Subject Guide on Cinema

The History of Cinema

The history of cinema is often cited as beginning with visual toys that demonstrated how still images played in quick succession could have on the human mind. By the late 1800s, photographs were being shown one after another to replicate movement. In 1895, the Lumière brothers projected the first moving image to an audience in Paris using a camera and projector of their own invention. From here, the art form took off. Early films were silent and devoid of color. In the early 1900s, film studios arose, taking the art form from a home endeavor to a commercial one. In 1927, The Jazz Singer was the first feature-length film with dialogue, and in 1939, The Wizard of Oz debuted technicolor. Film reached its golden age in the 1930s and 40s with massive audiences and a place in the spotlight of culture where it has remained, despite the eventual decline of the Hollywood studio system. New technologies, including CGI, motion capture, and more, have altered the way we see film, as did the migration from the physical film medium to the advent of digital technologies and home video.

This reference subject guide is intended for an introductory level audience interested in the academic study of the history of cinema. Most resources center on film's history. However, you will also find some resources relating to film theory and criticism, especially as they relate to the study of film history. In the guide, you will find eight annotated reference books that will help set the stage for an academic inquiry into the study of film, as well as four annotated web resources, many of which contain primary source material. 

Reference Books

The Encyclopedia of Literary and Cultural Theory edited by Michael Ryan

A sourcebook of concepts, people, and works in cultural and literary theory in the last century. There are many entries related to film studies, such as auteur theory, film genre, film theory, and many noted film critics and historians.

Michael Ryan, the editor, is an author in the field of cultural studies. The work is an encyclopedia of cultural and literary theory, including film theory. It was published in 2011. It is an e-book and organized alphabetically with search functionality. These entries provide an entry-level understanding of film history and criticism. Each entry contains a brief overview of the topic and a list of references and suggested readings. The intended audience for this work is academic.

The International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers edited by Sara and Tom Pendergast

The International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, edited by Sara and Tom Pendergast, is a four-volume work that provides information on films, actors, directors, writers, and more. It serves as a reference guide for new researchers and a source for finding new avenues of study. It can be used to learn more about known films or artists or to discover new ones.

Sara and Tom Pendergast are authors focusing on the study of popular culture. The book seeks to create a running list of notable films and the artists who created them. The most recent edition was published in 2001. Volume 1 covers films, volume 2 is directors, volume 3 is actors and actresses, and volume 4 is writers and production artists. Each volume is an independent dictionary of its assigned topic. Entries typically include biographies, filmographies, awards, and photographs. The intended audience for this resource is general adult or academic.

The Routledge Companion to New Cinema History edited by Biltereyst, Maltby, and Meers

The Routledge Companion to New Cinema History is a collection of essays on various topics in cinema studies as they relate to the social history of the last one hundred years. The pieces each discuss a different aspect of cinema history. It is meant to be used as a resource for researchers interested in gaining a deeper understanding of particular facets of film studies as they relate to the field as a whole.

The three editors are professors of film at Ghent University in Belgium, Flinders University in Australia, and the University of Antwerp in Belgium, respectively. The subject of the book is contemporary thought in the study of cinema history. It was published in 2019. It is organized into thematic parts, such as "Distribution and Trade." These thematic distinctions make the long list of essays and critiques easier to navigate. I would call this resource a collection because it serves as a starting point for a deep dive into cinema history and experience through an academic lens. 

The Dictionary of Film Terms edited by Frank Eugene Beaver

The Dictionary of Film Terms, edited by Frank Eugene Beaver, is a reference work for terms used in both film production and film studies. It is an excellent work for new scholars in the field so they can familiarize themselves with new terminology. While not a stand-alone work, the understanding of a field's jargon is crucial to scholarly work.

Frank Eugene Beaver is a former professor of film and communication at the University of Michigan. The work seeks to be a core piece of reference material for new film scholars. It was published in 2007 and has not been updated since, but I argue that, though it is likely missing some terms due to the evolving nature of digital media, it is still a core resource that has not been replaced by another that is as accepted within the field. The resource is organized alphabetically with an index. It is a subject-specific dictionary. The intended audience for this work is new scholars in the field.

Film Manifestos and Global Cinema Cultures: A Critical Anthology edited by Scott MacKenzie

Film Manifestos and Global Cinema Cultures: A Critical Anthology, edited by Scott MacKenzie, aggregates manifestoes of various film movements from around the world from the early 1900s to the present. Each individual manifesto is a great starting point for an investigation into individual movements, times, or geographic locations as they relate to film history. 

Scott MacKenzie is a professor of cinema and media studies at Queen's University in Ontario. The book acts as an introductory text to a variety of world cinemas spanning the last 100 years. It was published in 2014. The resource organizes the manifestoes into thematic groups and then chronologically and is moderately easy to navigate. This work would more comfortably be defined as a handbook as opposed to an encyclopedia due to the fact that it only contains primary sources. The intended audience for this work is film scholars and academics. 

The Film Encyclopedia by Katz and Nolen

The Film Encyclopedia by Katz and Nolen seeks to define terms used in the film industry, from camera jargon to famous films and directors. It is a good reference source when looking for general information on any film related topic. The source can be used to guide further research by providing information and context on a variety of topics. 

Ephraim Katz is a director and author and Ronald Dean Nolen is a professor at Texas Tech University. The resource seeks to define as many terms used in the study of film as possible. It was originally published in 1994. The seventh, and most recent, edition was published in 2012. It is organized alphabetically with an index. This resource is an encyclopedia containing information on film terminology, people, films, awards, and more. The intended audience for this resource is general adult. 

