Get Out Your Handkerchiefs: Researching Film Melodrama

Get Out Your Handkerchiefs: Researching Film Melodrama Gary Handman

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 5.Practice using these skills (if there’s time)

Current Historical Scholarly/In-depth Industry Pop and fan Writing About Film…

1950’s1960’s Film Studies Film Scholarship Film Scholarship & Film Criticism Movies = 100+ Years Film Scholarship = 50 years 1895 Brothers Auguste & Louis Lumiere stage 1st public film screening, Paris Writing about film = fan and industry perspectives from the beginning William Dickson (Edison labs) invents The Kinetoscope1889

Periodicals (aka magazines, journals, serials…)Periodicals (aka magazines, journals, serials…) NewspapersNewspapers ReviewsReviews Critical/Scholarly ArticlesCritical/Scholarly Articles BooksBooks From schlocky to scholarlyFrom schlocky to scholarly Biography, genre writing, individual films, individual directorsBiography, genre writing, individual films, individual directors Web Sites (more about this later…)Web Sites (more about this later…) Other online databasesOther online databases Sources for Film & Scholarship and Research

Reviews: Assessment of aesthetic and content merits of a film  Found in popular periodicals, film periodicals, and (less often) in more scholarly journals (not to mention EVERYWHERE on the Web)  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)  An important source for determining audience and critical reception at time movie was released. Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the diff? Periodical Articles:

Periodical Articles: Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the Diff? Critical analysis:  Discuss films in:  broader historical, cultural, political, artistic context and/or  Focus on a specific aspect of a film, film genre, or filmmaker  Found in books and scholarly or film-related journals  Tend 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

Books Scholarly/authoritative worksScholarly/authoritative works Pop schlock and fan worksPop schlock and fan works How Do You Tell em’ apart? Author’s credentials/affiliationsAuthor’s credentials/affiliations Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI, University Presses vs pop press)Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI, University Presses vs pop press) Scholarly apparatus and sources: notes, bibliographies, other documentationScholarly apparatus and sources: notes, bibliographies, other documentation If they’ve been widely cited by other scholarsIf they’ve been widely cited by other scholars

…But how do you locate this stuff? Imitation of Life (Douglas Sirk, 1959)

The Information Universe Library Catalog(s) Journal/Newspaper Indexes (article databases)

Library Catalog(s) oPathfinder: UCB Library holdings only oMELVYL (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

The Information Universe: Books Cavell, Stanley, Contesting tears : the Hollywood melodrama of the unknown woman Contesting tears : the Hollywood melodrama of the unknown woman / Chicago : University of Chicago Press, UCB Main PN W6.C Get da Book in da Stax Call # Look it Up in Pathfinder or MELVYL by Author, Title, or Subject Look it Up in Pathfinder or MELVYL by Author, Title, or Subject :

The Information Universe: Finding Articles Article Databases (Indexes/Abstracts) Allow subject/author searching in a group of journals in a particular discipline or topical area. Produced by different commercial publishers; often look/act differently from one another.

Articles/Reviews (how do you find this stuff?) Film-related (not many exist) Film-related (not many exist) General news General news Literary and Arts Literary and Arts Other disciplines: e.g. Women’s Studies, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, History…etc. Other disciplines: e.g. Women’s Studies, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, History…etc. Article databases (aka Indexes)

Once You Find a Citation, How Do You Find the Journal/Article? Some indexes provide holdings info [UC eLinks]Some indexes provide holdings info [UC eLinks] Some indexes link to full-textSome indexes link to full-text If neither…use Pathfinder to look up the JOURNAL

Choosing an Articles database (index) Look at the listings of article databases available via the library includes listings by SUBJECT, NAME, etc. General Databases are often good places to start (particularly for newsy/topical issues) Film Studies web site:

All databases are not created equal (or by the same company)…

Gary’s Desert Island Index/Article Database List No Now Playing

GH Desert Island Index/Article Database List No Now Playing MLA Bibliography Academic Search Complete FIAF Index Art Index / Art Index Retro

The Information Universe (Now) But Remember: Not everything is online!!!!!: Article Databases: Generally only go back 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

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

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. Children Youth Adolescents …etc. Commercials Ads …etc. Academic achievement Grades …etc. Media TV…etc Socialization, relationships, peer interaction…etc.

A few cautionary words about research on the Net LibraryLand The Net Google Rocks! Gooooogle Scholar???

Common Search Features: Basic and Advanced Search Screens Trunction: “wild card” that allows you to scoop up broader results:* # or ? Depending on db --e.g.: Advertis* will give you: advertise, advertising, advertisers, advertisements Search by keyword or by phrase Search specific fields (e.g., SUBJECT, TITLE) Use of AND, OR, NOT

Common Search Features: --Save list of good stuff --Mail Articles/Citations to yourself

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 edu