Film Studies Research Guide 

What's Here

This page concerns the process of making films -- producing, directing, editing, and so forth -- both as a subject for scholarship and as information for students interested in making films themselves.

Below you find explanations of how to find books on filmmaking, and selected websites for filmmakers.

The topics covered on this page may overlap with some other pages in thie subject guide:

• Directors, Actors, Writers, etc
  
• Social & Other Aspects of Filmmaking: the relationships between filmmaking and the rest of the world
• Music & Sound in Movies

Books

New books on filmmaking appear constantly, in part because film technology and the movie business are ever-changing.  Consequently, rather than list titles here, I will recommend that you search for the following subject headings in Orbis (the links will open a window or tab with the search):

• Motion pictures--Production and direction
• Cinematography
• Motion picture authorship
• Motion pictures--Art direction
• Motion pictures--Editing
• Motion pictures--Handbooks, manuals, etc.
• Digital video--Handbooks, manuals, etc.
  
• Motion pictures--Production and direction--Handbooks, manuals, etc.
• Motion picture acting (see also Acting)
• Low budget motion pictures
• Motion pictures--Marketing
• Motion picture industry--United States--Finance

For other aspects of movie-making, see:

• Movie Business & Studios
• Social & Other Aspects of Filmmaking
  
• Screenplays/Filmscripts
• Film Festivals & Awards
• Music & Sound in Movies

Selected Websites

From the Crawford Collection, Yale University Library Manuscripts and Archives.

Filmmaking.com

Online filmmaking portal to a variety of resources. Includes quicklinks to articles, dictionaries, directories, tutorials, filmmaking periodicals, interviews, and schools and universities. Also has links to general resources on film theory, studios, news & media.

 

Google Filmmaking Directory

 

Independent Feature Project (IFP)

Provides directories and resources for the independent film and audiovisual professional.

 

IndieWIRE

Online resource for independent filmmakers.

 

MovieMaker.com

Online site for MovieMaker magazine, "the art and business of making movies." Includes helpful production links, articles, and more.

Women Make Movies

The largest distributor of women's media in North America. Includes links to other sites on women in film and video.