Film Studies: The Search for Resources

According to FilmandPhilosophy.com - Film Studies involves taking a range of approaches to film, including:

• Analysis - breaks down the film into its component parts to better understand how it works
• History - provides an insight into the historical development of film
• Theory - examines the film from a range of theoretical perspectives
• Authorship - considers film as a product of an individual mind
• Genre - addresses film in terms of genre conventions and examines the social function of genre film

The point of this is to enable us to move beyond our initial reactions to film, helping us to explain, justify or revise those reactions.

PN1993-1999 - Film
PN1993 - motion pictures in general, by country
PN1994 - film theory
PN1995 - specific themes, topics or genres
PN1996 - screenwriting
PN1997 - screenplays
PN1998 - biographies of and works about directors, producers,etc.

The following is a short list of Library of Congress subject headings that will be helpful when performing a subject search on film studies. Motion Pictures is the standard subject heading for film (use Moving Pictures for print materials before 1978). 

• Documentary Films 
• Feature Films 
• Film Noir 
• Foreign Films 
• Musical Films 
• Silent films 
• African Americans in Motion Pictures 
• Sex in Motion Pictures 
• United States - in Motion Pictures 
• Youth in Motion Pictures 
• Homosexuality and Motion Pictures 
• Motion Pictures and Women 
• Motion Pictures-Censorship 
• Motion Pictures--Bibliography 
• Motion Pictures--Dictionaries 
• Motion Pictures--California 
• Motion Pictures--India 
• Cinematography 
• Cinematography-Lighting 
• Motion pictures--Art direction 
• Motion pictures--Editing 
• Animated Films-History and Criticism 
• Motion Pictures-Reviews 

Please consult the Library of Congress subject headings for more ideas.

This is a small sampling of the very large list of subject headings related to Motion Pictures or visit this searchable list.

• Motion Picture
• Motion picture actors and actresses.
• Motion picture adaptations.
• Motion picture audiences.
• Motion picture authorship.
• Motion picture cameras
• Motion picture film--History.
• Motion picture film--Preservation
• Motion picture industry.
• Motion picture industry--Fiction.
• Motion picture industry--History.
• Motion picture industry--Law and legislation.
• Motion picture industry--New York (State)--New York.
• Motion picture industry--Political aspects--United States--History--Sources.
• Motion picture industry--Production and direction.
• Motion picture industry--Social aspects.
• Motion picture industry--Taxation
• Motion picture industry--Technological innovations.
• Motion picture industry--Terminology.