Find Industry Information - PAID 112 Section 04 - Hageman (Spring 2024)

In This Section

In this section, you'll find:

Resources for tracking down film industry information, such as:
- Trade publications
- Reviews
- Box office information
- Industry associations and awards
- Other useful websites

Trade Publications

Daily Variety
Daily newspaper for the entertainment business, based out of Los Angeles.
Media History Digital Library
A free online resource, featuring millions of pages of books and magazines from the histories of film, broadcasting, and recorded sound. Mostly from the mid-twentieth century.

Film Reviews

New York Times (NYTimes.com) This link opens in a new window
Full access to the New York Times online (1851-present). Includes international edition and Spanish and Chinese language editions. For full access and no monthly article limits, create an account using your Luther email address or register your account here: http://proxy.luther.edu/login?url=https://ezmyaccount.nytimes.com/grouppass/redir.
New York Times, Historical plus Index (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: the New York Times provides the full image of articles published in the New York Times from its first issue in 1851. It is searchable by keyword, author, article title, and first paragraph (abstract). You can browse issues by clicking Publications at the top of the screen. It includes illustrations and advertisements. The title changed from the New York Daily Times to the New York Times in 1857.

Roger Ebert Reviews
Archive of reviews by film critic Roger Ebert and other site contributors.

Rotten Tomatoes
Compiles critics' and audience reviews for film and television. Also often includes film information and trailers.
Metacritic
Another review website that compiles audience and critics' reviews, film information, trailers, and more. Metacritic also reviews games and music.

Box Office Returns

Box Office Mojo
Online movie publication and box office reporting service created by movie analyst Brandon Gray in 1999. Operated by IMDB.com and owned by Amazon.
The Numbers:Where Data and the Movie Business Meet
Destination for information on movie finances produced by Nash Information Services.
Film Industry Information on Statista
Film industry statistics of all kinds, including box office revenue in the US and globally.

**Statista requires a paid subscription for full access (which Luther doesn't have) but you can still see some information. You just might hit a paywall eventually and have to stop there.

Film Industry Associations & Awards

Motion Picture Association
"The MPA has served as the voice and advocate of the film and television industry around the world, advancing the business and art of storytelling, protecting the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and bringing entertainment and inspiration to audiences worldwide." Members are: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Netflix Studios, LLC, Paramount Pictures Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., Universal City Studios LLC, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Film Ratings
Operated by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) this website provides film ratings, and information on the film rating system itself.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
"The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie related organization, comprised of 8,000+ accomplished men and women working in cinema. We recognize and uphold excellence in the motion picture arts and sciences, inspire imagination, and connect the world through the medium of motion pictures."
Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
"SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals."
American Film Institute (AFI)
The AFI is dedicated to education, training, preservation, and the celebration of film as an art form.
Golden Globes
An awards ceremony sponsored by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a non-profit journalism and philanthropy organization focused on the entertainment industry.
British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
"The British Academy of Film and Television Arts - BAFTA - is a world-leading independent arts charity. In addition to its Awards ceremonies, BAFTA has a year-round, international programme of learning events and initiatives that offers unique access to some of the world’s most inspiring talent through workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia."

Websites of Note

Industry News

Indiewire
News, information, and networking site for independent-minded filmmakers, the industry and moviegoers alike. Founded 1996. Now owned by SnagFilms.

Images

Getty Images
Getty Images is a stock image supplier--they license photographs and other media for reuse by news companies, filmmakers, media producers, etc. Film images especially are not going to be rights-free (meaning you'd have to pay to download), but this site might still be useful as you look for images from your film.
MoviePosters.com
Primarily a place to purchase movie posters, this site could still be useful as you track down images of posters for your film.
Movie Stills Database
A community-driven archive of film stills, lobby cards, and more. This site seems a little iffy in terms of copyright, but it could still be useful for finding images from your film.

Choosing Sources

When choosing sources, consider:

Who
- Who wrote it? What could their biases and affiliations be?
What
- What kind of source is it? A book? A newspaper article?
- What claims does the source make? What is its argument or thesis?
Where
- Where was it published? In an encyclopedia? Online? What country?
When
- When was it written? What time frame does it cover?
Why
- Why did the author write it?
- Why might it be useful to my own argument or research questions?