Researching historical promotional materials: Towards a new methodology

Johnston, Keith M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1989-8549 (2019) Researching historical promotional materials: Towards a new methodology. Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 39 (4). pp. 643-662. ISSN 0143-9685

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Abstract

Promotional materials – posters, trailers, press / campaign books, lobby cards – have been part of the commercial film industry for almost as long as there have been films to advertise. The history of these materials, their creators, and the industries that produced them remains largely unexplored territory in film and media history, even while academic interest in such materials has increased over the last decade. This article argues that much of the existing scholarly work on promotional materials – including the most recent ‘paratextual turn’ – lacks a strong methodology for approaching, selecting and analysing such materials. Through an exploration of academic theories and approaches currently used within historical promotional material scholarship, the article considers the limitations of the current dominance of textual studies, and proposes new methodological steps to help refine and enhance the future of studies of promotional materials.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	promotional materials,film,trailers,posters,press books,methodology
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of Art, Media and American Studies (former - to 2024)
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Film, Television and Media Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > British Cinema & Television
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	01 Apr 2019 13:30
Last Modified:	30 Sep 2024 00:16
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/70414
DOI:	10.1080/01439685.2019.1615293

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