Film, Television & Radio

See also related guides Theater & Drama

 

Sections of this guide: Encyclopedias   |  Reference Works  |   Databases and Indexes | Subject Headings    Call Numbers  |   Organizations & Societies | Other Important Resources  Web Resources

Encyclopedias Provide excellent background/overview information. An excellent place to begin research. Contain articles written by experts for a general audience. Provide indexes indicating scope of coverage of a topic and pinpointing in which articles a concept will be discussed. Provide bibliographies for further reading.   The New York Times encyclopedia of film ed. by Gene Brown PN1993.45 .N4 1984 (Reference) Reprints all film review articles from New York Times from 1986 through 1979. Title, subject and name indexes. The Overlook film encyclopedia: science fiction, 3rd ed. PN1995.9 .S26 H3 1995 (Reference) Each entry gives brief critical synopsis of the film and credits for primary cast, director, production company, country of origin. The film encyclopedia, 3rd ed. Ephraim Katz PN1993.45 K34 1998 (Reference) Entries on theories, genres and movements as well as on significant individual films and directors. Keyword and subject indexes. Encyclopedia of American war films Larry Langman and Ed Borg PN1995.9 .W3 L36 1989 (Reference) Articles on American movies, cartoons, documentaries and short subject films about war. Listed by title, with descriptions and credits. Supplementary lists of award-winning films, of film biographies by subject and of movies by the name of the war portrayed. Encyclopedia of television ed. by Horace Newcomb, 3 vols. PN1992.18 .E53 1997 (Reference) Pre-cinema history: an encyclopaedia and annotated bibliography of the moving image before 1896 Hermann Hecht TR848 .H38 1993 (3Reference) Go to top of page

