Senses of Cinema

Publication analysis


About the publication

Title: Senses of Cinema

ISSN: 1443-4059 (Online)1

Website: http://www.sensesofcinema.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Senses of Cinema describes itself as “an online journal devoted to the serious and eclectic discussion of cinema.” As an Australian-based publication, Senses is also committed to discussing Australian film and film culture.2

Target audience: “People from a wide range of backgrounds, professions, and interests but bound by a single common element: an informed, passionate and serious attitude toward cinema as an art.”3

Publisher: Senses of Cinema, Inc.4

Peer reviewed? Articles can be peer reviewed by request.5

Type: Civilian publication; film journal.

Medium: Online.6

Content: Issues typically contain editorials, articles, film festival reports, book reviews, movie reviews, film director profiles, and English-language translations of articles previously published elsewhere. “We are open to a range of critical approaches (auteurist, formalist, psychoanalytic, humanist…) and encourage contributors to experiment with different forms of writing (personal memoir, academic essay, journalistic report, poetic evocation).”7

Frequency of publication: Quarterly.8

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.sensesofcinema.com/about/contributors/

Types of contributions accepted: Senses of Cinema accepts article proposals; unsolicited finished articles will not be considered. Their policy is not to republish material freely available online in English. Proposals should not exceed 200 words and should state what your article will be about why it will be of interest to the journal’s readers.9

Submission and review process: Submit proposals via email. If they commission an article based on your proposal, publication is not guaranteed until they see the finished article. Deadline and word count will be negotiated during commissioning, but feature articles should not exceed a maximum of 5,000 words. Once your finished article is submitted, it will be edited and returned to you for final approval. Authors may opt to have their article peer reviewed, if desired.10

Editorial tone: A variety of writing forms are encouraged,11 but tone should be professional and intelligent.

Style guide used: Senses of Cinema uses a house style.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Because it’s not a library and information science publication, Senses of Cinema‘s potential for LIS authors is limited. That said, the publication’s exceedingly liberal definition of its scope and the wide range of article types and writing styles that it accepts make it an intriguing possibility for LIS scholars and practitioners with a professional (media librarians, film studies librarians, etc.) or personal interest in film. Senses is friendly to first-time authors and employs forms similar to those found in LIS publications (reviews, reports, etc.)12, so it could be a good place for a writer to cut his or her authorial teeth. Senses has a solid reputation in film circles, so it might help the career of a librarian working in a humanities or media setting. Well-written and insightful articles about “librarians in the movies” might be accepted, too.

 

Audience analysis


About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: 216,000 unique users per issue and 450,000 page views per issue.13

Audience location and language or cultural considerations:  No specific information about audience location could be determined but writers can assume that Senses of Cinema readers are comfortable with the English language and should also be respectful of the journal’s potential international readers, for whom English may be a second language.

Reader characteristics: Senses of Cinema “attracts readers from across all age groups, with particular emphasis on the 25-34 age bracket,” and the majority of Senses readers are practicing filmmakers or are involved in film culture and have completed an undergraduate degree.14 According to the journal, the common point linking a diverse readership is “a genuine love of and curiosity about the medium.”15 LIS authors should remember that LIS subjects are of secondary interest to the readers of this publication.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: LIS authors writing for this publication cannot assume that their readers have any knowledge of LIS topics or terminology.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Senses of Cinema has a great deal of potential for LIS authors who wish to write about LIS topics as they relate to film. That said, LIS authors need to remember that LIS subjects will always be of secondary importance to these readers; writers should take care to avoid jargon, provide background for any discussion of LIS subjects, and firmly ground their articles in the world of cinema.

Possible topics for LIS authors to write about for this publication include subjects pertaining to library media centers and/or collections; libraries and/or librarians as represented in film or in specific films; information gathering strategies for filmmakers, film studies scholars, or movie lovers; bibliographies for film and/or film studies topics; reviews of books, films, periodicals, movie soundtracks, or other materials that the LIS author might work with as a librarian.

Last updated: September 13, 2020


References

Show 15 footnotes

  1.  Senses of Cinema, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed March 27, 2018, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1522202577224/347819
  2. “About Senses of Cinema,” SensesOfCinema.com, accessed November 8, 2016, http://sensesofcinema.com/about/
  3. About Senses of Cinema.”
  4. About Senses of Cinema.”
  5. “Proposals,” SensesOfCinema.com, accessed November 8, 2016, http://sensesofcinema.com/about/contributors/
  6. About Senses of Cinema.”
  7. About Senses of Cinema.”
  8. About Senses of Cinema.”
  9. Proposals.”
  10. Proposals.”
  11. About Senses of Cinema.”
  12. Proposals.”
  13. “Advertisers,” SensesOfCinema.com, accessed September 13, 2020, Senses of Cinema. Retrieved from http://sensesofcinema.com/about/advertisers/
  14. Advertisers.”
  15. Advertisers.”
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