Getting Started
Welcome to your Subject Guide, where you'll find tailored guidance and advice on key library resources.
Essential Resources
Books and eBooks
Print books on or relating to Film can be found at the following Library locations ("Shelfmarks") on the second floor:
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Cinematography |
778.53 |
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Lighting |
778.7 |
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Sound and Film |
778.534 |
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Film Editing |
778.535 |
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Film Theory |
791.4301 |
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French Cinema |
791.430944 |
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Animated Film |
791.4344 |
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Documentary Film |
791.4353 |
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Film Genres |
791.436 |
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Radio |
791.44 |
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Television |
791.45 |
Most essential texts, and many more, are available in eBook format and can be found on UR Library Search.
Specialist databases: free with your Roehampton login.
Find journal articles, book chapters and other academic research papers in your subject. Most of these databases provide the full text, but sometimes just brief details (citation and abstract) of the articles. Click the Full Text Finder button to see if you can access the full text via our eJournals; if not, you can request it via Interlibrary Loan.
- Screen Studies Collection This link opens in a new window
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A comprehensive index of current publications related to film studies, plus detailed filmographies. Content includes: International Index to Film Periodicals database (FIAF), American Film Institute (AFI Catalog) and Film Index International.
- Drama Online This link opens in a new window
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Plays and play criticisms from a range of publishers including Aurora Metro Books, Faber & Faber and Bloomsbury Publishing. Also includes Globe on Screen and Early Modern video Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum's archives. Note: To access this resource please select “University of Roehampton”.
- Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
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A multi-disciplinary database, offering information in most areas of academic study.
Current newspapers and magazines
The Library subscribes to a wide range of current magazines and academic journals on Film, such as Sight and Sound magazine.
PressReader (below) gives you access to many daily newspapers and magazines with good film coverage (reviews, interviews etc.), while Nexis is a news analysis database. You can also access the past archives of several major titles such as the Guardian, Observer and Times - find these via our A-Z Database list.
- PressReader This link opens in a new window
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Access thousands of current, international newspapers and magazines. You can also download the PressReader App. Note: To log in, click sign in at the top of the screen, select Library or Group, then find University of Roehampton and Sign In via Open Athens. Spotlight on PressReader blog post.
- Nexis UK This link opens in a new window
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Worldwide news and business database. This content is unavailable in UR Library Search and can only be found here on the Nexis platform.
- Vogue Archive This link opens in a new window
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The Vogue Archive contains the entire run of US Vogue magazine, from 1892 to the current month, reproduced in images indexed by garment type, designer and brand names.
E-book collections with good film studies content:
- ACLS Humanities EBook This link opens in a new window
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Subjects: humanities and related social sciences.
- Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
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The Oxford Handbooks series brings together the world’s leading scholars to write articles that survey the current state of scholarship in their field. The articles review the key issues, reveal original arguments and concepts, and set the agenda for new research.
Open Access articles
These are free to all on the web, but have been through rigorous academic scrutiny, so you can trust the content. For further recommended titles, you can filter the A-Z Database List by subject and type.
- AlphavilleA peer-reviewed online journal from Film and Screen Media at University College Cork, Ireland.
- Another GazeA Feminist Film Journal
- CINEJ Cinema JournalA peer-reviewed film studies journal from University of Pittsburgh, USA.
- Ekphrasis: Images, Cinema, Theory, MediaPeer-reviewed online journal from The Faculty of Theater and Television, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj.
- Film-PhilosophyAn international, open access academic journal dedicated to film studies and philosophy.
- Film and Media CommonsOpen access articles.
- Film Studies for FreeA web archive of links to free academic content on the subject of film studies.
- Frames Cinema JournalA biannual, peer-reviewed, academic journal for scholars of film, media and screen studies.
- In TransitionA peer-reviewed academic journal of videographic film and moving image studies.
- MAI: Feminism and Visual CultureA free, open-access journal for feminist scholars, writers, artists and activists addressing visual culture.
- MediaArXivThe Open Archive for Media, Film, & Communication Studies.
- MOVIE: A Journal of Film CriticismA refereed open access journal from Warwick University.
- Open Screens (BAFTSS)Open access online journal of the British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies.
- Research in Film and HistoryA peer-reviewed online journal from the University of Bremen, Germany.
- Reverse ShotOnline magazine of New York's Museum of the Moving Image.
- Scope: film and television history, theory and criticism.Peer-reviewed online journal from the University of Nottingham.