Reference Books Handbooks, dictionaries, statistical sources, tables; detailed or procedural information specific to the subject areas addressed. Popular entertainment research: how to do it and how to use it Barbara J. Pruett PN1576 .P78 1992 Includes database searching, interviewing, "small town research." Covers general entertainment, theater, popular music and recorded sound, film research, broadcast research, collecting, etc. Performing arts research; a guide to information sources Marion Whalon Z6935 .W5 (Reference) Annotated guide in several sections: (1) guides; (2) dictionaries, encyclopedias and handbooks; (3) directories; (4) play indexes and finding lists; (5) sources for reviews of plays and motion pictures; (6) bibliographies, indexes and abstracts; (7) illustrative audiovisual sources. The performing arts: a guide to the reference literature Linda Keir Simons Z6935 .S56 1994 (Reference) Includes theater, dance and drama. Lists guides, bibliographies, catalogs, indexes, dictionaries, encyclopedias and companions, handbooks and yearbooks, directories, review sources, chronologies and histories, electronic discussion groups, core periodicals, libraries and archives, professional organizations and societies. The New York Public Library performing arts desk reference PN1584 .N49 1994 Covers theater, music and dance with a glossary of terms for each discipline; an article on dramatic structure, biographies of major writers and synopses of major plays. Articles on production and a list of major theaters and companies; directing and biographies of directors; acting and biographies of actors. Short historical essays on world theater, forms of theater, drama criticism, film, theater awards, and funding sources/grants. List of theater reference books, magazines, libraries, museums, and other theater organizations. Film: a reference guide Robert Armour PN1993.45 .A75 (Reference) Bibliographic essays on history of film, film production, film criticism, film and society, major actors and directors, reference works and periodicals. Only English-language publications are cited. Film researcher's handbook: a guide to sources in North America, South America, Asia, Australasia and Africa compiled by Jenny Morgan Z5784 .M9 F5 1996 (Reference) International motion picture almanac PN1993.3 .I55 (latest in Reference) Motion picture industry statistics for the year, biographies of entertainment world figures, directories of services for the movie industry, state and city film commissions, motion picture companies, a list of the films of the preceding year, directories of theatre circuits, independent theaters (by state), motion picture organizations, trade publications, the industry abroad. On the screen: a film, television and video research guide Kim N. Fisher Z5784 .M9 F535 1986 (Reference) Extensive, briefly annotated bibliographies on film and television, classified by types of reference works. (e.g. dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, directories, etc.) Film review annual (1981-present) PN1993.3 .F56 (current vol. in Reference, earlier volumes in stacks) Annually collects the full texts of "important" reviews of full-length films released in major U.S. markets during the course of the year. Arranged by film title, with indexes by cast, producers, directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, editors, musical composer, and production crew members. International dictionary of film and filmmakers, 2nd ed. ed. by Nicholas Thomas, 5 vols. PN1997.8 .I58 1990 (Reference) Vol. 1: films. Vol. 2: directors. Vol. 3: actors & actresses. Vol. 4: writers & production artists. Vol. 5: title index. Encyclopedic information with excellent bibliographies and good illustrations. International coverage. Women filmmakers and their films PN1998.2 .W66 1998 (Reference) Includes chronology of women filmmakers, essays on the subject, a listing of women filmmakers and indexes by nationality and occupation, awards and film title. The Women's companion to international film edited by Annette Kuhn PN1993.45 .W6 1990 (Reference) Feminist guide to film, with alphabetical entries on individuals and topics. Blacks in film and television: a Pan-African bibliography of films, filmmakers, and performers compiled by John Gray Z5784 .M9 G72 1990 (Reference) Hispanics in Hollywood: an encyclopedia of film and television Luis Reyes PN1995.9 .H47 R49 1994 (Reference) Chronicle of the cinema PN1993.5 .A1 C5255 1997 (Reference) A year-by-year illustrated account of 100 years of cinema in "accessible journalistic style" primarily on developments in the United States. The film anthologies index Stephen E. Bowles Z5784 .M9 B637 1994 (Reference) Indexes several thousand articles and books about film subjects. Author and title indexes. The film book bibliography, 1940-1975 Jack C. Ellis Z5784 .M9 E44 (Reference) Magill's survey of cinema--silent films, 3 vols. PN1995.75 .M33 1982 (Reference) Articles on individual silent films produced 1902-1936. Magill's survey of cinema--English language films, first.series, 4 vols. PN1993.45 .M3 (Reference) Magill's survey of cinema--English language films, second series, 6 vols. PN1993.45 .M32 (Reference) Magill's survey of cinema, foreign language films, 8 vols. PN1993.45 .M34 1985 (Reference) Broad overview of films, with emphasis on major genres, directors and performers. Entries for individual films include release date, credits, principal characters & cast, with an essay which includes plot summary and critical comment. Indexed by titles, directors, screenwriters, etc. Chronological list of titles at the end of each series. Key concepts in cinema studies Susan Hayward PN1993.45 .H36 1996 (Reference) Includes terminology for film genres, major movements, theories of cinema, and key film production terms. The language of cinema Kevin Jackson PN1993.45 .J23 1998 (Reference) 2000 words referring to the technology, business and skills of film-making, with their histories. An international dictionary of theatre language ed. by Joel Trapido PN2035 .I5 1985 (Reference) International film prizes : an encyclopedia Tad Bentley Hammer PN1993.4 .H28 1991 (Reference) The film festival guide: for filmmakers, film buffs, and industry professionals Adam Langer PN1993.4 .L36 1998 (Reference) Halliwell's filmgoer's companion, 12th ed., 1997 Leslie Halliwell PN1993.45 .H315 (Reference) Brief entries for actors past and present with complete filmographies for some. Entries for fictional characters and popular film themes. List of Academy Award winners, selective bibliography of recommended books on film history, and brief chronology of the history of films internationally. Halliwell's film and video guide, (1998) PN1993.45 .H27 (Reference) Alphabetical title listing of 20,000+ films, with cast members, writers, directors, producers, plot synopsis,brief critical evaluations, alternative titles, and availability on disc or tape. The Hollywood musical Clive Hirschhorn. PN1995.9 .M86 H5 1981 (Reference) Comprehensive chronological listing through 1980. Indexed by film, song, and music titles, performers, composers, lyricists, etc. Frame by frame: a Black filmography Phyllis Rauch Klotman PN1995.9 .N4 K57 (Reference) A comprehensive list of films by and about Blacks in the U.S. Alphabetical list of film, with indexes by actors, writers, directors and producers. Film study: an analytical bibliography Frank Manchel, 4 vols. Z5784 .M9 M34 1990 (Reference) Comprehensive coverage, with critical analyses of authors and works in all areas of film studies. Western films: an annotated critical bibliography John G. Nachbar. Z5784 .M9 N33 (Reference) Cinema booklist and Cinema booklist, Supplement One George Rehrauer Z5784 .M9 R42 and Z5784 .M9 R42 Suppl. (Reference) Annotated, critical bibliography on film and film criticism. The Macmillan film bibliography George Rehrauer, 2 vols. Z5784 .M9 R423 1982 Alphabetically arranged bibliography of more than 6500 books dealing with films. Indexed by titles and authors. The Academy Awards index: the complete categorical and chronological record Richard Shale PN1993.92 .S53 1993 (Reference) Lists all nominees and recipients. Indexed by categories, names and titles. The film audience: an international bibliography of research with annotations and an essay Bruce A. Austin. On Order Contemporary theatre, film, and television (1984-1996) 14 vols. PN2285 .C58 (Reference) Biographical dictionary of the performing arts, supplements Who Was Who in the Theatre, 1912-1976 and Who's Who in the Theatre (1961-1981). Performing arts books, 1876-1981: including an international index of current serial publications Z6935 .P43 (Reference) 50,000 entries for books by subject with author and title indexes. The American Film Institute catalog of motion pictures produced in the United States (1893-1940; 1961-1970) PN1998 .A57 (Reference) Alphabetical listing by title, citing credits, release date, copyright information, length and country of origin. Film code numbers and names, summaries when available. Variety obituaries: including a comprehensive index (1905-1995) PN1583 .V35 1988 (Reference) Reprints, in chronological order, obituaries originally appearing in Variety, of showbusiness personalities, giving biographical data as well as performing, directing, producing, etc., credits. Name index in final volume. Guide to performing arts programs Princeton Review. (1998) PN1577 .T66 (Reference) Profiles of 600+ colleges, high schools and summer programs, citing costs, entrance requirements, financian aid and scholarships, curriculum information, student and faculty information, facilities, etc. The television industry: a historical dictionary Anthony Slide PN1992.3 .U5 S57 1991 (Reference) Entries on companies, distributors, organizations, genres, technical terms, etc. Gives addresses for organizations and some bibliographies. Separate biographies on major figures (e.g. Paley, Sarnoff, Goldman). Bibliography of reference books on television. New York Times Film Reviews. 19 vols. (1913-1996) PN1993 .N4 Full texts of reviews appearing in the NYT Film Reviews. Chronologically arranged with index. Variety Film Reviews. 24 vols. (1907-1996) PN1995 .V34 Full texts of reviews appearing in Variety. Chronologically arranged with index. Variety television reviews, (1923-1988) 15 vols. PN1992.3 .U5 V36 (Reference) Texts of reviews appearing in Variety. Variety and Daily variety television reviews (1989/90-present) PN1992.3 .U5 V36 (Reference) Supplements the preceding entry. Chronologically arranged texts of reviews appearing either in Variety (New York) or in Daily Variety (Hollywood). Television & ethics: a bibliography Thomas W. Cooper Z7711 .C66 1998 (Reference) Radio: a reference guide Thomas Allen Greenfield Z7224 .U6 G74 1989 (Reference) An evaluative survey of research on radio, including radio drama, music, comedy and variety, sports, network and station histories, women in radio, radio advertising, religious broadcasting, Armed Forces Radio, organizations, collections, journals, and indexes. Historical dictionary of American radio edited by Donald G. Godfrey PN1991.2 .H57 1998 (Reference) On the air: the encyclopedia of old-time radio John Dunning PN1991.3 .U6 D8 1998 (Reference) Go to top of page

