FILM 190: Star Wars

This guide provides a basic introduction to library resources that are relevant to film and media studies, using the Star Wars franchise as the main example. You can find more detailed guidance for research in the Film and Media Studies Research Guide.

This excellent online resource for American feature films gives production information, date of release and date of copyright, length in reels and minutes, director and production staff, source (if based on short story, novel, play), a full cast list (including many uncredited roles)and a plot summary. Contains more detailed and accurate information than commercial websites such as imdb.com and allmovie.com.

Entries often include notes and review sources from cinema and trade journals not indexed anywhere else, making this a useful starting point for more advanced research. Also in print as: Reference PN1998 .A57

Accessing Variety

Variety has long been the leading trade publication of the entertainment industry. Depending on what years you are researching, a few different sources are available.

The commercial website for Variety is important to be familiar with, but you will have to create citations manually for any articles you find there. These two scholarly databases are recommended because they not only provide comprehensive, full-text coverage of Variety, but they also provide citations for all of the articles they index.

1905-2000: Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive.

1999 - Present: Film and Television Literature With Full Text

For both databases:

• Search normally. On the left you can filter by the publication title Variety (and Daily Variety in Film and Television Literature Index). OR
• Use the “Advanced Search” function and enter Variety as the “Publication Title” together with your search terms. OR
• Use the "Publications" link on top to go to the Variety landing page in the database to browse issues or search within the publication.

Both databases have other industry trade publications that are worth exploring in addition to Variety.

Alternative for the Classical Hollywood Studio Era: Media History Digital Library

• Offers free and open access for the years 1905-1954, as well as access to a number of other trade journals.
• You will have to create your own citations manually for any articles that you find.

Daily Variety Archives: The Woodruff Library also has access to the Daily Variety archives. Ask James Steffen for information about how to access. You must be a current Emory student or faculty member.

Proquest's Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive includes full-text searching and access for key trade newspapers in theater, film, broadcast media and music, most notably the leading industry trade journal, Variety. The database is primarily historical in focus; coverage extends to the year 2000. For more recent content in the same journals, check eJournals @ Emory (http://ejournals.emory.edu/).

Titles available in the database include:

• American Film (Archive: 1975-1992)
• Back Stage (Archive: 1960-2000)
• The Billboard (Archive: 1894-1960)
• Billboard (Archive: 1963-2000)
• Boxoffice (Archive: 1920-2000)
• Broadcasting, Combined With Broadcast Advertising (Archive: 1933-1936)
• Broadcasting, Broadcast Advertising (Archive: 1936-1945)
• Broadcasting, Telecasting (Archive: 1945-1957)
• Broadcasting (Archive: 1957-1993)
• Broadcasting & Cable (Archive: 1993-2000)
• Contrast (Archive: 1961-1966)
• The Independent Film Journal (Archive: 1937-1979)
• The Film Journal (Archive: 1979-1996)
• Music America Magazine (Archive: 1976-1977)
• Musician, Player, and Listener (Archive: 1977-1982)
• Musician (Archive: 1982-1999)
• New Musical Express (Archive: 1952-2000)
• Radio & Records (Archive: 1973-1993)
• R & R (Archive: 1994-2000)
• Screen international (Archive: 1976-2000)
• Spin (Archive: 1985-2000)
• The Stage (Archive: 1880-1959)
• The Stage and Television Today (Archive: 1959-1994)
• The Stage (Archive: 1995-2000)
• Variety (Archive: 1905-2000)