Funny Business: The Absolute Basics of Film Comedy Research Gary Handman Director Media Resources Center Moffitt Library

Scholarly/ Critical Pop & Fan Current Historical Industry Writing About Film…

Journals, Magazines, NewspapersJournals, Magazines, Newspapers ReviewsReviews Critical/ScholarlyArticlesCritical/ScholarlyArticles Books: from the profoundly schlocky to the obtusely academicBooks: from the profoundly schlocky to the obtusely academic Web Sites & other online databasesWeb Sites & other online databases Sources for Film & TV Scholarship

Journal Articles: Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the Diff? Reviews:   Found in popular periodicals, film periodicals, and (less often) in more scholarly journals   Assessment of aesthetic and content merits of a film   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)

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

Scholarly/authoritativeScholarly/authoritative works vs PopPop 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

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

…But how do you locate this stuff? OskiCat (and Melvyl) Inventory of what the Library owns: Books Books Journals (BUT NOT what’s inside of them!!!!!!) Journals (BUT NOT what’s inside of them!!!!!!) Search by: AuthorAuthor TitleTitle Subject (keywords)Subject (keywords) Media Media Manuscripts, documents, maps…etc. etc. etc. etc.) Manuscripts, documents, maps…etc. etc. etc. etc.)

Article Databases (Indexes/Abstracts) Databases produced by different commercial publishers; often look/act differently from one another. Regularly updated Allow subject/author searching in a group of journals in a particular discipline or topical area. Some indexes offer FULL TEXXXXT! (or abstracts-- short description of article content)

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)

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)

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

GH Desert Island Index/Article Database List No Now Playing Academic Search Complete MLA Bibliography Film & Television Literature Index FIAF Index (Internatl Federation of Film Archives) International Index to the Performing Arts

Two possibilities: Links you to full-text in ANOTHER article databaseLinks you to full-text in ANOTHER article database ANOTHER Or Flips you over to MELVYL so you can locate a physical copy of the journal at UCB or elsewhere.Flips you over to MELVYL so you can locate a physical copy of the journal at UCB or elsewhere. MELVYL No Full Text????

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).

…being driven totally bananas by your research? Call me: Gary Handman