Databases and Indexes Magazine, periodical and journal articles provide information on current developments, research trends, experiments and hot topics in a discipline. For every discipline, there are specific databases or indexes that provide article level information, and in some cases information about conference papers, books and dissertations. Once articles or other sources are identified through the database or index search, look up the source journal in Vikat, PSU Library's online catalog, to locate them in the library. For a complete list of online databases and indexes, see the Library's Online Databases pages. International bibliography of theatre. IBT (1982-present) Annual Z6935 .I53 in (Reference) An essential source for theater research. Lists theater books, book articles, dissertations, journal articles and other documents dealing with "any aspect of theatre significant to research, without historical, cultural or geographical limitations." Entries may come from theater histories, essays, studies, surveys, conference papers and proceedings, catalogs of theatrical holdings, portfolios, handbooks and guides, dictionaries, bibliographies, and other reference works, records and production documents. Does not include reprints or purely literary scholarship. Texts of plays are excluded unless they appear with "extensive or especially noteworthy introductory materials, or when the text is the first translation or adaptation of a classic from an especially rare language into a major language." Book reviews and reviews of performances are not included, "except for reviews of sufficient scope to constitute a review article, or clusters of reviews published under one title." Entries arranged by subject classification (Theatre in General, Dance, Dance-Drama, Drama, Media [including Film], Mixed Entertainment, Music-Drama, Puppetry) with subject sub-headings. Extensive subject index and Geographical-Chronological Index. Document Authors Index and lists of periodicals indexed. International index to film periodicals (1972-present) Annual. Z5784 .M9 I49 (Reference) Indexes 85 film periodicals selected for their value to film research and scholarship. Film literature index (PSU has 1973-75) Quarterly Z5784 .M9 F45 International author/subject index to periodical articles on film, television and video. Indexes 300+ periodicals. Film review index 1882-1985 edited by Patricia King Hanson, 2 vols. Z5784 .M9 F513 1986 (Reference) Bibliography of reviews, history and criticism of major films. Indexed by directors, date produced and country of origin. MLA international bibliography (1963-present) MLA international bibliography (1921-present) Z7006 .M64 (3rd floor Index Tables) MLA Bibliography covers literature, languages, linguistics, and folklore from over 4,000 journals and series published worldwide. From the Modern Language Association. Biography index Z5301 .B5 (Reference) Indexes biographical information appearing in more than 2,700 periodicals and books of individual and collected biographies Biography and genealogy master index (1980-present) Z5305 .U5 B57 (Reference) An index to more than 300,000 biographical sketches in biographical dictionaries. Dissertation abstracts international. (Dissertations 1861-present; Masters Theses, 1988-present) Humanities index (April, 1974-present) AI3 .H8 (Reference) Humanities Index Journals in Humanites Index held by PSU. Arts & humanities citation index (1974-present) AI3 .A75 (Reference) Allows searching of references cited in books and journal articles as well as author, title and subject searching. Essay and general literature index (1900-1996) AI3 .E752 (Reference) Essay and General Literature Index Inter-Play: an on-line index to plays in collections, anthologies and periodicals http://www.lib.pdx.edu/systems/interplay An index to the complete texts of plays in collections, anthologies and periodicals in the PSU Library. WorldCat http://firstsearch.oclc.org/fsip?dbname=WorldCat&done=referer Contains more than 30 millions records for materials cataloged by the Library of Congress and OCLC member libraries, including most academic and many public libraries in the U.S. Catalog includes books, serials (journals, magazines and newspapers), musical scores, recordings, videos, computer software, films, maps and manuscripts. Locations for all materials are cited. Can be searched by author, title, subject, year, language, material type. Academic search premier (1984-present) (http://search.epnet.com/login.asp?profile=web) Provides full text for over 1,250 journals covering the social sciences, humanities, general science, multi-cultural studies, education, and current affairs. Go to top of page

