Citing a movie in APA format involves providing specific details about the film, including its director, year of release, and production company, ensuring proper attribution and allowing readers to locate the source. This article provides a comprehensive guide to correctly citing movie references in APA style, covering various scenarios and addressing frequently asked questions to enhance clarity and accuracy in your academic writing.
The Foundation: Basic Citation Structure
APA (American Psychological Association) style provides a specific format for citing various sources, including films. The basic structure for citing a movie in your reference list is as follows:
Director, A. A. (Director). (Year). Title of movie [Film]. Production Company.
Let’s break down each element:
- Director, A. A.: Start with the director’s last name, followed by a comma, then their first initial and middle initial (if available). The word “(Director)” follows, enclosed in parentheses. If a movie has multiple directors, list them in the order they appear in the film’s credits, separating them with commas.
- Year: The year the film was released.
- Title of movie: The title of the movie should be in italics. Use title case, capitalizing the first letter of each major word.
- [Film]: This descriptive term, enclosed in square brackets, clarifies that the source is a film.
- Production Company: The name of the production company or distribution company. This is often found at the beginning or end of the movie’s credits.
For in-text citations, you’ll use the director’s last name and the year of release, enclosed in parentheses: (Director, Year).
Examples in Action
Here are a couple of examples demonstrating the correct application of the APA format:
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Spielberg, S. (Director). (1993). Jurassic Park [Film]. Universal Pictures.
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Nolan, C. (Director). (2010). Inception [Film]. Warner Bros. Pictures.
Common Scenarios and Adaptations
While the basic format is straightforward, you might encounter variations depending on your specific needs:
Citing a Specific Scene or Quote
APA primarily focuses on citing the entire film. If you need to refer to a specific scene or quote, provide context in your narrative rather than attempting to create a formal citation for a fragment. For example: “As Dr. Ian Malcolm famously states in Jurassic Park (Spielberg, 1993), ‘Life finds a way.'”
Citing a Movie Found on a Streaming Service
If you viewed the movie on a streaming service, you generally still cite the original production company, not the streaming platform. The platform is only mentioned if it produced the movie itself.
No Director Listed
In rare cases where the director is genuinely unknown, consider omitting the director and beginning the citation with the title. However, thorough research is always recommended to identify the director.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FAQ 1: What if a film has multiple directors?
List all directors in the order they appear in the film’s credits, separating them with commas and the word “and” before the last director. For example: Wright, J., & Johnston, D. (Directors). (2018). Early Man [Film]. StudioCanal.
FAQ 2: How do I cite a movie if the director is also the writer?
You still use “(Director)” after the director’s name. The writing credit isn’t explicitly included in the citation.
FAQ 3: What do I do if the production company is unknown?
If the production company cannot be reliably determined, it can be omitted from the citation.
FAQ 4: Should I include the country of origin of the movie?
No, the country of origin is not typically included in APA citations for films.
FAQ 5: How do I cite a documentary film?
The citation format for a documentary film is the same as for a feature film. Use the director’s name and the year of release. For example: Spurlock, M. (Director). (2004). Super Size Me [Film]. Roadside Attractions.
FAQ 6: What if the movie has different release dates in different countries?
Use the release date relevant to the version you viewed. If you’re unsure, the original release date is generally preferred.
FAQ 7: What is the proper way to italicize a movie title in APA format?
The entire title of the movie, including any subtitles, should be italicized in both the reference list and when mentioned in the text.
FAQ 8: How does the in-text citation change when referring to a specific scene?
As mentioned earlier, you don’t create a separate in-text citation for a specific scene. Integrate the director’s name and year into your sentence while describing the scene.
FAQ 9: Is it necessary to include the running time of the movie in the citation?
No, the running time of the movie is not required in APA citations.
FAQ 10: How do I cite a movie soundtrack?
Citing a movie soundtrack depends on what you’re citing. If you are citing the entire soundtrack album, follow the guidelines for citing music albums. If you are citing a specific song from the soundtrack, cite the song and include the movie it is featured in within the citation notes.
FAQ 11: What if the movie title begins with “The,” “A,” or “An?”
Include the article (The, A, or An) at the beginning of the title and maintain proper capitalization. The entire title remains italicized. For example: The Shawshank Redemption [Film].
FAQ 12: Can I use a DOI or URL for a movie citation?
Movies generally don’t have DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers). URLs are not typically included in movie citations unless you are citing the movie’s page on a streaming service if the streaming service produced the film. In most cases, stick to citing the original production company.