About the Art on Screen Database

The database includes more than 23,000 records, representing productions from some seventy countries. Media formats covered include film, video, and videodisc. Interactive multimedia and CD-ROM productions will also be covered. There is a related database of names and addresses of more than 8,000 distributors and producers of moving image productions.

Each citation includes a synopsis of content, as well as credits, country, language, production date, format, and other filmographic data, including distribution sources. These fields are all searchable. Approximately one-third of the entries also include a critical evaluation or references to published reviews or festival awards.

Coverage

The database provides comprehensive coverage of English-language productions and extensive coverage of important productions from more than seventy countries. The majority of these productions date from 1970 to the present, with selective coverage of earlier productions from 1915 through 1969. Staff consult more than 1,000 sources to acquire or verify data. In addition, data has been provided by the British Film Institute, the National Film Board of Canada, AG Kunstlerfilm (Germany), and the Direction des Musées de France. About 2,000 new titles are added each year to the database.

Subject Indexing

All entries have been indexed by subject, using a controlled vocabulary drawn primarily from the Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) with additional terms from the Library of Congress Subject Headings. In addition to searching for artists' names, users can search for art forms (painting, sculpture, architecture, etc.), styles and periods, materials or techniques. Extensive use has been made of associated concepts, including such terms as "art and technology," "art and war," "public art," etc., as well as people terms, e.g., "black artists," "women artists," "expatriate artists," etc.

Classification by Film Genre

Each entry is also classified by filmmaking genre, e.g., animation, children's films, fiction, profile, video art.

Evaluative Data

At least one-third of the entries in the database include some critical data: either an evaluation by a panel of art and film experts, staff comments, or citations of reviews and festival honors.

To contribute entries to the database, send information to:

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