In the library catalog, books, videos and other materials are assigned Library of Congress (LC) subject headings based on their content. Here is a sample list of film-related subject headings, some of which pertain equally to books and videos (visual materials). When you view catalog records in Library Search, these subject headings display as active links pointing to other items with the same subject.
This is not an exhaustive list of subject headings pertinent to film studies, but it should give you a sense of commonly used vocabulary and how subject headings are structured.
Sample Subject Headings
African American women in motion pictures (for works discussing how African American women are portrayed in films)
African Americans in motion pictures
African Americans in the motion picture industry (for works discussing African-American involvement in films)
Documentary films (Link searches for books only.)
Documentary films--History and criticism
Documentary films--Production and direction
Hitchcock, Alfred,1899-1980--Criticism and interpretation
Hitchcock, Alfred 1899-1980--Interviews
Motion picture--Actors and actresses (Link searches for books only.)
Use as a subject instead of Stardom. Related subject headings include Fame--Social aspects and Celebrities in mass media.
Motion picture industry--California--Los Angeles
Motion picture industry--California--Los Angeles--History
Motion picture industry--United States
Motion picture producers and directors (Link searches books only.)
Motion pictures and literature
Motion Pictures--China (Link searches for books only.)
Motion Pictures--India (Link searches for books only.)
Motion pictures--Moral and ethical aspects
Motion pictures--Periodicals (For journals and magazines about film.)
Motion pictures--Production and direction (Link searches for books only.)
Motion pictures--United States (Link searches for books only; retrieves a large number of results.)
Motion Pictures--History (General works about the film history. Link searches for books only.)
Motion pictures--United States--History (Link searches for books only; retrieves a large number of results.)
Motion pictures, French. Compare results to Motion pictures--France.
Motion pictures--Psychological aspects
Psychoanalysis and motion pictures
Stardom - see: Motion picture actors and actresses; Television actors and actresses; Fame; Fame--social aspects; Celebrities; Celebrities in mass media; Internet personalities
War films--United States--History and criticism
World War, 1939-1945--Motion pictures and the war (Includes studies about films depicting World War II.)