Subject Librarian
Lucinda M. Hall
Contact:
Evans Map Room, Baker-Berry Library
Dartmouth College
25 N Main ST
Hanover, NH 03755
Dartmouth College
25 N Main ST
Hanover, NH 03755
(603) 646-0962
Website Skype Contact: d1128r8@kiewit.dartmouth.edu
SURVEY ABOUT THESE COURSE GUIDES
Course description
This course examines all the processes which go into the creation of a film, from its inception as a treatment and screenplay to its distribution as a film. Experts (writers, directors, actors, cinematographers, and distributors) may talk on various areas of expertise. The course will offer an in-depth analysis of different kinds of films and the key technical and critical concepts used in understanding them.
[Source: ORC/Catalog, 09/14/2020]; DIST: ART; WCult:W
In the Library's collections
Most of the books on films are located in the call number range PN 1993 through PN 1999 on Baker Level 4. Books about specific actors are located in the sections PN 2285 through PN 2287 on the same level. Books by and about screen writers are located in the PA's through PT's depending on the home country of the writer. Do a subject or author search for the writer to see where their works are located.
You can use one of these subject heading(s) to start your research in the library's online catalog:
Quick information on a film
- FilmsiteFilmsite also known as Greatest Films is a unique website containing interpretive, descriptive review commentary and background history on many of the best Hollywood and American classic films in the last century.
- Museum of the Moving ImageMuseum of the Moving Image advances the public understanding and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media.
The site includes the Pinewood Dialogues and a short Research Guide.
Getting your research started
From the Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications, see the following sections. These are just some of the chapters in this encyclopedia.
- FilmFilm was one of the most influential cultural and technological discoveries of the modern era. Motion pictures can be used as both a societal mirror and provocateur. As such, films reflect the cultural norms of a society, but like many trick mirrors, they can distort those norms as well. In addition, film has the power to invoke societal change and open audiences' eyes to new perspectives of the human experience. ...
- Cartoons & animated filmsCartoons, usually with a political or humorous content reproduced in periodicals on some topical subject, are associated primarily with the United States, where their presence has been most pronounced. The earliest, the political cartoon, became an integral part of general circulation newspapers. ...
- Documentary filmsThe origins of the film and video documentary can be traced back to the period of the European Enlightenment when artists, followed later by photographers, began using visual documentation to support scientific projects, notably land and seaborne expeditions of exploration and discovery. ...
- Historic development of filmThe first 100 years of moviemaking saw film move from a shadowy sideshow to the center of civic culture. Early audiences were amazed and sometimes terrified at peep show images that seemed as real as their own reality. These, however, were not simply amusements. ...
- Propaganda filmsPropaganda, in its broadest meaning, defines the attempt to propagate ideas or opinions. This article provides information about the evolution of sources of political persuasion. The development of propaganda films is told through the story of the history of the filmmaking industry in the United States, Germany, England, the USSR, and Japan. ...
- Sexual content in films & televisionSex is a fact of life. As such, it has been a fact of media content since its inception. From the beginnings of American media, sexual content has always been both a reaction to and a reflection of the traditional moral attitudes of the establishment (those people holding most of the power and influence in a government or society). ...
- Theatrical filmsThe history of the 20th century is replete with the achievements of humankind. One of those unique endeavors is the creation and nurturing of the cinema. This article situates the birth, growth, and maturation of the cinema snuggly in the embrace of the 1900s. ...
- Violence in films & televisionViolence is a staple of mass media content. Stories in which fictional or real characters physically injure one another or threaten to inflict harm are prominent in television and films, just as they have always been prevalent in literature. The potential for violence in the media to produce harmful consequences has been of special concern to psychologists, psychiatrists, social scientists, teachers, and parents. ...
Dictionaries & encyclopedias on film
Encyclopedia of film themes, settings and series by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1997.8 .A75 2001ISBN: 9780786408931This work includes over 670 entires on a variety of film themes, settings, and series. Each entry contains a mini-essay that defines the topic, followed by a chronological list of representative films. Example entries are alcoholism, the RBI, oil wells and twins.