Subject Headings Subject headings allow you to search library catalogs for materials on a particular topic. Often subject heading searching can be more productive than searching by simple keywords. Listed here are some major subject headings of interest for research in film and television. Copies of the complete set of the Library of Congress Subject Headings are available at the reference desks throughout the library.      Motion pictures   Motion pictures -- censorship   Motion pictures -- criticism   Film -- criticism   Motion picture industry   Motion picture plays   Motion picture music   Motion picture plays - history and criticism   Film adaptations (of novels, stage plays, operas, etc.)   Motion pictures Brazil (or, Motion pictures Africa, Motion pictures Japan, etc.)   Motion pictures -- social aspects   Afro-Americans in the motion picture industry (or, Mexican Americans in the motion picture industry, etc.)   Disaster films   Experimental films   Film noir   Feminist film criticism   Film posters   Homosexuality in motion pictures   Sex roles in motion pictures   Women motion picture produces and directors (or, Women screenwriters, etc.)   Women in the motion picture industry   Animation   Search individual names (e.g. Jack Nicholson, Alfred Hitchcock), film titles (e.g. "Bonnie and Clyde," "Rear Window"), movements (e.g. film noir), genres (e.g. western films, horror films) as subjects.   Television acting   Television actors and actresses   Television adaptations   Television and children (or, Television and family, Television and politics, etc.)   Television authorship   Television broadcasting (or, Television broadcasting -- influence, Television broadcasting - moral and ethical aspects, Television broadcasting - social aspects, etc.)   Television censorship   Television comedies   Television criticism   Television dictionaries (or, Television directories, Television handbooks, etc.)   Television in propaganda   Television industry   Television law   Television music   Television personalities   Television plays   Television plays - history and criticism   Television producers and directors (or, Television production and direction)   Television programs (or, Television programs for children, etc.)   Television programs India (or, Television programs United States, etc.)   Television scripts   Television viewers   Television -- vocational guidance   For Radio subjects, use the example of Television, above. (e.g. Radio broadcasting Canada, Radio plays, Radio plays - history and criticism).   Radio audiences   Go to top of page

