Referencing a movie in APA 7th edition requires providing enough information for your readers to identify and locate the specific film you’re discussing. The basic format includes the director(s) as author, the year of release, the title of the movie, and the production company. This approach ensures proper attribution and scholarly rigor in your work.
The Core of APA Movie Citations
Understanding the foundation of APA 7th edition movie citations is crucial for accurate and consistent referencing. Let’s break down the elements and provide clear examples.
The Reference List Entry
The reference list entry is the formal citation that appears at the end of your paper. The standard format is as follows:
Director, A. A. (Director). (Year). Title of motion picture [Motion picture]. Production Company.
Let’s illustrate this with a concrete example, referencing Christopher Nolan’s Inception:
Nolan, C. (Director). (2010). Inception [Motion picture]. Warner Bros. Pictures.
Notice the crucial components:
- Director, A. A. (Director): The director’s last name, followed by initials, and the role of “Director” in parentheses. If there are multiple directors, list them in the order they appear on the film’s credits, separated by commas, and the role becomes “(Directors)”.
- (Year): The year the film was released.
- Title of motion picture: The title of the film, italicized, with sentence case capitalization (only the first word of the title and subtitle, and proper nouns, are capitalized).
- [Motion picture]: This bracketed term clarifies the type of source being referenced.
- Production Company: The name of the main production company or distributor involved in the film’s release. If multiple companies are listed, choose the one most prominently displayed on the film’s credits or promotional materials.
In-Text Citations
The in-text citation is a brief reference within the body of your paper that points the reader to the full reference list entry. It typically includes the director’s last name and the year of release.
- Parenthetical Citation: (Nolan, 2010)
- Narrative Citation: Nolan (2010) argued that…
For direct quotes from a movie (though less common than paraphrasing), you would also need to include a timestamp or a scene description to help the reader locate the quoted material. This is because movies don’t have page numbers. For example:
- (Nolan, 2010, 01:23:45)
- (Nolan, 2010, dream sequence in the zero-gravity hotel)
Delving Deeper: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
This section addresses common questions and provides further clarification on specific aspects of referencing movies in APA 7th edition.
1. What if a movie has multiple directors?
List all directors in the order they appear in the film’s credits. If there are more than two directors, use commas to separate them, and use an ampersand (&) before the final director’s name. Indicate their role as “(Directors)”.
Example:
Coen, J. (Director), & Coen, E. (Director). (1996). Fargo [Motion picture]. PolyGram Filmed Entertainment.
In-text citation: (Coen & Coen, 1996)
2. How do I cite a movie I watched on a streaming service?
The reference format remains largely the same. However, instead of listing the traditional production company, you can include the streaming service, if it is central to the accessibility of the film. If the film was originally released theatrically, prioritize the original production company.
Example:
Nolan, C. (Director). (2010). Inception [Motion picture]. Warner Bros. Pictures. (Available on Netflix)
In-text citation: (Nolan, 2010)
3. What if the director is unknown or not clearly credited?
While rare for major films, if the director is truly unknown, you can use the production company as the author. In this case, the production company’s name will appear in both the reference list entry and the in-text citation. However, this should only be done as a last resort. Diligently search for directorial information beforehand.
Example:
Warner Bros. Pictures. (1942). Casablanca [Motion picture]. Warner Bros. Pictures.
In-text citation: (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1942)
4. How do I cite a specific scene or dialogue from a movie?
While APA doesn’t explicitly provide guidelines for citing specific scenes, you can incorporate timestamps or scene descriptions within your in-text citation to provide context. As mentioned earlier, this is because movies lack page numbers.
Example:
(Nolan, 2010, the spinning top scene)
5. Do I need to include the country of origin in the citation?
No, the country of origin is not typically included in APA 7th edition movie citations. The production company sufficiently identifies the film.
6. How do I cite a movie review?
Citing a movie review follows the standard APA format for citing journal articles or online articles, depending on where the review was published. The director of the movie isn’t the author of the review. The reviewer is the author.
Example:
Ebert, R. (1999, May 19). The Phantom Menace [Review]. Chicago Sun-Times.
7. How do I handle subtitles in the title of the movie?
The same rules apply to movie titles as to book titles. Capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle, as well as any proper nouns.
Example:
Tarantino, Q. (1994). Pulp fiction [Motion picture]. Miramax Films.
8. What if I’m citing a documentary film?
The citation format for documentaries is the same as for other motion pictures. Identify the director(s) and production company. Use “[Documentary]” instead of “[Motion picture]” to clarify the film type.
Example:
Spurlock, M. (Director). (2004). Super size me [Documentary]. Roadside Attractions.
9. How do I cite a foreign film?
Cite the film in its original language. If the film is widely known by its English title, you can provide the English title in brackets after the original title.
Example:
Fellini, F. (1963). 8 1/2 [Otto e mezzo] [Motion picture]. Cineriz.
In-text citation: (Fellini, 1963)
10. How do I cite a movie soundtrack?
The format for citing a movie soundtrack depends on whether you are citing the entire soundtrack album or a specific song from the soundtrack. If citing the entire album, the credited artist(s) of the album act as the author. Use “[Album]” to clarify what is cited.
Example (Entire album):
Various Artists. (1994). Pulp Fiction: Music from the Motion Picture [Album]. MCA Records.
If citing a specific song, credit the songwriter and recording artist.
Example (Specific song):
Berry, C. (1958). Johnny B. Goode [Song]. On Chuck Berry is on Top [Album]. Chess Records.
11. What if I watched the movie on DVD or Blu-ray?
The citation format remains the same as for a theatrical release. Focus on the original production company, not the DVD distributor. The format the movie was viewed on doesn’t affect the citation.
12. If a film has both a director and a “creator,” which should I use for the citation?
In situations where a film is credited with both a director and a creator (often seen in animated films or films based on existing works), prioritize the director for the citation. The director is typically considered the primary artistic voice in filmmaking. If the creator’s role is significantly more prominent and arguably shapes the final product more than the director, you could consider using the creator. However, the director is generally the safer and more conventional choice. Provide context in the text if the creator’s role is pivotal to understanding the film.