Historical dictionary of American cinema by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781538130117Publication Date: 2nd ed.One of the most powerful forces in world culture, American cinema has a long and complex history that stretches through more than a century. This history not only includes a legacy of hundreds of important films but also the evolution of the film industry itself, which is in many ways a microcosm of the history of American society. Historical Dictionary of American Cinema, Second Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 600 cross-referenced entries covering people, films, companies, techniques, themes, and subgenres that have made American cinema such a vital part of world culture.
The Routledge companion to film history by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1994 .R5735 2011ISBN: 9780415776578The Routledge Companion to Film History is an indispensable guide for anyone studying film history for the first time. The approach taken presents a substantial and readable overview of the field and provides students with a tool of reference that will be valuable throughout their studies. ...
Schirmer encyclopedia of film by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780028657912This reference provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to film and film studies, covering such aspects as production, national traditions, studios, genres, critical theory and film history. ...
The Wiley-Blackwell history of American film by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781405179843The Wiley-Blackwell History of American Film provides a chronological portrait of American film history from its origins to the present day. Taken as a whole, the essays in this collection represent a comprehensive and nuanced overview of American film history from the intersecting perspectives of industry, audiences, aesthetics, culture, politics, issues, and ideology. ...
Introductory reading(s)
This is just a short list of books for Film Studies in Baker/Berry Library. To see more, go the PN 1993 section in Reference on the first level of Berry or Baker Library Stacks 4.
Critical dictionary of film and television theory by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1993.45 .C75 2001ISBN: 9780415162180The Critical Dictionary of Film and Television Theory clearly and accessibly explains the major theoretical approaches now deployed in the study of the moving image, as well as defining key theoretical terms. This dictionary provides readers with the conceptual apparatus to understand the often daunting language and terminology of screen studies. ...
Fifty contemporary film directors by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1998.2 .F53 2011ISBN: 9780415554336Fifty Contemporary Film Directors examines the work of some of today's most popular and influential cinematic figures. It provides an accessible overview of each director's contribution to cinema, incorporating a discussion of their career, major works and impact. ...
Film: a very short introduction by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1994 .W65 2012ISBN: 9780192803535Film is considered by some to be the most dominant art form of the twentieth century. It is many things, but it has become above all a means of telling stories through images and sounds. The stories are often offered to us as quite false, frankly and beautifully fantastic, and they are sometimes insistently said to be true. But they are stories in both cases, and there are very few films, even in avant-garde art, that don't imply or quietly slip into narrative. ...
History of the American cinema by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1993.5 .U6 H55 v. 1-10ISBN: 9780684184135This set is a multi-volume history of American film, beginning from 1895 to the present.- Magill's cinema annualCall Number: Baker-Berry Ref. PN 1993.45 .M35 1982-Each yearbook includes an entry for every film released that year. The entry includes an in-depth synopsis and review, major credits and a list of reviews. The annual also has lists of awards, obituaries and lists of selected film books. They also includes cumulative indexes for directors, performers, editors, cinematographers, screenwriters, art directors, music directors, titles and subjects.
The SAGE handbook of film studies by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1994 .S325 2008ISBN: 9780761943266Film Studies has emerged as one of the most distinctive and exciting areas of study and research to be established in the second half of the twentieth century. Written by a team of veteran scholars and emerging talents, The SAGE Handbook of Film Studies maps the international traditions of the field, drawing out regional differences in the way that intellectual reflection on cinema and film has been transformed into a field of systematic inquiry. It reflects on the field's conceptual infrastructure, the dominant paradigms and debates, and evaluates their continuing salience. ...
Other library resource(s)
AFI readers by Call Number: Check the catalog for exact title and call numberAFI Film Readers focus on important issues and themes in film and media scholarship.
Cinema and media studies from Oxford Bibliographies Online by Call Number: Electronic resourceISBN: 9780199791286Cinema and media studies includes an array of subfields: film history, television studies, media studies, critical theory, visual arts, cultural studies, digital culture, game studies, popular culture, and the study of the moving image. ...
Finding scholarly articles & journal title(s)
You can find scholarly literature for film and television studies in a variety of journals. However, if you want to do targeted searching, you can use a subject specific database such as Film & Television Literature Index. You can also use the search box at the top of the page.
