North West Film Archive Film and Video Catalogue Search Help   The catalogue can be browsed using the subject categories or more specific searches can be carried out by entering a keyword search. As well as providing help in searching the catalogue, an explanation of terms and symbols used in the catalogue are provided, and how to take your enquiry further, having searched the catalogue Subject Categories If you would like to browse the catalogue of the North West Film Archive's moving image collection try using the subject categories illustrated by the film stills at the top of the search page. Choose to browse all the records in a particular subject category, or limit your search within the category by entering a keyword, or a particular date or date range. For example: If you would like to browse within the subject area of Travel & Transport, click on the image for this subject category. You will then be given the option to either, again click on the image, to browse all records in this category, or to limit your search to a particular aspect of Travel & Transport. To limit your search within the category, simply enter a keyword or key phrase, e.g. trams. This can be further limited to a particular location by including the place name in your keyword search, e.g. trams Blackpool There is also the option to limit your search to a particular date or date range. Enter the single year in four figure format, e.g. 1952, or date range, e.g. to search for material between 1935 and 1950, enter 1935...1950. Browse the catalogue using Subject Categories   Keyword Search To conduct a keyword search, enter terms or a key phrase in the keywords box. You can search for a particular subject, place, producer, or specific film title by entering relevant keywords. You can enter a single term for a broad search, or several words to narrow your search down. If too many results are returned for you to look through, use the Back button in your browser to return to the keyword box and add another relevant word to refine your search. For example: The keyword football returned too many results for you to look through, so you could return to the keyword box and enter football Manchester United to limit your search to footage of a particular team. Alternatively, you can limit your search by region, date, or film type, by using the limit options given below the keyword search. Any combination of keywords and these optional further limits can be used. In addition, you may wish to use the limit options and not enter a keyword. For example: Leaving the keyword box empty and selecting to limit your search by entering the date range 1930...1940, will return all the records within this date range. If your search is unsuccessful, or has too few hits, try thinking of alternative words, e.g., instead of the word seaside, try beaches or seafront. It is also helpful to use concrete words rather than abstract terms, e.g., for images conveying 'love', try entering terms such as weddings or dancing Search the catalogue using Keyword Search   Terms and Symbols Symbols used with dates include: c1939 This signifies that the footage is dated from around this time, but an exact date is uncertain. *1952 This date is an approximate date of the footage, as it is the date of manufacture of the film stock on which the footage was shot. It gives and idea of the earliest possible date of the footage, but an exact date is not certain. 1970-1972 Footage shot across the time span of these three years, 1970, 1971 and 1972. 1970/1973 Footage shot in 1970 as well as 1973 (not 1972). How to take your enquiry further If, having searched the online catalogue, you would like to take your enquiry further, it is important to note the film numbers of the titles in which you are interested. This can be found when looking at the record detail for a title. Your enquiry can be submitted using our Comments & Enquiries form, by email to n.w.filmarchive@mmu.ac.uk or by contacting a member of our access team by telephone 0161-247 3097. Search the Catalogue of the North West Film Archive  Return to Home Page