Film, Race & Film, Race & Representation:Representation:

Some Strategies for Some Strategies for ResearchResearch

Film, Race & Representation:Film, Race & Representation:Some Strategies for Some Strategies for

ResearchResearch

Film, Race & Representation:Film, Race & Representation:Some Strategies for Some Strategies for

ResearchResearch

Gary HandmanMedia Resources CenterMoffitt Libraryghandman@library.berkeley.edu643-8566

1. Describe the types of writing and research about film

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

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

4. Discuss how to develop search strategies

Writing About Writing About Film…Film…

CurrentCurrent

ScholarlScholarly/y/In-depthIn-depth

IndustryIndustry

Pop and Pop and fanfan

HistoricalHistorical

•Periodicals (aka magazines, Periodicals (aka magazines, journals)journals)•NewspapersNewspapers

•ReviewsReviews•Critical/Scholarly Articles Critical/Scholarly Articles

•BooksBooks

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

•Other online databasesOther online databases

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

Periodical Articles:Periodical Articles:Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the diff? diff? Reviews:

•Assessment of aesthetic and content merits of a film

Found in popular periodicals, film periodicals, and (less often) in more scholarly journals

In pop periodicals: Current and Historical (older)

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)

Periodical Articles:Periodical Articles:

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

Found in:Found in:•Film studies Film studies

& scholarly journals in & scholarly journals in other other disciplines—eg:disciplines—eg:

•Language & LitLanguage & Lit•Women’s studiesWomen’s studies•HistoryHistory•Ethnic StudiesEthnic Studies•Area studies…etc.Area studies…etc.

•Web sites (even lessWeb sites (even less occasionally…except for occasionally…except for academic and commercial academic and commercial databases)databases)

Critical/Scholarly ArticlesCritical/Scholarly Articles

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

Film Scholarship & Film Criticism

Movies = 100+ YearsMovies = 100+ YearsFilm Scholarship = 50 yearsFilm Scholarship = 50 years

18951895

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

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

William Dickson (Edison labs)invents The Kinetoscope

18891889

Scholarly Articles and ReviewsScholarly Articles and Reviews

Ansen, David. Ansen, David. "Boyz N the Hood." (movie reviews) "Boyz N the Hood." (movie reviews) NewsweekNewsweek v118, n3 (July 15, 1991):56. v118, n3 (July 15, 1991):56.

ReviewsReviews

Massood, Paula. Massood, Paula. "Mapping the Hood, The Genealogy of City "Mapping the Hood, The Genealogy of City Space in Boyz-n-the-Hood and Menace-II-Space in Boyz-n-the-Hood and Menace-II-Society. Society. Cinema JournalCinema Journal, 1996 winter, v35 n2:85-, 1996 winter, v35 n2:85-97. )97. )

Critical/ScholarlyArticlesCritical/ScholarlyArticles

BooksBooks•Scholarly/authoritative worksScholarly/authoritative works•Pop schlock and fan worksPop schlock and fan works

How Do You Tell em’ How Do You Tell em’ apart?apart?

• Author’s credentials/affiliationsAuthor’s credentials/affiliations

• Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI, University Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI, University Presses vs pop press)Presses vs pop press)

• Scholarly apparatus and sources: Scholarly apparatus and sources: notes, bibliographies, other notes, bibliographies, other documentationdocumentation

• If they’ve been widely cited by other If they’ve been widely cited by other scholarsscholars

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

Al Al JolsonJolson

•Catalogs: Catalogs: PathfinderPathfinder (Gladis)(Gladis)

•Article databases Article databases (Indexes)(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.)

PathfinderPathfinder

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

stuff?)stuff?)

Film-related (not many exist) Film-related (not many exist) General news General news Literary and ArtsLiterary and ArtsOther disciplines: e.g. Women’s Other disciplines: e.g. Women’s Studies, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, History…etc.Studies, History…etc.

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

Article Databases Article Databases (how do you know (how do you know which ones to use?)which ones to use?)

Jumping Off point for Finding Online Indexes:

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/

Once You Find a Once You Find a Journal Citation, Journal Citation,

How Do You Find the Article?How Do You Find the Article?

•Some indexes provide holdings Some indexes provide holdings info [UC eLinks]info [UC eLinks]

•Some indexes Some indexes link tolink to full-textfull-text

If neither…use If neither…use PathfinderPathfinder to look up to look up the JOURNAL by titlethe JOURNAL by title

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.

Once you’ve found something that looks promising,Check out the “official” subject headings

Common Search Features:

--Save list of good stuff--Mail Articles/Citations to yourself

The Information Universe

Remember Also:

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

--Research on very current topics--Research on extremely specific topics--Research on topics off the beaten

academic track or off the pop culture radar

What to do if too much is turning up:

•Narrow your topic: •e.g.: geographically, chronologically; by race, gender, ethnic group; •Specific focus or aspect of the topic (e.g. ethical, social, economic, political aspects)

What to do if nothing is turning up:

•Broaden your topic / go for the more general / select a different angle•Rethink your search strategy (new keywords, new concepts, etc.)•Bail out and choose another topic

Connecting from off-campus

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

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 totally bananas by being driven totally bananas by your research?your research?Call me:Call me:

Gary HandmanGary Handman643-8566643-8566

ghandman@library.berkeley.edughandman@library.berkeley.edu