Journal of e-media studies by Call Number: Electronic journalThe Journal of e-Media Studies is a blind peer-reviewed, on-line journal dedicated to the scholarly study of the history and theory of electronic media, especially Television and New Media.
JCMS: Journal of cinema and media studiesCall Number: Electronic journalJCMS: Journal of Cinema and Media Studies is the peer-reviewed, scholarly publication of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS). JCMS's basic mission is to foster engaged debate and rigorous thinking among humanities scholars of film, television, digital media, and other audiovisual technologies. ...
Film & television literature indexCall Number: Electronic resourceThis index covers over 300 journal and magazine titles for film and television reviews, scholarly and critical analysis of cinema and television, and articles of popular interest about film and television. About half the journals and magazines are film periodicals and the other half cover film and television with some regularity. Subject coverage includes film & television theory, preservation & restoration, writing, production, cinematography, technical aspects, and reviews.
Screen studies collection by Call Number: Electronic resourceA comprehensive survey of current publications related to film scholarship alongside detailed filmographies. This collection includes the FIAF International Index to Film Periodicals Database and the detailed and complementary filmographies created by the American Film Institute (AFI) and the British Film Institute.
Media history digital library by Call Number: Electronic resourceThe Media History Digital Library digitizes collections of classic media periodicals that belong in the public domain for full public access. The project is supported by owners of materials who loan them for scanning, and donors who contribute funds to cover the cost of scanning.
The Collection feature extensive runs of several important trade papers and fan magazines.
Web of science citation databases by Call Number: Electronic resourceThe online version of 3 separate ISI indexes: Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Science Citation Index and, Social Sciences Citation Index.
Movie reviews
In addition to the links below, see the separate pages on Film Reviews and Film Criticism.
- Entertainment Weekly - Film ReviewsThe reviewers from EW can be harsh, but they are always entertaining.
- MRQE: Movie Review Query EngineMRQE aggregates reviews, news, interviews and other material associated to specific movies. MRQE also partners with leading movie blogs so that their content is collected in the MRQE database and searchable by any user.
- National Board of ReviewThe Board's core activities include fostering commentary on all aspects of film production, as well as underwriting educational film programs and seminars for film students.
- Rotten TomatoesOver 7 million readers each month use RT globally as a dependable, objective resource for coverage of movies and DVD. With more than 250,000 titles and 850,000 review links in its ever-growing database, RT offers a fun and informative way to discover the critical reaction on movies neatly summarized via the Tomatometer.
Film scripts
Between the collections in Rauner Special Collections and Baker-Berry Libraries, Dartmouth has a large collection of scripts. Do a title search for the movie you want and see what you find.
American film scripts online by Call Number: Electronic resourceAmerican Film Scripts Online is an ongoing collection of feature films, when completed, will hold 1,000 scripts and over 100,000 scenes. Many of the scripts have never been published. The database is full-text searchable and includes detailed indexing on scenes, characters, and people. Supplemental information includes short biographies on the writers and awards given to individual films have been noted.- Newmarket shooting script series byCall Number: Baker-Berry PN 1997 [Check the online catalog for specific titles and call numbers]Newmarket specialized in publishing shooting scripts of movies.
Internet resource(s)
- Women Film Pioneers Project (WFPP)The Women Film Pioneers Project (WFPP) is a digital publication and resource that advances research on the hundreds of women who worked behind the scenes during the silent film era. WFPP publishes original scholarship on women who worked all around the world as directors, producers, screenwriters, editors, and more. ...
Citing and Tracking Your Bibliographic References
Use this guide to help you learn how to correctly cite and keep track of the references you find for your research.
Keeping up with Film Studies journal literature
Want an easy way to keep up with the journal literature for all facets of Film Studies? And you use a mobile device? You can install the BrowZine app and create a custom Bookshelf of your favorite journal titles. Then you will get the Table of Contents (ToCs) of your favorite journals automatically delivered to you when they become available. Once you have the ToC's, you can download and read the articles you want from the journals for which we have subscriptions.
You can get the app from the App Store or Google Play.
Don't own or use a mobile device? You can still use BrowZine! It's also available in a web version. You can get to it here. The web version works the same way as the app version. Find the journals you like, create a custom Bookshelf, get ToCs and read the articles you want.