- Screening the PastOpen access journal for the history of photography, film, television and multimedia.
- ScreenworksA peer-reviewed publication of practice research in film and screen media.
- Senses of CinemaAn online journal and podcast devoted to the serious and eclectic discussion of cinema.
- SequenceExperimental, peer-reviewed, media, film and music studies serial, using a sequential edited-collection format.
University subscriptions - free with your Roehampton login.
- Archives for EducationOver 200 films from the BFI, BBC and other UK and Irish film archives licensed for creative reuse by film students. Contact Muriel Tinel-Temple (or your tutor/convenor) in UR School of Arts for access details.
- BFI Player for Higher Education This link opens in a new window
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The British Film Institute's curated streaming service for higher education, with a focus on British and European independent films. Note: after logging in with your Roehampton email address, you need to create a personal user account for access. You may watch content on personal devices or in class, but BFI Player is not licenced for public screenings.
- ROB (Roehampton Online Broadcasts) This link opens in a new window
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Record and stream freeview TV and radio programmes for educational use, create clips and playlists, and access the archive of recorded programmes including BBC and Shakespeare Archives. ROB is managed by AVR, for assistance contact: avr@roehampton.ac.uk.
- Kanopy This link opens in a new window
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Streams thousands of films, documentaries and training videos across a wide range of subjects. Note: Click 'Log in to Roehampton' on the left side of the screen to gain access. Please note: BBC programmes may be available via Roehampton Online Broadcasts (ROB).
- BBC Shakespeare Archive Resource (Open Access Resource) This link opens in a new window
The BBC's archive of their entire output relating to Shakespeare: plays, poems and sonnets, documentaries, interviews, photographs and stills. Licensed only for streamed playback. To use this platform you will need to register using your Roehampton email address. Click here to register.
- Theatre Performance and Design Collection This link opens in a new window
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A comprehensive collection of performance videos, audio recordings, and production designs (from sound and lights to sets and costumes).
Open Access film sites - free to all on the web
- ArtBabble FilmShowcases high quality art-related video content from more than 50 cultural institutions worldwide.
- Arts on Film ArchiveFree (to UK universities) streaming of post-war British art films and documentaries, from University of Westminster. Includes a complete database and access to over 450 films made by the Arts Council England between 1953 and 2003.
- BFI PlayerFree shorts and features from 120 years of UK national and regional archives. (Further content available by subscription).
- British Council FilmShowcase and catalogue of UK films.
- British PathéDigital archive of newsreels from 1896 to 1978.
- Cinenova: Feminist Film & VideoA charity preserving and distributing the work of feminist film and video makers since 1979.
- Colonial FilmA collection of hundreds of films relating to the British colonial era, intended to "allow both colonizers and colonized to understand better the truths of Empire."
- Documentary HeavenAccess thousands of free documentaries, searchable by subject category.
- EU ScreenThousands of films relating to European society, culture and politics in the 20th and 21st centuries.
- European Film GatewayHundreds of thousands of film historical documents from European film archives and cinémathèques: rare feature and documentary films, newsreels, ephemera and other materials.
- HenriRare films from the Cinémathèque française, free to watch online.
- Library of Congress National Screening RoomA project by the US Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, aiming to make movies from the Library's extensive holdings freely available.
- Media BurnA nonprofit based in Chicago with a social justice focus that collects, produces, and distributes documentary video created by artists, activists, and community groups.
- Open Culture: Free movies onlineOver 1,000 free films including animation, classics, independents, film noir, westerns, etc.
- Radical Film Network"A radical film depository to share and discuss work" - watch films for free, and upload your own.
- Reel NewsActivist video collective covering grassroots and trade union campaigns.
- Short of the WeekWatch hand picked short films, and submit your own for screening.
- Show Studio"The home of fashion film."
- TED talks on FilmA collection of free TED Talks (and more) on the topic of Film.
- UBU Web Film & VideoThousands of avant-garde films.
- UNESCO digital archives projectFilms, photographs and sound recordings from the United Nations.
- WaterBearFree film streaming service covering subjects such as sustainability, biodiversity, activism, wellbeing.
Fee-based streaming services
- MUBIEclectic film streaming service with a student rate.
University subscriptions (free with your Roehampton login).
- Archives for EducationOver 200 films from the BFI, BBC and other UK and Irish film archives licensed for creative reuse by film students. Contact Muriel Tinel-Temple (or your tutor/convenor) in UR School of Arts for access details.
