Challenges traditional Hollywood-derived models of star studiesIs classical Hollywood stardom the last word on film stars? How do film stars function in non-Hollywood contexts, such as Bollywood, East Asia and Latin America, and what new developments has screen stardom undergone in recent years, both in Hollywood and elsewhere? Gathering together the most important new research on star studies, with case studies of stars from many different cultures, this diverse and dynamic collection looks at film stardom from new angles, challenging the received wisdom on the subject and raising important questions about image, performance, bodies, voices and fans in cultures across the globe. From Hollywood to Bollywood, from China to Italy, and from Poland to Mexico, this collection revisits the definitions and origins of star studies, and points the way forward to new ways of approaching the field.Key featuresFeatures cutting-edge research on stardom and fandom from a range of different cultures, contributed by a diverse and international range of scholarsGenerates new critical models that address non-Hollywood forms of stardom, as well as under-researched areas of stardom in Hollywood itselfRevisits the definitions of stars and star studies that are previously defined by the study of Hollywood stardom, then points the way forward to new ways of approaching the fieldLooks at stars/stardom within a new local/translocal model, to overcome the Hollywood-centrism inherent to the existing national/transnational modelBrings into light various types of previously unacknowledged star textsEmploys a dynamic inter-disciplinary approachContributorsGuy Austin, Newcastle UniversityLinda Berkvens, University of Sussex Pam Cook, University of Southampton Elisabetta Girelli, University of St Andrews Sarah Harman, Brunel UniversityStella Hockenhull, University of WolverhamptonLeon Hunt, Brunel University Kiranmayi Indraganti, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and TechnologyJaap Kooijman, University of AmsterdamMichael Lawrence, University of SussexAnna Malinowska, University of SilesiaLisa Purse, University of ReadingClarissa Smith, University of SunderlandNiamh Thornton, University of Liverpool Yiman Wang, University of California-Santa CruzSabrina Qiong Yu, Newcastle UniversityYingjin Zhang, University of California-San Diego

Martin Shingler presents the mother volume for Palgrave's Film Stars series in three easily-navigable chapters in which he provides a summative and instructive account of star studies for today's film student. Via a critical evaluation of the work of leading film scholars, he provides a convincing argument for howthis important area of film studies has evolved. Building on this, he offerssome new directions for star scholarship, and ends by offering the film student a useful set of themes and issues for his or her own investigation. 'Star Studies' is the perfect companion for the student who wishes to foster further research on stardom across a wide range of contexts, from national cinemas, to mainstream and marginal cinemas, to different historical periods and beyond.

Challenges traditional Hollywood-derived models of star studiesIs classical Hollywood stardom the last word on film stars? How do film stars function in non-Hollywood contexts, such as Bollywood, East Asia and Latin America, and what new developments has screen stardom undergone in recent years, both in Hollywood and elsewhere? Gathering together the most important new research on star studies, with case studies of stars from many different cultures, this diverse and dynamic collection looks at film stardom from new angles, challenging the received wisdom on the subject and raising important questions about image, performance, bodies, voices and fans in cultures across the globe. From Hollywood to Bollywood, from China to Italy, and from Poland to Mexico, this collection revisits the definitions and origins of star studies, and points the way forward to new ways of approaching the field.Key featuresFeatures cutting-edge research on stardom and fandom from a range of different cultures, contributed by a diverse and international range of scholarsGenerates new critical models that address non-Hollywood forms of stardom, as well as under-researched areas of stardom in Hollywood itselfRevisits the definitions of stars and star studies that are previously defined by the study of Hollywood stardom, then points the way forward to new ways of approaching the fieldLooks at stars/stardom within a new local/translocal model, to overcome the Hollywood-centrism inherent to the existing national/transnational modelBrings into light various types of previously unacknowledged star textsEmploys a dynamic inter-disciplinary approachContributorsGuy Austin, Newcastle UniversityLinda Berkvens, University of Sussex Pam Cook, University of Southampton Elisabetta Girelli, University of St Andrews Sarah Harman, Brunel UniversityStella Hockenhull, University of WolverhamptonLeon Hunt, Brunel University Kiranmayi Indraganti, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and TechnologyJaap Kooijman, University of AmsterdamMichael Lawrence, University of SussexAnna Malinowska, University of SilesiaLisa Purse, University of ReadingClarissa Smith, University of SunderlandNiamh Thornton, University of Liverpool Yiman Wang, University of California-Santa CruzSabrina Qiong Yu, Newcastle UniversityYingjin Zhang, University of California-San Diego

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During the mid-1950s, when Hollywood found itself struggling to compete within an expanding entertainment media landscape, certain producers and studios saw an opportunity in making films that showcased performances by rock 'n' roll stars. Rock stars eventually found cinema to be a useful space to extend their creative practices, and the motion picture and recording industries increasingly saw cinematic rock stardom as a profitable means to connect multiple media properties. Indeed, casting rock stars for film provided a tool for bridging new relationships across media industries and practices. From Elvis Presley to Madonna, this book examines the casting rock stars in films. In so doing, Rock Star/Movie Star offers a new perspective on the role of stardom within the convergence of media industries. While hardly the first popular music culture to see its stars making the transition to screen, the timing of rock's emergence and its staying power within popular culture proved fortuitous for a motion picture business searching for its place in the face of continuous technological and cultural change. At the same time, a post-star-system film industry provided a welcoming context for rock stars who have valued authenticity, creative autonomy, and personal expression. This book uses illuminating archival resources to demonstrate how rock stars have often proven themselves to be prominent film workers exploring this terrain of platforms old and new - ideal media laborers whose power lies in the fact that they are rarely recognized as such. Combining star studies with media industry studies, this book proposes an integrated methodology for writing media history that combines the actions of individuals and the practices of industries. It demonstrates how stars have operated as both the gravitational center of media production as well as social actors who have taken on a decisive role in the purposes to which their images are used.