Film Research: The BasicsFilm Research: The Basics

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

Film Research: The BasicsFilm Research: The Basics

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

1. Describes organization of library information

2. Point out some unique aspects of film as a research topic

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

4. Discuss how to develop search strategies

CurrentCurrent

ScholarlScholarly/y/In-depthIn-depth

Pop and Pop and fanfan

HistoricalHistorical

Writing About Writing About Film…Film…

IndustryIndustry

•Pop periodicals & Newspapers: Pop periodicals & Newspapers: ReviewsReviews•Scholarly and professional Scholarly and professional journalsjournals

•Reviews Reviews •Critical analysis/scholarly Critical analysis/scholarly writingwriting

•BooksBooks•From schlocky to scholarlyFrom schlocky to scholarly•Biography, genre writing, Biography, genre writing, individual films, individual individual films, individual directorsdirectors

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

•Other online databasesOther online databases

Sources for Film & Scholarship and Sources for Film & Scholarship and ResearchResearch

Reviews: •Assessment of aesthetic and content merits of a filmFound in popular periodicals, film periodicals, and (less often) in more scholarly journalsIn pop periodicals: Current and Historical (older) Usually cover current releases, more pop theatrical releasesTend to be relatively short and relatively superficial (with some exceptions and depending on the publication and who’s doing the writing)Interesting sources of info about audience reception and “current think”

Reviews? Critical Writing? Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the diff? What’s the diff?

Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the Diff?Diff?

Critical analysis: Discuss films in:

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

Found in books and scholarly or film-related journalsTend 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

Robert DeNiroRobert DeNiroTaxi DriverTaxi Driver

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

The Information UniverseThe Information Universe

Library Catalog(s)

Journal/NewspaperIndexes (article databases)

Library Catalog(s)

OskiCat: UCB Library holdings only

MELVYL (CDL cat): All 9 UC Campuses

•An inventory of what the library owns

•Search by Author, Title, Subject

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

Doherty, Thomas Patrick.Teenagers and teenpics: the juvenilization of American movies in the 1950s Philadelphia : Temple University Press, 2002.

UCB Main PN1993.5.U6 D53 2002

Get da Book in da Stax

Call #

Look it Up in OskiCat or MELVYL by Author, Title, or Subject :

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

stuff?)stuff?)

Article databases Article databases (aka Indexes)(aka Indexes)

•Library subscribes to hundreds of Library subscribes to hundreds of them in all disciplinesthem in all disciplines•Can’t find what’s in them by using Can’t find what’s in them by using GoogleGoogle•Often look/feel/behave differently Often look/feel/behave differently from each other (proprietary from each other (proprietary products from diff commercial products from diff commercial vendors)vendors)•Need to come in from berkeley.edu Need to come in from berkeley.edu account or use Proxy Server (more account or use Proxy Server (more later)later)

Try it out!Try it out!

•Two possibilities:

•Links you to full-text in Links you to full-text in ANOTHER article databaseANOTHER article databaseOrOr•Flips you over to MELVYL Flips you over to MELVYL so you can locate a physical so you can locate a physical copy of the journal at UCB copy of the journal at UCB or elsewhere.or elsewhere.

Choosing an Articles database (index)•Look at the listings of article databases available via the library www.lib.berkeley.edu: includes listings by SUBJECT, NAME, etc.

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

•Listings of subject-specific electronic resources

Gary’s Desert Island Index/Article Database List

NoNow Playing

GH Desert Island Index/Article Database List

NoNow Playing

•EBSCO dbs: Academic Search Complete and others •MLA Bibliography•FIAF Index•International Index to the Performing Arts (IIPA)

The Information Universe (Now)

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

•Article Databases: Generally only go back 10-20 yrs online (some exceptions – e.g. Historical Newspapers)•Not every publication is indexed•Fairly small (but rapidly growing) subset of the books and journal universe is currently available in full-text

Online is Cool

The Information Universe

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 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!

Google ScholarGoogle Scholargoogle.scholar.comgoogle.scholar.com

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).

Connecting from off-campus

…being driven over the edge by your research?

Call me:Gary Handman

643-8566ghandman@library.berkeley.edu

Inland EmpireDir, David Lynch, 2006