film research: the basics
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Film Research: The Basics. Gary Handman [email protected] 3-8666. Film Research: The Basics. Gary Handman [email protected] 3-8666. The point of all this. Describes organization of library information Point out some unique aspects of film as a research topic - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Film Research: The BasicsFilm Research: The Basics
Gary HandmanGary [email protected]@library.berkeley.edu3-86663-8666
Film Research: The BasicsFilm Research: The Basics
Gary HandmanGary [email protected]@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
Inland EmpireDir, David Lynch, 2006