- ARTSTOR This link opens in a new window
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Provides access to curated high quality images from reliable sources that have been rights-cleared for use in education and research. It contains 300 collections composed of over 2 million images.
- Naxos Music Library This link opens in a new window
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A music database containing over 2 million tracks, from classical and opera to jazz, blues, film scores and world music. All available straight to your phone via the NML app. Spotlight on Naxos blog post.
Instructional videos on film making from Roehampton:
Resources on the web (free to all).
- 40 Days to learn FilmA handy guide from Hopscotch Films in Glasgow.
- BAFTA GuruInspirational career advice from top film, games and television creators.
- BBC Sound EffectsOver 33,000 sound clips available for personal, educational or research purposes. Global content from the last 100 years, including TV and radio special effects, BBC Natural History Unit and Radiophonic Workshop recordings. You can create your own mixes and soundscapes using the ‘mixer mode’ function.
- BensoundRoyalty and cost-free music downloads!
- British Library SoundsAccess thousands of the British Library's global recordings, including music, drama and literature, oral history, languages and dialects, wildlife, and birdsong.
- Film NetworkA free platform to help you develop and showcase your films.
- Free Music ArchiveRoyalty-free and 'free to download' music source.
- FreeSFXCatalogue of over 4,500 free music and sound effects for use in any commercial, non-commercial, broadcast multimedia/audio visual production.
- FreesoundA collaborative database of audio samples released under Creative Commons licenses, allowing free re-use for non-commercial use.
- Free to Use SoundsRoyalty-free sound archive - please note not all are free of charge but follow the instructions to find those that are.
- Learning on ScreenResources form the British Universities Film & Video Council (BUFVC).
- mobygratisMoby donates his music to independent filmmakers and film students for use in non-profit films and videos (conditions apply).
- Women Make MoviesSupports women filmmakers and showcases films by and about women.
- YouTube audio libraryFree audio clips for subscribers to download.
Film scripts, blogs and more for budding screenwriters.
Further resources can be found on our Subject Guides for Creative Writing and Drama.
- BBC Writers Room Script LibraryRead BBC TV, radio and film scripts here.
- Bulletproof ScreenwritingScreenplay library and resources including a podcast: https://bulletproofscreenwriting.tv/podcasts/
- The Daily ScriptA collection of free scripts and screenplays for educational use, with one featured each day.
- Industrial ScriptsFree resources for screenwriters and filmmakers, including the Character-Driven blog.
- Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb)The biggest collection of movie scripts on the web, free to read or download.
- NFI Screenplay/ScriptwritingFree resources from Nashville Film Institute
- ScreenplayedFilm script library "comparing movies to screenplays", with accompanying podcast: https://lnk.bio/screenplayed
- Screenwriting CommonsOpen access academic articles.
- The Script LabTSL's Screenplay Library has hundreds of Hollywood’s top film and TV screenplays available free for educational and research purposes.
- Script Reader ProA wealth of resources for budding screenwriters.
- Scripts On ScreenFilm script search engine.
- The Script ZoneFull film and TV scripts, hosted by Bournemouth University’s Centre for Excellence in Media Practice (CEMP).
- Simply ScriptsHosts hundreds of downloadable movie scripts, screenplays and more, to provide “a screenwriter's resource.”
Online film guides, criticism, networks, discussion...
- AlbertFounded in 2011, albert supports the global Film and TV industry to reduce the environmental impacts of production and to create content that supports a vision for a sustainable future.
- AudiovisualcyOnline forum for videographic film studies.
- BFI Screen OnlineThe BFI’s definitive guide to British film and TV history.
- Black Film ArchiveNot a physical archive, but "a living register of Black films...it showcases every Black made film from 1915 to 1979 currently streaming."
- Bollywood Movie DatabaseEverything related to Hindi cinema.
- British Artists Moving Image DatabaseResearch database on British artists' film and video work.
- British Council FilmShowcase and catalogue of UK films.
- Centre for Screen CulturesInterdisciplinary exploration by academics, practitioners, and the public.
- David Bordwell’s Website on CinemaRun by a Professor of Film Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this comprehensive site includes the blog Observations on Film Art.
- The Film SpaceA not-for-profit organisation that supports teachers and educators in film and the moving image.
- Film Studies for FreeA web archive of links to free academic content on the subject of film studies.
