Research Guides: Film and Television Subject Guide: Background Info & Books

Finding Background Information

Finding background information

When you are new to a topic, library-subscribed reference sources can help you define key terms and gain a general understanding. These are similar to Wikipedia, except that they are more authoritative. You can use such sources in your assignments with confidence.

Here are some reference sources that are relevant to the Film.

A dictionary of film studies
This dictionary covers all aspects of its discipline as it is currently taught at undergraduate level. Offering exhaustive and authoritative coverage, this A-Z is written by experts in the field and covers terms, concepts, debates, and movements in film theory and criticism; national, international, and transnational cinemas; film history, movements, and genres; film industry organizations and practices; and key technical terms and concepts.
Dictionary of film terms
Now in its fifth edition, Frank Beaver's Dictionary of Film Terms has become an indispensable reference tool for the study of films and filmmaking. This trusted and practical handbook clearly and concisely defines the essential terms of film analysis and film art, with a special focus on the aesthetic parameters and values of filmmaking.
Oxford bibliographies. Cinema and media studies
Collaboratively developed by scholars and librarians from around the world, these cutting-edge resources combine the best of annotated bibliographies and high-level encyclopedias to guide users to the best scholarship available in their subject.

Books

The Library has hundreds of thousands of books, both online and in print. They range from introductory texts to in-depth scholarly studies of specialized topics. Search our vast collection with OneSearch.

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