Summary
FILMS, DOCUMENTARIES AND MOVING IMAGES
Typical questions
• I want to find examples of Latin American soap operas.
• Can I use this YouTube clip in my course?
• Are any of the 1980s public information films about AIDS online?
Points to consider
• The internet has revolutionized access to film. However, many materials appear and disappear rapidly and their origins and copyright status may be uncertain.
• Most students have used YouTube, www.youtube.com. This section aims to offer a wider range of starting-points for academic research. It should also be used in conjunction with the Copyright section!
Where to look
Key organizations
Use these to get advice on finding and using films for educational purposes.
BFI British Film Institute
www.bfi.org.uk/filmtvinfo/researchers
Promotes knowledge and appreciation of film. Its website offers an extensive annotated directory of film links. You can also search the catalogue of its library and archives. Note that in most cases access to materials will be offered on site only.
JISC Digital Media
www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk
Provides advice, guidance and training to the UK further and higher education community on still and moving images. Website has copyright guides and tips on tracing moving images on the internet.
Search engines
• Most general internet search engines claim to find films. However, unfortunately not all materials are archived online. If an item cannot be traced, try to find out the date of transmission and the station/publisher and contact it directly. If the item is a webcast of an event try searching the website of the hosting body because it may have an institutional archive.
• Note that if references to items are found in other library catalogues, the items may not be available to visitors for viewing or interlibrary loan. Always check.
Blinkx
www.blinkx.com
Recommended video search engine. Find all genres of TV and film online. Covers both academic and many non-academic resources worldwide.
Google video
video.google.co.uk
Use the advanced search feature to search for films by length. You can also restrict your search to a specific domain, e.g. YouTube.
Good general websites
These can be useful for tracing educational lectures and documentaries.
FORA.tv
fora.tv
Founded by Brian Gruber. Aims to provide an online forum for free access to lectures, webcasts and video films from independent producers, nonprofit institutions and universities. Current partners include the Heritage Foundation, Chatham House, Cato Institution, the Brookings Institution.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Know it All, Find it Fast for Academic Libraries , pp. 143 - 152Publisher: FacetPrint publication year: 2011