RESEARCHING FOR FILM APPRECIATION ENG 213

October 2, 2008

TODAY

Library Basics- In General Website and Services Resources

In-house Electronic

Building Research Basics- Project Specific

Formal Analysis Essay How to determine whether to use resources or no Which resources to use

Auteur Presentation How to get started Which resources to use

HOLY SPIRIT LIBRARY BASICS

LIBRARY WEBSITE

www.cabrini.edu/library Research Tools

Cavalog WorldCat Databases

Teaching and Learning eReserves Style Guides Research Wiki

Services About IM

CAVALOG

A catalog of what is owned by the Holy Spirit Library Includes Books, CDs, DVDs that you can check

out Also includes reference books, reserve materials

and periodicals that cannot be checked out You can search by

Title, if you know exactly what you are looking for

Author Words or Phrase Subject

Limiters Publication date

WORLDCAT

A catalog system of many member libraries around the world

Offers a comprehensive look at what exists Inter Library Loan

Find the item you are looking for Click into the detailed record Look for “Borrow this item from another library” Any Questions or concerns

ILL Contact for Holy Spirit Library is Sheri Becht 610-902-8538 or sherry.becht@cabrini.edu

ELECTRONIC DATABASES AND JOURNALS

Databases Link List of databases Links to smaller lists by subject Multipurpose

Academic Search Premier Project MUSE

News articles Lexis Nexis New York Times Access World News

Reference Oxford English Dictionary Biography Resource Center Encyclopaedia Britannica

SEARCHING DATABASES

Browsing specific articles Open Database from the databases link Type keywords into the box

Be mindful of alternative ways to say the same thing Choose Limiters

Full Text Peer-Reviewed Dates

Browsing specific journals Open the Journals link Search general term Find Journal of interest Click database that carries it’s holdings

APPROPRIATE SOURCES

Mostly Books in the Holy Spirit Library Books from other Libraries Academic Journal Articles

Maybe Newspaper Articles (New York Times and Washington

Post) Review Articles Relevant, Trustworthy, Evaluated Websites

Probably Not Just any results that come up when you search

Google Wikipedia Any Open Internet Sources

EVALUATING SOURCES

For Appropriateness Within the parameters of the assignment Scholarly Supporting of your thesis

Citations Do you have all the information that you need? Can you get it? Style Guides

RESEARCH FOR FORMAL ANALYSIS ESSAY

RESEARCH PROCESS FOR FILM ANALYSIS

Choose film- view it Determine if you would like outside resources Chose context(s) in which to research

Help determining the meaning of the film Sources to “back-up” your opinion Your essay should not entirely be a synthesis of what

others thought, use research to support your ideas Determine which kind of sources are best Search Evaluate Results Write Citations

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES FOR FORMAL ANALYSIS ESSAY

History of the American Cinema Volumes 1-10 Call # PN 1993.5 .U6 H55 1990

Academic Search Premier Multidisciplinary Database

Project MUSE Multidisciplinary Database

RESEARCHING FOR AUTEUR PRESENTATION

HOW TO START Choose Auteur Determine which films you will view Obtain and view films Answer Questions provided on your assignment sheet

a. Is there something unique/rare/characteristic about the director’s formal style?1. Are there favorite/recurring cinematographic, editing, sound, etc. techniques?2. Does the director tend to work with the same crew members (editors, DPs, etc.)?3. Are there recurring actors or types? Does the director have a diegetic alter ego?4. Does the director tend to favor a specific genre?5. Do his/her films tend to be set in the same place, or similar places?

b. Does the director write his films, as well as direct them?c. Does the director gravitate toward certain narrative devices (e.g. flashbacks, narrators)?d. Does the director favor certain types of plots or conflicts (e.g. man against nature)?e. What is the theme of the film? Is it a theme the director tends to revisit?f. Does the film have a particular/clear political point of view or message? If so, what is it?g. Would this film be drastically different if made by another director? How?

Add your own questions and answers to the list

POSSIBLE PRELIMINARY RESEARCH

If you had trouble answering any of the questions on your own you may want to research them

If any of the questions and/or answers might be something you want to discuss further with your team

Recommendations History of the American Cinema

Volumes 1-10 Call # PN 1993.5 .U6 H55 1990

Academic Search Premier Multidisciplinary Database

Project MUSE Multidisciplinary Database

NEXT STEPS

Talk with your group about your findings Answer further questions provided to you

a. What film epitomizes this director as a filmmaker?

b. What theme(s) run through his work?

c. What are some key aesthetic/visual characteristics of his work?

Determine which information and themes you would like to present As a group Separately

These will be the points that you will investigate further

DEVELOPING YOUR PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION Consider the length of your presentation allotment

10 minutes Consider what you need to cover

Steven Spielberg’s devotion to artistry Themes of holocaust and war

Consider what you know already and what you need to find out I have background information for the artistry I need to find out more about themes of holocaust and war

Research what you need to find out Search Evaluate Determine final sources and information that will be used

RECOMMENDED SOURCES FOR ACADEMIC ARTICLES

Databases Academic Search Premier Project MUSE JSTOR

RECOMMENDED WEB RESOURCES

Websites with scholarly information Cine Files http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/cinefiles/ Senses of Cinema http://www.sensesofcinema.com/ Film Philosophy http://www.film-philosophy.com/

Popular, Commercial Websites Movie Review Query Engine http://www.mrqe.com/ Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/ Film Critic http://www.filmcritic.com/