Online Library Film and Television Reference
Use these reference books to provide an overview of your topic, define terms, and list recommended readings. If connecting from home, make sure your computer is configured for off-campus access.
- AFI Catalog This link opens in a new window
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The online AFI (American Film Institute) Catalog draws its content from printed volumes that document every American feature film from 1893 to 1974. Also includes some short films from the first era of filmmaking, 1893–1910. Provides detailed filmographic information, including music credits, release dates, plot descriptions, and bibliographies. See also the AFI web version of the catalog.
- American Decades
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Multi-volume set with a volume on major events and contexts for each decade. - New Historical Dictionary of the American Film Industry
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Limited to one user at a time. Contains entries and bibliographies on a range of topics, including early motion picture companies.
- Oxford Bibliographies Online: Cinema and Media Studies This link opens in a new window
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Annotated bibliographies for topics in the field of Cinema and Media Studies. Combines encyclopedia-style introductions with expert recommendations of the most important reference works, books, journals, and primary sources on the topic.
- Schirmer Encyclopedia of Film
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Online via Gale Ebooks. The print volumes of this set are also available at the Arts Library. Good for overviews of broad topics, such as exhibition, color, sound, and animation. - International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers
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Online via Gale Ebooks. Search by film title or name of director, actor, or designer. Print editions (including earlier ones with different coverage) are available in the Arts Library.
- American National Biography Online This link opens in a new window
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Biographies of influential deceased Americans, including many filmmakers. Entries often include valuable information on key published resources and the locations of specific archives.
- International Encyclopedia of Media Studies
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Encyclopedia arranged across 7 thematic volumes that explore media studies through history, production, content, audiences, effects, and futures.
Internet Reference Sources
In addition to the online resources provided by the Library, these freely available internet sites can also be helpful for gathering information on a topic.
- Early African American Film: Reconstructing the History of Silent Race Films, 1909-1930A UCLA Digital Humanities Project with data related to silent film-era African American filmmaking. The "Sources and Further Reading" section contains a bibliography useful for papers.
- Edited ByAn historical survey of female film editors who contributed to the art of film editing, compiled by scholar Su Friedrich.
- IMDb: Internet Movie DatabaseFreely available vast database with filmographic information, links to reviews, and some box office data.
- Leader Ladies ProjectThe Leader Ladies Project presents a collection of “China Girls” (or “Leader Ladies") – the test images of (most often) women that sometimes appear in the countdown that begins every reel of motion picture film meant for exhibition.
- Senses of CinemaInternet metasite with selected information on major directors and short critical articles.
- Who's Who of Victorian CinemaOnline version of the print source, including biographies and bibliographies for major figures in early cinema.
- Women Film Pioneers ProjectFeatures information on silent-era producers, directors, co-directors, scenario writers, scenario editors, camera operators, title writers, editors, costume designers, and exhibitors. From Columbia University.
- Women in Early Film (National Women's History Museum)Online exhibit from the NWHM, with historical images and a brief history of women's roles in the early industry.
