Motion picture press kit collection

Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669
Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions on personal use. Permission to publish material from the Motion picture press kit collection must be obtained from Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Preferred citation:

Motion picture press kit collection, C0107, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
10 linear feet (16 boxes)
Creator:
Margaret Yocom and Peter C. Brunette, Jr.
Abstract:
This collection contains hundreds of motion picture press kits donated by George Mason University English professors Peter Brunette, Jr. and Margaret R. Yocom. The press kits promote foreign as well as domestic films, mostly from the past two decades, and range in format from glossy, full-color booklets to packets printed out in black and white and stapled together.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Motion picture press kit collection, C0107, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University Libraries.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains hundreds of motion picture press kits donated by George Mason University English professors Peter Brunette, Jr. and Margaret R. Yocom. The press kits range in format from glossy, full-color booklets to packets printed out in black and white and stapled together. Several press kits also include promotional photographs and color slides. The collection is divided into three series, grouping press kits, correspondence and other papers related to the film industry, and oversized promotional material together.

Series 1 contains several hundred press kits for a variety of films, including major studio and independent releases. The press kits promote foreign as well as domestic films from the past two decades. The professionally printed materials include press kits for "Bandit Queen," "Japon," "Europa," "Dancer in the Dark," "Brother's Keeper," "The Piano," "Antz," "Todo Sobre Mi Madre," "The English Patient," "Eternity and a Day," "The Road to Perdition," "Muriel's Wedding," and "The Straight Story." Some press kits include handwritten notes and reviews, along with articles published in major newspapers and trade magazines about the films.

Series 2 contains miscellaneous documents pertaining to the movie industry. Included is "A Guide to Self Distribution", detailing the challenges faced by independent movie producers. Also included in this series are mailings from movie studios and schedules of upcoming releases.

Series 3 contains oversized promotional film material. Some material is accompanied by its printed press kit. The oversized promotional items in this series include a promotional package for the film "Barb Wire" with a copy of the original comic book, and an original souvenir booklet produced for the release of "2001: A Space Odyssey".

Biographical / historical:

Press kits are packets of printed material distributed to promote the release of a forthcoming film. They often include photographs along with text promoting the film and providing information on actors, directors, and producers. Press kits can range from glossy, full-color booklets to loose assemblages of photographs, slides, and stapled packets of information. Since distribution of expensive, full-color press kits is often limited to industry leaders (critics, promoters, etc.), press kits can be quite collectable, particularly for Hollywood blockbusters that have stood the test of time and successful independent features. This collection of motion picture press kits was assembled by Margaret Yocom, a George Mason University professor of folklore who has written film reviews for academic journals, and Peter C. Brunette, a GMU professor of English and film studies who served on the International Critics' Jury at the Bangkok International Film Festival.

Acquisition information:
Collection donated by Peter C. Brunette and Margaret Yocom in 1999.
Processing information:

Processed by Special Collections and Archives staff. EAD markup completed by Eron Ackerman and Jordan Patty in April 2009. Additional processing and arrangement completed by Kristen Korfitzen in 2012.

Arrangement:
  1. Series 1: Films, 1988-2004 (Box 1-15)
  2. Series 2: Miscellaneous, 1988-2004 (Box 15)
  3. Series 3: Oversize, 1968-2000 (Box 16)
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Pressbooks.
Motion picture industry.