Sources for the silver screen

Abstract

Purpose– ‐‐ This article's aim is to locate and describe print and electronic reference sources pertaining to film studies for scholars studying this field and librarians collecting in this area.Design/methodology/approach ‐‐ This article surveys current reference sources to provide an overview of publications relating to modern film studies focusing primarily on performance (versus production methods), and serves as an aid in understanding film for the serious film student as well as providing perspective for an introductory survey of cinema.Findings ‐‐ Reference sources in film studies encompass cinema both broadly and quite specifically, with more recent reference works often focusing on film genres, countries of origin, or the work of specific directors. Cinema “ready reference” has moved almost entirely online, but essays with scholarly perspective and critical reviews are accessible via long‐established reference series.Originality/value ‐‐ The works and publishers covered in this article survey both long‐standing resources in film as well as newer contenders in the field. While not comprehensive, it provides scholars, researchers, and librarians with a survey of useful resources with factual information as well as critical perspective in the discipline.