

•NYT Encyclopedia of FilmNYT Encyclopedia of Film – (print vols in MRC – (print vols in MRC & Main Reference)& Main Reference)

•Hanson and Hanson: Film Review Index Hanson and Hanson: Film Review Index 1886-1886-19861986 Print: PN1995.F54 1986 Print: PN1995.F54 1986 in MRC and Main in MRC and Main StaxStax

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

•Critical/Scholarly Articles Critical/Scholarly Articles

•Film JournalsFilm Journals

•Subject-based journals (expanding Subject-based journals (expanding disciplinary focus)disciplinary focus)

•Decent indexing available: check out Decent indexing available: check out http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/ http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/ filmstudies/index.htmlfilmstudies/index.html

•My Faves:My Faves:

•FIAF IndexFIAF Index

•MLAMLA

•Expanded Academic IndexExpanded Academic Index

•International Index to the Performing International Index to the Performing Arts Arts

•Art Abstracts and Art Index Art Abstracts and Art Index Retrospective Retrospective

•America: History and Life America: History and Life

`̀

Other Primary SourceOther Primary Source

•Catalogs: Catalogs:

•Motion picture catalogs by Motion picture catalogs by American producers and American producers and distributors, 1894-1908distributors, 1894-1908

NEWS: NEWS: MICROFILM.48027MICROFILM.48027

•A Guide to Motion picture A Guide to Motion picture catalogs by American producers catalogs by American producers and distributors, 1894-1908and distributors, 1894-1908

NEWS: PN1993.5.U6 NEWS: PN1993.5.U6 G85 1985G85 1985

Subject SearchingL 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

How to Begin? Before you click: THINK

Formulate your search in terms of keyword and key phrases:

Sex and Death in the films of Woody Allen.

The representation of gender and masculinity in the films of Jim Jarmusch.

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 Woody Allen.

The representation [reflect* portray*] of gender [sex*] and masculinity [masculin*, male, men] in the films [cinema, movie*] of Jim Jarmusch.

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

•Go broader•Approach from a different angle•Rethink/retry search words and

phrases

Not finding enough?

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).

D.W. GriffithD.W. GriffithJudith of Bethulia (1914)Judith of Bethulia (1914)

Media Resources Center: Media Resources Center: www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRCwww.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC

……being driven totally psycho by being driven totally psycho by your research?your research?Call me:Call me:

Gary HandmanGary Handman643-8566643-8566

[email protected]@library.berkeley.edu

film research: primarily primary library film studies site: gary handman...

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