Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

Schirmer Encyclopedia of Film. Edited by Barry Keith Grant. Detroit, Mich.: Thomson Gale, 2007. 4 vols. 2135 p. $. ISBN-10: 865791-8; ISBN-13: 978-0-02-865791-2.

Students in southern California who watch news hear something about the film industry at least once a week while across the country, the foibles of actors are presented in supermarket tabloids as well as the nation's newspapers. This book will help students look at the world of film with a more measured eye for reality. The technical aspects of film making - from animation to feature films - are explained in detail. The 200 signed entries are long, from 1,500 to 9,000 words. Colored inset boxes profile the historical perspective of an important person and detailing the person's achievements. While most of the diagrams and photographs are black and white, some are in color. Articles end with brief bibliographies and "See Also" references. Each volume has an index to articles in that and others in the set. The final volume has a 10 page glossary and a 14-page list and notes on the advisors and contributors to the set. The print is small, but this reference will be used heavily by someone teaching film in school and by students curious about the film industry.