Routledge Key Guides are typically succinct, thorough, and extremely useful - and this is no exception. The articles cover a broad range of topics from simple editing techniques to sophisticated Lacanian theory. Hayward's tone is authoritative, but never pedantic. These entries are not excessively wordy and are thus useful to beginning film students, or even regular film buffs. That is not to say, however, that the book isn't useful to more advanced students. While most film students will probably own Bordwell's "Film Art", you may need to do a little digging before you find exactly what you need. This guide is very straightforward to use, so you never have to hunt around for, say, how the concept of "agency" relates to the cinema. This isn't really a replacement for a larger volume on film theory and technique, but it is a nice companion for easy access to lots of information.
The articles range from one paragraph for terms where a straightforward definition will suffice to 21 pages on psychoanalysis. Again, Hayward's goal is communication, not a dazzling display of erudition. Nothing against dense scholarly texts - this is just easily accessible by comparison.
The book is cross-indexed and each entry includes helpful tips for further reading. Add to that an extensive list of references, and three indices (films, names, and terms) and you've got a handy reference that you'll return to again and again. Whether you're trying to get a handle on the rapidly expanding world of film studies, or you're working on a paper and you need a quick reminder of what a "parallel reversal" is, this is worth picking up.Get more detail about Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts, Third Edition.
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