Library : Filmmaking: Books, Periodicals, Databases and Indexes

Finding Filmmaking Resources in the Library

Use the LibrarySearch to search for filmmaking materials in the catalog, and our A-Z database List to browse electronic databases and collections.

On the third floor you can browse books about cinema and film studies under these headings:

PN 1992-1999 - Motion Pictures
PN 1993.5 - Film History
PN 1994.A1-.A5 - Laws, Regulations, etc
PN 1996 - Authorship, Scenario Writing, etc
PN 1997 - Individual Motion Pictures

You can also browse books about technical filmmaking under these headings:

TR 845 - 897.77 - Cinematography. Motion Pictures. Video Recording
TR 898 - Motion Pictures for Television, Editing Motion Pictures

Film Databases

Bloomsbury and Faber Screenplays and Criticism Collection This link opens in a new window
This collection brings together a wide range of content from Bloomsbury and Faber & Faber to support studies of the moving image. It offers searchable access to screenplays presented in industry-standard studio format; introductory overview articles with expert analysis of selected themes; and critical and contextual books on cinema, including coverage of practical techniques for filmmaking and screenwriting.
Bloomsbury Screen Studies: Filmmaking This link opens in a new window
The Filmmaking collection offers a dedicated collection of over 100 practical eBooks from Focal Press and Bloomsbury, offering depth and coverage across the curriculum. The collection provides coverage across key areas of filmmaking including: production, screenwriting, cinematography, direction, and the business of film; the collection also includes overviews, practical handbooks, and technical guides.
Film Scripts Online This link opens in a new window
Copyrighted screenplays from the silent era to the present.
Film Index International This link opens in a new window
Film Index International is a major information resource for entertainment films and personalities produced in collaboration with the British Film Institute. With a scholarly, inclusive approach to all areas of film studies - from the very first silent movies, to art house classics or the latest blockbusters - Film Index International provides international coverage, indexing films from over 170 countries.

Reference and Periodicals

Reference resources, bibliographies, and periodicals databases like these are ideal for a very broad overview of a topic, and can help you decide how to narrow down your search. They contain thousands of e-journals and articles that can be searched or browsed in your research.

Performing Arts Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
Full text coverage of more than 160 international performing arts periodicals, covering dance, drama, theater, stagecraft, musical theater, circus performance, opera, pantomime, puppetry, magic, performance art, film, television and more.
FIAF International Index to Film Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
This database contains FIAF's “Treasures from Film Archives”; a detailed index of the silent-era film holdings of archives from around the world, a selection of Reference volumes and the linked full-text of over 60 journals.
AFI Catalog This link opens in a new window
The AFI Catalog covers the history of American cinema comprehensively from 1893 to 1975, with full or short records for films from 1976 to present.
CREDO Reference This link opens in a new window
A premier virtual reference collection including encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, images, audio files, and videos in a wide expanse of subject areas.
Bloomsbury Cultural History This link opens in a new window
Bloomsbury Cultural History is a digital reference tool that provides students and researchers with a set of curated, comprehensive and illustrated reference works within a single platform, alongside an extensive list of eBooks and a wide-ranging image collection.
American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Collection This link opens in a new window
Digital access to a comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1684 and 1877.
Archival Films and Newsreels Collection This link opens in a new window
Throughout modern history, cameras have recorded public events, wars, cultural phenomena, and government programs. This collection is a treasure trove of archival and historical films from multiple sources. A collection from Films on Demand.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Full-text archive of scholarly journals, particularly strong in the arts and humanities. For access, click 'Login' the top right of the JSTOR webpage, choose 'Sign in with Microsoft' and enter your UNCSA email and password.

Open Access Ebooks and Journals

Project MUSE Open Access eBooks This link opens in a new window
Collection of over 5000 open access eBooks from Project MUSE, spanning across a variety of subjects and disciplines

Library & Learning Commons

Filmmaking

Subject Guides for the School of Filmmaking

Finding Filmmaking Resources in the Library

Film Databases

Reference and Periodicals

Open Access Ebooks and Journals