LibGuides: Media Studies: Film & Television

Getting Started: Film & Television Research

Suggested Search Terms:

motion pictures
television
film
cinema
screenplays or teleplays
genres (film noir, horror, westerns, romance, thrillers, comedies, drama, documentaries, science fiction, fantasy, etc.)
words that describe an issue/theme (e.g. gender, women, power, race, racism, stereotypes, culture, diversity, etc).
names of artists or job titles (actors, directors, screenwriters, producers, editors, composers, cinematographers, etc.)
names of studios/companies/networks (Universal, Paramount, Disney, Warner Brothers, MGM, Columbia, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, NBC, ABC etc.)
history
criticism
interpretation
production and direction
television industry
film industry

Call Numbers:

Books beginning with the call number PN have to do with Television, Film, and Related Topics.

American Film Institute (AFI)
The American Film Institute (AFI) is a nonprofit celebrating and promoting education about films. Visit the website to learn more about preservation efforts, awards, and view curated lists celebrating film.
BAFTA Awards Database
Search the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards database to discover annual winners and nominees in film, television, and games.

CineFiles This link opens in a new window
CineFiles is a great online source of over 45,000 reviews, press kits, festival program notes and similar documents from the collection of the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Free resource.

Emmy Award Search
The Emmys are the annual awards ceremony of the Television Academy (formerly the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) for prime time television. Search nominees and award winners since the first EMMY awards in 1949 to today.
The Hollywood Reporter
Since 1930, the Hollywood Reporter has been providing trade and industry news for Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries.

Internet Movie Database (IMDb) This link opens in a new window
Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is the preeminent website for film and television information. This indispensable resource provides full cast, crew and award information, plot summaries, photos, links to official websites and external reviews, and users' ratings and comments. Free resource.

Motion Picture Association (MPA)
The Motion Picture Association advocates for film, television, and the streaming industries. Members of the MPA include Disney, Netflix, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers, Paramount, and Universal. Established the Film Rating system.
National Film Registry (Library of Congress)
Beginning in 1989, 25 films are added each year to the National Film Registry from a public nominating system. These films must be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and reflect America's film and cultural heritage.
Oscars Awards Databases
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences annual Oscars ceremony celebrates achievements in film. The Academy Awards Database allows you to search past nominees and winners, with some statistical data available. The Acceptance Speech Database contains over 1,500 delivered acceptance speeches by winners.
Paley Center for Media
The non-profit Paley Center for Media seeks to preserve media history and explore its impact on our culture. The Paley Center's YouTube Channel offers a wealth of recorded programming on various topics.
Variety
Variety magazine provides information and news on the film, television, and music industries.