Film Theory and Criticism edited by Braudy and Cohen

Film Theory and Criticism, edited by Braudy and Cohen, is a curated collection of film essays covering the breadth of the field. Each essay acts as an introduction to a particular concept or idea within the study of film theory and history. This book acts as a reference source for scholars or as an access point for new researchers interested in the field. It is considered a central text for students in film history or studies.  

The editors Braudy and Cohen are both professors at the University of Southern California. The work provides an overview of thought in film theory and criticism. The eighth, and most recent, edition was published in 2016, while the first edition was published in 1974. The essays are organized by topic with a thorough table of contents and index. It is a handbook for through in the field of film theory. The intended audience for this resource is academic.

A-Z Great Film Directors by Tuohy and Glasby

A-Z Great Film Directors by Tuohy and Glasby is a brief introduction to a few notable names in directing. Each director has a brief biography, notes on style, and a short list of significant works. This is meant to be a starting off point for those who are interested in the history of film but are unsure of where to start.

Glasby is a noted film critic and Tuohy is an illustrator and designer. The resource covers a number of famous directors. It was published in 2018. It is organized alphabetically with an index and is very easy to navigate. This work is a directory of directors designed to help new film aficionados understand the history of cinema through the lens of direction. Each entry has notes on the director and a list of essential films. The intended audience for this resource is non-academic general adult.

Web Resources

George Eastman Museum Digitized Films

This resource is a collection of digitized films, primarily from the silent period, available through the George Eastman Museum. The available films represent some famous and some not so famous, examples of rare films from the time period. It is an excellent resource for new scholars looking to expand their understanding of early cinema. 

The Eastman Museum is a key institution in film preservation and archives and is associated with the University of Rochester. The available films are organized into thematic collections, like the collection focusing on the art of montage, but are also listed alphabetically and are searchable. The site is easily navigable. The website was last updated in 2019. The site is managed by a non-profit and shows no apparent bias. The intended audience for this resource is both general adult and academic.

American Film Institute Catalog

The American Film Institute's catalog is a comprehensive guide to American cinema. It contains bibliographic and access information about more American films than any other resource. It can be used to look up bibliographic data regarding American films or artists as well as to find new or important films to conduct research on. 

The American Film Institute is a long-standing national non-profit that supports film in all of its facets. This particular resource focuses on chronicling the output of the film industry. It is organized by collection, has a random film function, and enhanced search functionality. It was last updated in 2021. There is no apparent bias in the material. While much of the information can be corroborated through other sources that contain bibliographic data about films, the AFI catalog is the most complete in the industry, and there may be some information not available elsewhere. The intended audience for this resource is general adult.

Media History Project's Digital Library

This is resource is a free digital library that contains writings on the history of film, broadcasting, and recording. Collections include early cinema, magic lantern slides, non-theatrical film, and more. This is a good resource for looking at primary source documents related to film, especially early film.

The Media History digital library is led by Eric Hoyt from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is supported by the MOMA, the Library of Congress, and the Internet Archive, among other institutions. It seeks to be a repository for primary source material on media history. The assets are organized into discrete collections and are easily navigable. The site has no apparent bias and is managed by a major university. The intended audience for this resource is academic.

Yale's Film Analysis Website

Yale's film analysis site seeks to be a ready-reference resource for students of film looking for information on the vocabulary of film studies and the techniques used in the field. It covers both theoretical and production-related terminology. This could be used as an introductory resource for a new film scholar looking to understand modes of production and their associated vocabulary.

This resource was developed by Yale for its own students and faculty in the film studies department. It is organized into basic parts, such as "mise-en-scene" or "cinematography" and then by term. The site is easily navigable and includes an index. The website was last updated sometime in 2021. There is no obvious bias and is an academic resource. The information can be corroborated by searching the terminology in other reputable sources. The website also lists some faculty members as having contributed to the creation of the site. The intended audience for this resource is academic.

I found this particular resource through a general web search of "guide to film analysis."

American Film Institute. AFI catalog. Retrieved June 14, 2021, from https://aficatalog.afi.com/

Beaver, F. E. (2007). Dictionary of film terms : the aesthetic companion to film art. Peter Lang.

Biltereyst, D., Maltby, R., & Meers, P. (Eds.). (2019). The Routledge companion to new cinema history. Routledge. 

Braudy, L., & Cohen, M. (Eds.). (2016). Film theory and criticism: introductory readings. (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.

George Eastman Museum. Digitized films online. Retrieved June 14, 2021, from https://www.eastman.org/digitized-films-online 

Katz, E., & Nolen, R. D. (2012). The film encyclopedia: the complete guide to film and the film industry. (7th ed.). Harper Collins.

MacKenzie, S. (2014). Film manifestos and global cinema cultures: a critical anthology. University of California Press.

Media History Project. Media History digital library. Retrieved June 14, 2021, from https://mediahistoryproject.org/

Pendergast, S., & Pendergast, T. (Eds.). (2001). International dictionary of films and filmmakers (4th ed.). St. James Press. 

Ryan, M. (Ed.). (2011). The encyclopedia of literary and cultural theory. Wiley.

Tuohy, A., & Glasby, M. (2018). A-Z great film directors. Cassell. 

Yale. Film analysis. (2021). Retrieved June 14, 2021, from https://filmanalysis.yale.edu/