Researching Films
Researching Films
After selecting a film for your writing assignment, it is a good idea to do some preliminary research. By doing your research ahead of time, you will have a better sense of what to pay attention to when watching the movie. Listed below are three of the most common ways to conduct research on a film.
Background Information
Before writing about a film, you can learn about its production and release. Researching the background information about a film will help you explain the context surrounding the movie to readers who are unfamiliar with it. Background information on a film might include important cast and crew members, setbacks during filming, release dates for the film, awards received, and dollars earned at the box office. It is recommended that you use reliable sources of information when researching the background of a film; a couple of reputable websites are mentioned below.
Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
IMDb is perhaps the most well-known online database about movies. Each film has its own webpage with detailed information that includes cast members, award nominations and wins, production companies, and box office details.
American Film Institute (AFI) Catalog
The AFI Catalog is a specialized online database about the history of American film. Every American-made film has a catalog entry with basic information on its production and release.
Scholarly Books and Articles
Scholarly books and articles provide critical analyses of a movie’s content and filmmaking techniques. Researching these scholarly sources allows you to develop a deeper understanding of how choices made during filming create meaning and how that meaning is significant. For instance, Alfred Hitchcock obscured the killer’s face in Psycho until the big reveal at the end of the movie. His choice to film with the killer offscreen made the act of murder that much more terrifying. Hitchcock’s filmmaking techniques have since heavily influenced the development of the horror movie genre. Researching the ideas of other scholars can also help you develop your analysis, and you can use these scholarly sources as evidence to support your argument.
One of the best places to search for scholarly books and articles about film is the Del Mar College Libraries’ databases and catalog, which can be accessed at https://delmar.edu/library/index.html.
Professional Reviews
Professional critics typically publish their reviews of a film shortly before or after its release. When writing your own review of a movie, it is useful to research how the film was initially received by critics. You may find that you disagree with professional critics, which provides you with an opportunity to create a counterargument. On the other hand, if you agree with the critics, you can use their critiques to support your evaluation of the film. Reading a variety of reviews will also give you an idea of how to write and structure a film review. There are many places to find credible and professional movie reviews; a few are referenced below.
The New York Times
(https://www.nytimes.com/reviews/movies)
Periodicals, such as The New York Times, are a dependable source of movie reviews. The New York Times allows you to search through all its published movie reviews, dating from the early 1900s to the present. You may also consider browsing movie reviews of other popular periodicals including Variety, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, and The Atlantic.
RogerEbert.com
(https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews)
Named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic, RogerEbert.com hosts a collection of movie reviews. The website focuses on films released by major studios as well as independent films and documentaries.
Rotten Tomatoes
(https://www.rottentomatoes.com/)
Rotten Tomatoes is a popular website where professional critics and regular audience members can rate films. Every movie on Rotten Tomatoes has a webpage with general information about the film and professional reviews.
Note: As you begin your research and writing processes, consult your assignment instructions regarding any outside research requirements.
Page last updated July 25, 2023.