Call Numbers Browsing the library shelves by call number ranges is another strategy for locating information on a topic; call numbers can help you get to the "right neighborhood" in the library stacks.   PN1990 Broadcasting   PN1991 Radio broadcasts   PN1992 Television broadcasts   PN1993 Motion pictures   PN1993.5 Motion pictures - History   PN1994 Motion pictures - Laws, regulations, etc.   PN1995 Motion pictures - General special (includes acting, criticism, aesthetics, etc.)   PN1996 Authorship, scenario writing, etc.   PN1997 Plays, scenarios, etc. (e.g. Robert Towne's plays "Chinatown" and "The Last Detail" are cataloged in PN1997 .A1 T69 1997)   PN1998 Miscellaneous (includes directories and catalogs as well as biographies and portraits of producers, directors, etc., of motion pictures)   PN2287, PN2308, PN2329 Actors and actresses (biography and portraits)   Go to top of page

Organizations Often the best way to find information on a topic is to look for material published by a professional society  or an organization. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences http://www.oscars.org Information on student fellowships, the Academy Awards, etc. American Film Institute Online Information on AFI, workshops, job listing, 100 greatest American films, awards, etc. Performing Arts Online http://www.performingarts.net/Links/resources.html A directory of online resources and organizations, with links to web sites. The Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/ Information on 200,000+ movie & TV titles and on 400,000+ actors and actresses, nearly 40,000 directors and "hundreds of thousands of other people who help make magic on the big and small screens." All of this is searchable by titles, characters, people, bios, or plots. Screen Actor's Guild http://www.sag.com/ The Movie Times http://the-movie-times.com Links to home pages for actors and actresses, box office ratings and grosses, movie reviews, polls, etc. Writers Guild of America http://wga.org/ Guide to WWW Resources in Film Studies Indiana University Bloomington Libraries An excellent academic web page with carefully chosen links. Selected Internet Sources in Film UCLA Arts Library http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/arts/websites/wwwmov.htm Another excellent academic web page, particularly strong in links having to do with film production. Selected Internet Sources in Television UCLA Arts Library http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/arts/websites/wwwtv.htm Sites for commercial television, public access and cable, broadcasting, etc. World Entertainment Technology Federation http://www.esta.org/worldetfpr.html A federation of world entertainment technology associations.   Go to top of page

