Because the nature of grey literature is that it’s not findable in more structured databases and repositories, I chose to use web search engines to find this kind of content. I briefly experimented with other search engines, but because of my successful with Google, I did not stray far. Instead of strategizing search locations I simply tried a number of search strings, related to the search themes, in Google and Google images, and then browsed results and clicked through websites. Narrowing results and selecting sources that I cited here was a bit of a challenge due to the number of results for each search, but with an idea of the topic and course in mind, I had a good feeling for what I wanted.
Grey literature initially daunted me, because I knew that government documents, health info, and white papers were not going to be relevant to my topic. Instead, after reviewing Dean Giustini’s HLWIKI on Grey Literature I realized that many of the results that fit my search themes and provide visual content, exhibit many of the characteristics of grey literature.
These sources are not commercially published, peer-reviewed or necessarily authoritative, accessed through a major database, and they often consisted of user-generated content, informal publishing/communication, or posts on aggregate/hosting sites. In addition, these sources generally did not fit into the other four categories of the assignment. My sources are mostly blogs, but also include works of art or school assignments (intellectual property) shared via online platforms.
23. Zrebiec, A. (2015, December 15). James Bond movie poster analysis (Assignment – presentation slides). Retrieved from https://prezi.com/8pk5qcyqvk_v/james-bond-movie-poster-analysis/
Not the most authoritative source, but I like how concise it is and its demonstration of how to read visual elements of a poster.
Search: Google > critique of James Bond movie posters |Theme: Posters
24. RaptorVag. (2016, November 17). Archer posters for each season, sploosh! Retrieved from https://imgur.com/gallery/kbzsi
Source for Archer TV show posters, to be used for demonstrating the use of Bond in a similar genre, how its repurposed and what is communicated/perpetuated.
Search: Google > Archer posters | Theme: Poster, re-representation
25. Nordgren, P. (n.d.). Key ingredients of a Bond film [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://spywhothrills.com/formula
Thorough look at “formula” of Bond and “key ingredients” of the films. Potentially helpful for both student/instructor.
Search: Google > motifs in James Bond | Theme: Film and franchise
26. Hannastrz. (2017, February 22). Ideology and representation in James Bond movies [blog post]. Retrieved from https://introtovisualculturespring2017.wordpress.com/2017/02/22/ideology-and-representation-in-james-bond-movies
Directly addresses course topic, gives assignment idea/example of how students may/think write for the course—could be useful for both instructor and student.
Search: Google > Visual culture in James Bond | Theme: Film and franchise
27. Parker, D. & Fletcher, G. (2012, October 27). An Oxford Companion to James Bond (Blog post). Retrieved from https://blog.oup.com/2012/10/oxford-companion-james-bond-a-z/
Addresses the A to Z of Bond, providing some ideas for overarching (visual) themes in the franchise.
Search: Google > motifs in James Bond | Theme: Film and franchise
28. Alternative Movie Posters. (Accessed 2018, November 2). Search results for: 007. Retrieved from https://alternativemovieposters.com/?s=007
Alternative film posters that are female focused and designed with bright colour and graphic style similar to book covers—students would view these in comparison with original posters and other graphic elements.
Search: Google > critique of James Bond movie posters | Theme: Posters
[Original link, https://www.postercollector.co.uk/blog/alternative-james-bond-posters-by-mike-mahle/, worked in October but stopped loading images in November.]
29. Biddulph, E. (n.d.) James Bond memes (Blog). Retrieved from http://jamesbondmemes.blogspot.com
The blog covers many aspects of the course topic, but excels at highlighting Bond in everyday advertising and marketing, both past and present.
Search: Google > James Bond Archer poster season one | Theme: Marketing and lifestyle