The American Psychological Association (APA) style provides guidelines for citing all sorts of sources, including films. To cite a line from a movie in APA, include the title of the film, the director’s name, the year of release, and a timestamp (or range) indicating when the line occurs, ensuring your readers can easily locate the quote within the film.
Why Accurate Movie Citations Matter
Attributing dialogue from films is crucial for maintaining academic integrity and preventing plagiarism. Whether you’re analyzing a film’s themes, exploring character development, or supporting an argument with cinematic evidence, providing proper citations adds credibility to your work. Failing to cite movie dialogue can be seen as intellectual dishonesty, undermining the strength of your analysis and your reputation as a researcher. This guide provides a detailed breakdown of how to properly cite a movie line using APA 7th edition formatting.
The Basic APA Format for Citing Movie Dialogue
When incorporating movie dialogue into your academic paper, you have two primary options: parenthetical citations and narrative citations. The choice depends on how you’ve integrated the quote into your text.
Parenthetical Citations
Parenthetical citations are placed within parentheses after the quote. The general format is:
(Director's Last Name, Year, Time Stamp)
For example:
“May the Force be with you” (Lucas, 1977, 01:12:30-01:12:35).
Key Components Explained:
- Director’s Last Name: Use the director’s last name, not the title of the film, as the author. This is because the director is considered the primary creative force behind the film.
- Year: The year the film was released.
- Time Stamp: Provides the exact point in the film where the dialogue appears. Use hours:minutes:seconds format, or minutes:seconds if the film is shorter than an hour. Include a range if the quote spans multiple seconds.
Narrative Citations
Narrative citations incorporate the director’s name into the sentence itself. For example:
As Lucas (1977) noted in Star Wars, the iconic phrase “May the Force be with you” (01:12:30-01:12:35) became a cultural phenomenon.
Key Components Explained:
- The director’s name precedes the year in parentheses.
- The time stamp remains in parentheses at the end of the quoted phrase or sentence.
- The film title is italicized when mentioned in the body of the text.
Using Block Quotes
If the movie dialogue is longer than 40 words, format it as a block quote. Indent the entire quote half an inch from the left margin and omit quotation marks. The parenthetical citation goes after the final punctuation mark.
For example:
(Indent) Luke, I am your father.
(Indent) No. No! That’s not true! That’s impossible!
(Indent) Search your feelings, you know it to be true!
(Lucas, 1980, 02:07:10-02:07:25)
The References Page Entry
In addition to in-text citations, you’ll need to include a full reference entry on your references page. The format is:
Director’s Last Name, Initial(s). (Director). (Year). Title of movie [Film]. Production Company.
For example:
Lucas, G. (Director). (1977). Star Wars: A new hope [Film]. 20th Century Fox.
Key Components Explained:
- Director’s Last Name, Initial(s). (Director).: The director’s name followed by “(Director).”
- Year: The year the film was released.
- Title of movie: Italicized title of the film.
- [Film]: Add “[Film]” in square brackets to indicate the source type.
- Production Company: The name of the production company that released the film.
Citing Dialogue from Streaming Services
If you accessed the movie on a streaming service, include the service name in the reference.
Director’s Last Name, Initial(s). (Director). (Year). Title of movie [Film]. Production Company. Streaming Service.
For example:
Spielberg, S. (Director). (1993). Jurassic Park [Film]. Amblin Entertainment. Netflix.
Common Scenarios and Considerations
Citing Multiple Lines from the Same Scene
If you’re citing multiple lines from the same scene, you can use a single time stamp range that covers all the cited lines.
Citing Foreign Films
When citing foreign films, use the original title if you watched it in its original language. If you watched a dubbed or subtitled version, use the English title and include a note about the subtitles.
Crediting Screenwriters
While APA style focuses on the director as the primary creative force, you can acknowledge the screenwriter in your discussion if their contribution is particularly relevant to your analysis. However, the citation and reference entry should still be attributed to the director.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about citing movie lines in APA style:
FAQ 1: Do I always have to include the director’s name?
Yes, APA 7th edition requires you to credit the director as the primary source.
FAQ 2: What if a movie has multiple directors?
If a film has multiple directors, list all of them in the citation and reference entry, separated by commas.
FAQ 3: What if I don’t know the director’s name?
Try to find the director’s name through online movie databases like IMDb. If you absolutely cannot find the director’s name, use the title of the movie in its place, but this is highly discouraged.
FAQ 4: How precise does the timestamp need to be?
Aim for accuracy, but a few seconds’ leeway is acceptable. The primary goal is to help your reader locate the quote easily.
FAQ 5: Can I use the chapter markers on a DVD instead of timestamps?
While chapter markers might seem convenient, timestamps offer greater precision and consistency. Use timestamps whenever possible.
FAQ 6: Is it necessary to italicize the movie title in the in-text citation?
No, only italicize the movie title in the narrative citation and the references page entry.
FAQ 7: Should I cite the screenwriter instead of the director if the dialogue is particularly well-written?
APA style prioritizes the director as the primary creative force. While you can acknowledge the screenwriter in your discussion, the citation and reference entry should still be attributed to the director.
FAQ 8: How do I cite a movie quote found in a secondary source (e.g., a book)?
If you found the quote in another source, cite that source, not the movie directly. For example: (Smith, 2020, p. 50, citing Lucas, 1977).
FAQ 9: Does the year in the citation refer to the year of production or the year of release?
Use the year of release. This is the year the film became publicly available.
FAQ 10: What if the film is a documentary?
The citation format remains the same, with the director credited as the author.
FAQ 11: How do I cite a quote that is spoken over a long period of time, with pauses and interjections?
Provide a timestamp range that encompasses the entire duration of the spoken quote. You may also opt to include an ellipses (…) where the pauses and interjections occur within the quoted text.
FAQ 12: If I’m analyzing the visual elements of a film, do I still use the same citation format?
While this article focuses on dialogue, you can adapt the same format (director, year, time stamp) to indicate a specific visual scene or moment in the film you are analyzing. In the text, you would describe the visual elements and provide the corresponding time stamp.
By following these guidelines, you can confidently and accurately cite movie lines in APA style, enhancing the credibility and clarity of your academic work. Remember to consult the official APA Publication Manual for the most up-to-date information and specific examples.