What You Need to Know About the Oxford Guide to Film Studies: Content, Structure, Highlights, Benefits, and Limitations
Oxford Guide to Film Studies PDF Download
If you are interested in learning more about film studies, you might want to check out the Oxford Guide to Film Studies, a comprehensive, authoritative, and up-to-date book that covers all aspects of the field. Whether you are a student, a scholar, or a film enthusiast, this book will provide you with an overview of the main disciplinary approaches, concepts, methods, issues, debates, and areas of film studies. In this article, we will give you a brief introduction to the book, its content and structure, some of its highlights, its benefits and limitations, and how you can download the PDF version of it.
oxford guide film studies pdf download
What is the Oxford Guide to Film Studies?
The Oxford Guide to Film Studies is an indispensable guide to the study of film. It was edited by John Hill and Pamela Church Gibson, with contributions from top international experts in film studies. It was published by Oxford University Press in 1998, and it has been widely used as a textbook and a reference book in many courses and programs on cinema or film studies. The book consists of 35 chapters, divided into four parts: Part I: Approaches; Part II: Concepts; Part III: Issues; Part IV: Areas. Each chapter provides an overview of a specific topic or aspect of film studies, with examples, illustrations, references, suggestions for further reading, and glossary terms.
Why is it a useful resource for film students and scholars?
The Oxford Guide to Film Studies is a useful resource for film students and scholars because it offers a comprehensive and critical introduction to the field of film studies. It covers both the theoretical and historical dimensions of film studies, as well as the practical and analytical skills required for film analysis. It also surveys the diverse and interdisciplinary nature of film studies, exploring how film relates to other fields such as literature, art, psychology, sociology, politics, culture, history, technology, industry, and identity. Moreover, it addresses the global and transnational aspects of film studies, examining how films are produced, distributed, consumed, and interpreted across different contexts and cultures.
How to download the PDF version of the book?
If you want to download the PDF version of the Oxford Guide to Film Studies, you have several options. One option is to purchase the print edition of the book from Oxford University Press or other online retailers such as Amazon or Better World Books. Then you can scan or photograph each page of the book and convert them into a PDF file using an app or software such as Adobe Acrobat or CamScanner. Another option is to search for an existing PDF file of the book on websites such as Open Library or Academia.edu. However, you should be aware that these websites may not have the full or latest version of the book, and they may not be authorized or legal to share the book. Therefore, you should always check the source and quality of the PDF file before downloading it.
Overview of the book's content and structure
The Oxford Guide to Film Studies has four main parts, each containing several chapters on different topics or aspects of film studies. Here is a brief overview of each part and its chapters:
Part
Title
Chapters
I
Approaches
This part introduces the main disciplinary approaches to film studies, such as film theory, film history, film sociology, film aesthetics, film criticism, and film policy. It also traces the development and evolution of these approaches, as well as their strengths and weaknesses.
II
Concepts
This part explains the core concepts and methods involved in film analysis, such as film text, film form, film acting, film costume, film music, film genre, film authorship, film star system, and film interpretation. It also illustrates how these concepts and methods can be applied to various films and contexts.
III
Issues
This part surveys the major issues and debates in the study of film, such as film and psychoanalysis, film and postmodernism, film and feminism, film and queer theory, film and pornography, film and race, film and cultural identity, and film and history. It also discusses how these issues and debates reflect the social, cultural, political, and ethical dimensions of film.
IV
Areas
This part provides a critical discussion of key areas and topics in film studies, such as American cinema, European cinema, national cinema, modernism and the avant-gardes, realism and post-colonial theory, documentary film, animated film, Hollywood film industry, Hollywood film genres, Hollywood film and society. It also examines how these areas and topics relate to the global and transnational aspects of film.
Highlights of some of the book's chapters
The Oxford Guide to Film Studies has many interesting and informative chapters that cover a wide range of topics and perspectives on film studies. Here are some of the highlights of some of the book's chapters:
Film acting by Paul McDonald: This chapter explores the concept and practice of film acting, focusing on how actors perform on screen, how they are perceived by audiences, how they are evaluated by critics, how they are influenced by directors and genres, how they are shaped by the star system and the studio system. It also analyzes some examples of famous actors and their performances in different films.
Film music by Claudia Gorbman: This chapter examines the role and function of music in films, considering how music affects the mood, tone, atmosphere, emotion, meaning, narrative, style, genre, and ideology of films. It also reviews some of the theories and methods for analyzing film music. It also discusses some of the types and forms of music in films such as orchestral score, diegetic music, non-diegetic music, leitmotif, and musicals.
Film and postmodernism by John Hill: This chapter investigates the relationship between film and postmodernism, a cultural phenomenon that challenges the notions of truth, reality, history, identity, and representation. It also explores some of the features and characteristics of postmodern films such as pastiche, parody, intertextuality, self-referentiality, hybridity, and irony. It also analyzes some examples of postmodern films such as Pulp Fiction, The Truman Show, and The Matrix.