- IMDb: Internet Movie DatabaseA wealth of information on over 200,000 films.
- Internet Encyclopedia of International CinematographersBiographies and filmographies.
- Jump Cut: A review of contemporary mediaAnalysing media in its social and political context since 1974, with particular regard to class, race and gender.
- JustWatchGuide to what to watch and where to find it online.
- KameraA “Film Salon” dedicated to covering independent and world cinema.
- Learning on ScreenResources form the British Universities Film & Video Council (BUFVC).
- Leftfield CinemaPodcast and database of alternative and independent cinema.
- LetterboxdA social network for film enthusiasts.
- Moving Image SourceResearch guide from Museum of the Moving Image.
- MRQE: Movie Review Query EngineA searchable database of over 100,000 film reviews, news, interviews, and more.
- Radical Film Network"A radical film depository to share and discuss work" - watch films for free, and upload your own.
- Soundtrack"the authoritative source for news and information about composers, movies and television soundtracks, albums, original scores, and songs in movies."
- Streaming Video Resources for times of social distancingHelpful blog post from the The Centre for Screen Cultures at University of St Andrews
- Who’s Who of Victorian CinemaA guide to over 300 leading figures in early cinema (1870 to 1901).
- Women Make MoviesSupports women filmmakers and showcases films by and about women.
- Yale Film Analysis GuideA guide developed by Yale University to help students become familiar with the vocabulary of film studies and the techniques of cinema.
Film industry, professional organisations, competitions, festivals...
- BAFTABritish Academy of Film and Television Arts
- Cinema for AllBritish Federation of Film Societies promotes and supports community film screenings.
- FIAF: International Federation of Film ArchivesDedicated to the preservation of, and access to, the world’s film heritage since 1938.
- Film LondonThe capital’s screen industries agency, supporting new and emerging film-making talent.
- Film the HouseA film competition that links young or inexperienced film makers with UK Parliament.
- FOCAL International (Federation of Commercial Audiovisual Libraries)A trade association that promotes the proper use of archival film footage.
- Independent Cinema OfficeThe UK’s national body supporting independent cinemas, film festivals and exhibitors.
- Sands FilmsIndependent film studio, costumier, cinema club and picture library in Bermondsey, south London.
- UK Asian Film FestivalRun by Tongues on Fire, UKAFF aims to celebrate, award and reward great films, filmmakers and artists from South Asia, and includes: feature films, documentaries, short films, panel discussions, and educational and community screenings.
- Women Over 50 Film Festival (WOFFF)Champions and showcases the work of older women on screen and behind the camera.
Physical collections of films and related materials.
Always contact before visiting.
- BFI LibraryThe British Film Institute on the South Bank has a specialist Library and archive of books, journals, film reels, ephemera and more, relating to British film, TV and performing arts.
- Bill Douglas Cinema MuseumBased at the University of Exeter.
- Black Film ArchiveNot a physical archive, but "a living register of Black films...it showcases every Black made film from 1915 to 1979 currently streaming."
- The Cinema MuseumA vast London museum dedicated to the history of cinema, with a unique archive of film reels, books, journals and ephemera.
- Close-UpA collection of over 20,000 films in early cinema, classics, world cinema, documentaries, experimental films, video art and independent films, plus books and digital resources.
- Film Archives UKFAUK is a collective committed to preserving and developing access to the UK’s public sector film archives.
- Goethe InstitutA large collection of German films and books, in South Kensington.
- Institut Français MédiathèqueLa Médiathèque at South Kensington has the largest collection of French books and films in the UK.
- June Givanni Pan African Cinema Archive (JGPACA)A collection of films relating to Pan African cinema, offering programmes that aim to raise awareness of the contributions of black people to cinema.
- Library of Congress National Film Preservation Board (US)A comprehensive list of public moving image archives and research centres around the world.
- London's Screen ArchivesFilms of and about the UK capital.
- London Community Video ArchivesBased at Goldsmiths, University of London, LCVA preserves, archives and shares community videos made in the 1970s and 1980s in London and the South East.
- London Metropolitan ArchivesLMA's collections of over 250,000 images, films and maps, many of which have been digitised.
- National Archives guide to film archive collectionsAn introductory guide to important historical sources on film, television and performing arts held by various archives.
- Sands FilmsIndependent film studio, costumier, cinema club and picture library in Bermondsey, south London.
- Science and Media MuseumThis Yorkshire museum's collections are dedicated to the science and history of images and sound.