In APA style, movie titles are italicized within the body of your paper. This concise rule ensures consistency and readability in academic writing when referencing cinematic works.
Understanding the Fundamentals of APA Style for Movie Titles
The American Psychological Association (APA) style is a widely used citation and formatting style, particularly within the social sciences and other academic disciplines. While the general rules for citing sources and formatting a paper are well-documented, the specific application of APA style to media like movies can sometimes cause confusion. The core principle is to treat a movie title similarly to a book title: it’s a standalone work, and therefore, italicized.
This section explores the core principles and rationale behind this seemingly simple rule, providing a solid foundation for understanding how to apply it consistently across various academic contexts. We’ll cover the difference between italicizing the title and referencing the movie within the text, emphasizing clarity and accuracy in your writing. Think of it this way: italicizing the title signifies that you’re referring to the movie as a whole, while merely mentioning the movie within a sentence doesn’t necessitate any special formatting.
Practical Application: Citing Movie Titles in Your Paper
Beyond simply knowing that movie titles are italicized, it’s crucial to understand how to apply this rule in different contexts within your paper. Here, we’ll cover the nuanced aspects of incorporating movie titles smoothly into your writing, including:
General Usage in Sentences
When incorporating a movie title into a sentence, ensure the italicization is clear and consistent. For example: “The themes of alienation in Blade Runner resonate deeply with modern anxieties.” Notice how the italicization applies to the entire title, including any articles (like “The” in this case). Avoid putting quotation marks around the title unless you are quoting dialogue from the movie itself.
Within Parenthetical Citations
In APA, movies are typically cited indirectly, meaning you’ll refer to the movie within the body of your paper and then provide a corresponding entry in your reference list. Within parenthetical citations, you don’t typically include the movie title itself. Instead, focus on the information required by the APA style manual, such as the director(s) or writers. You might say: “(Scott, 1982)” assuming “Scott” is the director and “1982” the release year. This allows the reader to quickly locate the full reference in your reference list.
In the Reference List
The reference list entry is where you provide the complete details about the movie, allowing readers to locate it themselves. The exact format will vary depending on the specifics of the source. Crucially, the movie title is italicized in the reference list as well. Here’s a general template:
Director(s). (Year). Movie Title. Production Company.
For example:
Scott, R. (1982). Blade Runner. Warner Bros.
Note that the director is listed by last name, first initial, followed by a period. The year is enclosed in parentheses. The title is italicized, and only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized (title case). Finally, list the production company that released the movie.
Avoiding Common Mistakes
Despite the seemingly straightforward rule, there are common mistakes students and researchers make when citing movie titles in APA style. Being aware of these pitfalls can help you avoid unnecessary errors and ensure the accuracy of your writing.
One frequent mistake is forgetting to italicize the entire title, particularly when it includes multiple words or punctuation. Another error is inappropriately using quotation marks around the title, which is incorrect unless you’re quoting dialogue from the movie. Failing to include a reference list entry for the movie when it’s extensively discussed in the paper is also a common oversight.
Finally, confusing the citation format for films with that of journal articles or books is a critical error. Always remember that movies require a specific format in the reference list, focusing on the director, year, title, and production company.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What if the movie title contains another title?
If a movie title contains another title within it (e.g., a book or song title), follow these guidelines: If the internal title would normally be italicized, do not italicize it; leave it in regular font. If the internal title would normally be in quotation marks, retain the quotation marks. For instance, if a movie were named after a book, the book title wouldn’t be italicized within the movie title.
2. How do I cite a movie title within a title of my paper?
When your own paper’s title includes a movie title, the movie title should still be italicized. For example: The Dystopian Visions of Blade Runner: An Analysis.
3. Do I italicize the “The” at the beginning of a movie title?
Yes, if “The” is part of the official movie title, it should be italicized along with the rest of the title.
4. What if the movie title is in a language other than English?
If the movie title is in a language other than English, italicize it and translate it into English in brackets immediately following the original title. For example: Amélie [The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain].
5. How do I cite a scene or specific part of a movie?
While APA focuses on citing the movie as a whole, you can refer to specific scenes within your text. However, you generally don’t need a separate reference list entry for just a scene. Describe the scene clearly within your writing, referencing the movie itself (which will have its own reference). Time stamps are also rarely used.
6. Should I use quotation marks around a movie title in APA style?
No, you should not use quotation marks around a movie title in APA style unless you are directly quoting dialogue from the movie. The correct formatting is to use italics.
7. What information is included in the reference list entry for a movie?
The reference list entry should include the director(s), year of release, movie title, and production company.
8. What do I do if a movie has multiple directors?
List all the directors in the reference list entry, separated by commas. For instance, if a movie were co-directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, the entry would begin with: Wachowski, L., & Wachowski, L.
9. Can I cite a movie I watched online?
Yes, you can cite a movie viewed online. The reference list entry remains generally the same, but you might also include the platform where you watched it. This information often gets omitted, however, to maintain conciseness.
10. How do I cite a documentary film?
Cite a documentary film in the same way as a feature film, italicizing the title and including the director(s), year of release, and production company in the reference list entry.
11. What if the production company is not readily available?
If the production company is not easily found, try searching for the film on reputable movie databases like IMDb or AllMovie. If, after a reasonable effort, you cannot locate the production company, you may omit it from the reference list entry.
12. Is it different citing a TV show episode versus a movie?
Yes. TV show episodes are treated differently than movies. The episode title is enclosed in quotation marks, and the series title is italicized. The reference list entry also includes the writers and directors of the episode, the series title, season and episode number, and the network that aired the show. Movies are treated as standalone works.