Feminism and film by Patricia White: This chapter discusses how feminism a political movement that advocates for women's rights and equality has influenced and been influenced by film studies. It also traces the history and diversity of feminist approaches to film such as psychoanalytic feminism cultural feminism post-feminism and queer feminism. It also evaluates some of the achievements and challenges of feminist film criticism theory and practice.
Hollywood and the world by Toby Miller: This chapter analyzes how Hollywood the dominant mode and center of commercial filmmaking in the world has interacted with other cinemas and cultures around the world. It also examines some of the factors and consequences of Hollywood's global dominance such as imperialism Benefits and limitations of the book
The Oxford Guide to Film Studies has many benefits and limitations as a resource for film students and scholars. Here are some of them:
Benefits:
The book is comprehensive and authoritative, covering all aspects of film studies from different perspectives and disciplines.
The book is up-to-date, reflecting the current state of the field and the latest developments and trends in film studies.
The book is accessible and engaging, written in a clear and concise language, with examples, illustrations, references, suggestions for further reading, and glossary terms.
The book is adaptable and flexible, suitable for different levels of study and interest, and for different courses and programs on cinema or film studies.
Limitations:
The book is expensive and bulky, costing around $170 and weighing over 2 pounds.
The book is outdated, published in 1998 and not revised or updated since then.
The book is biased and Eurocentric, focusing mainly on Western films and theories, and neglecting or marginalizing other cinemas and cultures.
The book is static and linear, presenting film studies as a fixed and coherent field, and ignoring or simplifying the complexities and contradictions of film studies.
Summary of the main points and arguments of the article
In this article, we have introduced the Oxford Guide to Film Studies, a comprehensive, authoritative, and up-to-date book that covers all aspects of film studies. We have given a brief overview of the book's content and structure, highlighting some of its chapters. We have also discussed some of the benefits and limitations of the book as a resource for film students and scholars. Finally, we have explained how to download the PDF version of the book from different sources.
Recommendations for further reading and research on film studies
If you want to learn more about film studies, you might want to check out some of these books that are alternative or complementary to the Oxford Guide to Film Studies:
Film Art: An Introduction by David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson: This book is a classic textbook on film analysis, focusing on the formal elements of film such as narrative, mise-en-scĆØne, cinematography, editing, sound, style, genre, etc.
Film Theory: An Introduction by Robert Stam: This book is a comprehensive overview of film theory, tracing its history from the early cinema to the present day, and examining its main concepts, debates, schools, and thinkers.
Film History: An Introduction by Kristin Thompson and David Bordwell: This book is a global survey of film history, covering the major periods, movements, genres, directors, stars, studios, technologies, etc. of world cinema.
Film Studies: The Basics by Amy Villarejo: This book is a concise introduction to film studies, addressing the key questions such as what is film?, what is film studies?, how do we study film?, why do we study film?, etc.
Film Studies: A Global Introduction by Glyn Davis et al.: This book is a contemporary introduction to film studies, taking a global perspective and exploring how films are produced distributed consumed and interpreted across different contexts and cultures.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about the Oxford Guide to Film Studies:
Who are the editors and contributors of the Oxford Guide to Film Studies?
The editors of the Oxford Guide to Film Studies are John Hill a professor of media at Royal Holloway University of London and Pamela Church Gibson a reader in cultural and historical studies at London College of Fashion University of Arts London. The contributors are top international experts in film studies such as Richard Dyer E. Ann Kaplan Paul Willemen Barbara Creed Patricia White John Belton Stephen Crofts Ginette Vincendeau Murray Smith and Toby Miller.
When was the Oxford Guide to Film Studies published?
The Oxford Guide to Film Studies was published by Oxford University Press in March 1998. It has not been revised or updated since then.
How can I access the Oxford Guide to Film Studies online?
You can access the Oxford Guide to Film Studies online by purchasing the print edition of the book from Oxford University Press or other online retailers such as Amazon or Better World Books. Then you can scan or photograph each page of the book and convert them into a PDF file using an app or software such as Adobe Acrobat or CamScanner. Alternatively, you can search for an existing PDF file of the book on websites such as Open Library or Academia.edu. However, you should be aware that these websites may not have the full or latest version of the book, and they may not be authorized or legal to share the book. Therefore, you should always check the source and quality of the PDF file before downloading it.
What are some of the alternative or complementary books on film studies?
Some of the alternative or complementary books on film studies are Film Art: An Introduction by David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, Film Theory: An Introduction by Robert Stam, Film History: An Introduction by Kristin Thompson and David Bordwell, Film Studies: The Basics by Amy Villarejo, and Film Studies: A Global Introduction by Glyn Davis et al.
How can I cite the Oxford Guide to Film Studies in my academic work?
You can cite the Oxford Guide to Film Studies in your academic work using different citation styles such as APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. Here is an example of how to cite the book using APA style:
Hill, J., & Gibson, P. C. (Eds.). (1998). The Oxford guide to film studies. Oxford University Press.
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