''The Velvet Light Trap'' is a

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

academic journal An academic journal (or scholarly journal or scientific journal) is a periodical publication in which Scholarly method, scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. They serve as permanent and transparent forums for the ...

covering

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and

media studies Media studies is a discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history, and effects of various media; in particular, the mass media. Media studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but it mos ...

. It is edited by graduate students at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

and the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

. Each issue covers critical, theoretical, and historical topics relating to a particular theme.

History

''The Velvet Light Trap'' was established as a quarterly journal in 1971 by film lovers in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

, including graduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Russell Campbell served as

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...

. In 1973, John Davis and Susan Dalton took over as editors, and Davis became the publisher. The journal's name originates from a specific part of the film camera that keeps the light out where the magazine is attached. In its earliest years, ''The Velvet Light Trap'' served the local film community with a journal that emphasized American film history. It drew upon the talents of the graduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison but it was not an official university publication. As the journal increased its circulation, it spread beyond the local community. By the mid-1970s, ''The Velvet Light Trap'' had established a reputation for scholarly research, with faculty from around the United States publishing articles in special issues such as "RKO Radio Pictures", "MGM", and "Warners Revisited". ''The Velvet Light Trap'' often attempted to define the styles and genres that distinguished individual Hollywood studios. Access to primary documents at the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research led to special interests such as the blacklist period (1947-1960s). In 1989, the journal changed publishers, moving to the

University of Texas Press The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is the university press of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly and trade books in several areas, including Latin American studies, Caribbean, Caribbea ...

. As part of the deal with the journal's founders, UT graduate students would collectively co-edit the journal along with Madison students. With the move to the UT Press, the journal established an international advisory editorial board and instituted blind peer review. The biannual format of Madison publishing an issue in the fall and Texas publishing an issue in the spring still stands.

References

External links

* Film studies journals Television studies journals University of Texas Press academic journals Biannual journals English-language journals Academic journals established in 1971 Academic journals edited by students {{media-journal-stub

History

See also

References

External links