Important Resources and Web Resources These sources don't fit any particular category, but are important for the discipline. Film composers in America: a filmography, 1911-1970 Clifford McCarty, 2nd ed. ML128 .M7 M3 2000 (Reference) Attempts to identify all composers who have written scores for theatrical and documentary films in the U.S. Arranged by composer, with film title index. Handbook of American film genres edited by Wes D. Gehring PN1993.5 .U6 H335 1988 A short history of the movies, 5th ed. Gerald Mast PN1993.5 .A1 M39 1992 The American film musical Rick Altman PN1995.9 .M86 A48 1987 Analyzes musicals by genre. Documentary: a history of the non-fiction film Eric Barnouw PN1995.9 .D6 B37 On the history of film style David Bordwell PN1995 .B6174 1997 Surveys the historiography of the visual style of film," followed by an examination of 1970s and 1980s revisionist stylistic history. Indiana University Bloomington Dance, Theater and Drama Resources An excellent site with comprehensive coverage of theater, dance and drama topics, including a list of online resources for production/stage design, African American theater, U.S. and international theater (geographically arranged), and of sites of interest to actors and playwrights. Guides to WWW theater resources (from Indiana U. Bloomington Libraries) http://www.indiana.edu/~libugls/iutheater/www-guides.html Annotated list of theater super-sites on the Web, with links. Children's theater resource page http://faculty-web.at.nwu.edu/theater/tya/ A guide to web resources for children's theater, with links to sites. A brief guide to Internet resources in theater and performance studies by Kevin McCoy (Stetson University) A guide to web resources in theater and performance studies, with links to sites. Worldwide arts resources: theater. http://wwar.com/categories/Theater/ A guide to web resources in theater, with links to sites. Theatre central A guide to theater web resources. This site also includes "Connections," a searchable directory of theater professionals, provided by Playbill. Working actor's guide: the online resource for performers & other entertainment industry professionals http://www.workingactors.com/ A guide to services for Los Angeles area entertainment industry professionals. MRQE: movie review query engine www.mrqe.com/ For full-text reviews of movies on the web. Search by title or use special searches such as Recent Releases, Upcoming Releases, Top 10 at the Box Office, Video Releases for the month, AFI's 100 Greatest, Most Popular Titles, etc. TVLink http://timelapse.com/tvlink.html Huge collection of links, including U.S. and international film and television, broadcasters, studios, reviews, awards, special effects, professional organizations, a brief bibliography for television fans and list of web sites for television and film professionals. The MIT list of radio stations on the internet http://wmbr.mit.edu/stations/about.html Lists all known sites on the Internet that publish information about broadcast radio stations. Includes one database with information about radio station call-signs, frequencies, cities, affiliated universities, formats, web-page URLs, and whether or not those stations broadcast their signal on the internet. Another database is the FCC's radio engineering database, which contains information about radio stations' transmitter power, antenna height, longitude and latitude. The latter permits this site to "find radio stations near you." World-wide web virtual library: broadcasters http://archive.comlab.ox.ac.uk/publishers/broadcast.html Lists national and international TV and radio broadcasters and provides other relevant links. Infomine:Visual & Performing Arts http://infomine.ucr.edu/search/artssearch.phtml A powerful academic Internet finding tool with links to Internet-accessible databases, journals, conference proceedings, guides and other materials relating to the performing arts. Allows browsing and provides advanced searching capabilities. Because Infomine is indexed by Library of Congress subject headings, keywords and authors, it may be searched similarly to the Library's online catalog.   Go to top of page

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