How Do You Cite Movies? A Definitive Guide

Citing movies properly is essential for academic integrity, acknowledging creative contributions, and enabling readers to locate the source material. The core of movie citation involves providing enough information to identify the specific film, the relevant contributors (directors, writers, actors), and the format or platform where you accessed the movie.

Table of Contents

Understanding Movie Citation: The Basics

Citing a movie, like citing any source, is about giving credit where credit is due. It ensures that your audience can verify your information and explore the source material independently. The exact format varies depending on the style guide you’re using (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.), but the fundamental elements remain consistent:

Title of the Movie: Accurately and completely stated.
Director: Typically included as the primary creator.
Year of Release: Crucial for differentiating between remakes or different versions.
Production Company/Distributor: Indicates who produced or released the film.
Format (DVD, Streaming Service, etc.): Specifies how you accessed the movie.
Relevant Contributor(s) (Optional): Actors, writers, composers, or other key figures you’re referencing.

By including these elements, you provide a clear and accessible path for your readers to understand the basis of your analysis.

Common Citation Styles and Movie Citations

Different academic disciplines and publications adhere to specific style guides. Let’s look at the most common ones and how they handle movie citations.

MLA (Modern Language Association)

MLA is commonly used in humanities disciplines, particularly literature and language studies.

Format: Director, Last Name, First Name, director. Title of Movie. Production Company, Year of Release.
Example: Scorsese, Martin, director. Goodfellas. Warner Bros., 1990.
In-text citation: (Scorsese). If referring to a specific scene or quote, use a timestamp if available.
Key Considerations: MLA prioritizes the director. If you’re focusing on an actor’s performance, you can include them in the Works Cited entry after the director, using “perf.” instead of “director.”

APA (American Psychological Association)

APA is prevalent in social sciences, psychology, and education.

Format: Director, A. A. (Director). (Year). Title of movie [Motion picture]. Production Company.
Example: Scorsese, M. (Director). (1990). Goodfellas [Motion picture]. Warner Bros.
In-text citation: (Scorsese, 1990). If referring to a specific scene or quote, provide a timestamp.
Key Considerations: APA includes “[Motion picture]” to clearly identify the source type. It also emphasizes the year of release immediately after the director.

Chicago (Chicago Manual of Style)

Chicago offers two systems: Notes and Bibliography and Author-Date.

Notes and Bibliography

Format: Director, First Name Last Name, dir. Title of Movie. Place of Publication: Production Company, Year of Release.
Example: Martin Scorsese, dir. Goodfellas. Burbank, CA: Warner Bros., 1990.
Footnote: 1. Martin Scorsese, dir. Goodfellas (Burbank, CA: Warner Bros., 1990).
Key Considerations: This system is often used in history and humanities. The full citation appears in the bibliography and a shortened version in footnotes or endnotes.

Author-Date

Format: Scorsese, Martin (dir.). 1990. Goodfellas. Burbank, CA: Warner Bros.
In-text citation: (Scorsese 1990).
Key Considerations: Similar to APA, this system emphasizes the year of release. It’s common in scientific and social science publications.

Citing Movies Accessed Online

The rise of streaming has added another layer to movie citation. You need to specify where you accessed the film.

MLA Example (Netflix): Scorsese, Martin, director. Goodfellas. Warner Bros., 1990. Netflix, www.netflix.com/title/….
APA Example (Amazon Prime Video): Scorsese, M. (Director). (1990). Goodfellas [Motion picture]. Warner Bros. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/….
Chicago Example (YouTube): Scorsese, Martin (dir.). 1990. Goodfellas. Warner Bros. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=….

Key Consideration: Always include the URL of the specific page where you viewed the movie. If the URL is long, you can often use a shortened version. Also, check if the streaming service lists the original release date – use that, not the date you watched it.

FAQs: Mastering Movie Citation

Here are some frequently asked questions about citing movies to clarify any lingering doubts.

FAQ 1: What if the director is unknown?

If the director is unknown, begin the citation with the title of the movie. In place of the director’s name, you can use “Director(s).” However, diligent research should often reveal the director’s name.

FAQ 2: How do I cite a specific scene from a movie?

Most citation styles do not specifically address citing a scene. Therefore, in your in-text citation, include a timestamp indicating the starting point of the scene. For example: (Scorsese, 1990, 00:45:12).

FAQ 3: What if I want to focus on an actor’s performance?

In MLA, you can include the actor after the director, using “perf.” to indicate “performance by.” For example: Scorsese, Martin, director. Goodfellas. Perf. Robert De Niro. Warner Bros., 1990.

FAQ 4: How do I cite a movie I watched in a theater?

The citation format is the same as for a DVD, omitting the source information (e.g., no DVD label or catalog number).

FAQ 5: What if a movie has multiple directors?

List all directors, separated by commas, in the order they are credited. If there are more than three, use the first director followed by “et al.”

FAQ 6: How do I handle remakes when citing a movie?

Always cite the specific version you are referencing by including the year of release. If discussing both versions, create separate citations for each.

FAQ 7: Do I need to cite a movie if it’s common knowledge?

Even if a movie is widely known, if you are directly quoting from it or using it as the basis for your analysis, you must cite it. Common knowledge generally refers to factual information easily found in multiple sources.

FAQ 8: What if a movie is part of a larger series or collection?

Include the series title in the citation, following the movie title. For example: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Star Wars series.

FAQ 9: How do I cite a movie soundtrack?

Cite the soundtrack album as you would a music album, including the composer(s), title of the album, record label, and year of release. You can then cite individual songs as necessary.

FAQ 10: Is it necessary to include the country of origin in the citation?

While not always required, including the country of origin can be helpful, especially for international films or when discussing cultural context. You can include it after the title in parentheses (e.g., Amélie (France)).

FAQ 11: What should I do if I can’t find the production company information?

Search reliable online databases like IMDb or consult physical copies of the film. If the information is truly unavailable, omit it, but try to find it first.

FAQ 12: How do I handle different editions or cuts of a movie (e.g., director’s cut, extended edition)?

Specify the edition or cut in the title, if it’s officially part of the title (e.g., Blade Runner: The Final Cut). If it’s not officially part of the title, include a note after the title in brackets (e.g., Apocalypse Now [Director’s Cut]).

By adhering to these guidelines and consulting the appropriate style manual, you can ensure accurate and complete movie citations, bolstering the credibility and integrity of your work. Remember, thoroughness and attention to detail are paramount in academic writing and research.