If you are a student or an academic engaged in writing an article or a research paper, you might wonder how to cite a movie in MLA format in your work. MLA stands for the Modern Language Association, which is a citation format widely used in academic writing. You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for guidelines on properly citing movies in MLA style.
In this article, we will provide you with a detailed format for movie citation in MLA style, along with several examples to help you understand the process better. So, let’s dive in and explore this topic in more detail.
1. What is MLA Style of Citation?
Modern Language Association (MLA) format is simply a set of rules or a rulebook that may be followed while writing a formal paper or research paper, among other formal writing styles like APA and Chicago. Following these rules or guidelines will make your document more formal and proper and make the text look neat and attractive.
The MLA style has many versions, the latest being the 9th edition. This article will mention every citation style guideline of the MLA 9th edition.
General MLA Guidelines:
- Font – Times New Roman
- Size – 12
- Spacing – Double Line
- 1’ Margins
2. General MLA Citation
There is a certain order when citing a source for your work in this format, and the general order is as follows:
2.1 Author
Each source entry begins with the author’s name. The first author’s name should always be in inverted form, i.e. (Last name, First name).
E.g., Walker, Alice
Alice is the first name, and Walker is the last name, and they should be put in reverse position. In the case of a source with two authors, only the first author’s name is inverted while the second author’s name remains the same, i.e. (First name and last name). Only the first author is mentioned in sources with more than two authors, followed by “et al..”
2.2 Title
Title is the name of the book, journal, article, movie, or any other source.
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple
The Color Purple is the book’s name; hence, it should be in italics. A book name must be in Italics, and if it is a web page, it should be in quotations, while its main or parent site should be in italics. The movie’s title should be in italics, the song in quotations, and the album in italics.
2.3 Other Contributors
Other contributors may include editors, actors, cinematographers, translators, etc. Add descriptions like “directed by,” “translated by,” or “illustrated by” to specify the contributor’s role.
Gargia, Hector. Miralles, Francese. Ikigai, translated by Heather Cleary
2.4 Edition or Version
This is the edition or version of a book or journal. If there is more than one version, add the one being used.
Gargia, Hector. Miralles, Francese. Ikigai. Translated by Heather Cleary. 3rd ed.
There may also be different versions of the same book, song, or film. This must be included in your citation.
2.5 Publisher or Publication House
The publisher element is always included in book and movie citations. This includes the the name of the publisher or the publishing house. If there is more than one publisher, separate them with a “/” or forward slash. For sources where the publisher is always included in the source entry, such as journals, websites, magazines, and newspapers, you don’t need to include the publisher.
Gargia, Hector. Miralles, Francese. Ikigai. Translated by Heather Cleary. 3rd edition. Penguin Random House UK
2.6 Year of Publication
The date or the year of the source most relevant to your work should be added next, like Gargia, Hector. Miralles, Francese. Ikigai. Translated by Heather Cleary. 3rd edition. Penguin Random House UK, 2017
Here, the edition of the book was published in 2017, and since, for example, we have cited from this source, we have cited this year. If there is more than one date and you are unsure which one to use, go with the date of the original first version.
2.7 Location of Cited Work (Page Number or Timestamps)
The page number should be added last in the case of a book, timestamps, or a movie or song of the work you have cited.
Gargia, Hector. Miralles, Francese. Ikigai. Translated by Heather Cleary. 3rd edition. Penguin Random House UK, 2017, pp.121.
3. Movie Citation in MLA 9th Edition
The order of citing a movie in MLA format is as follows:
3.1 Film Name
MLA format usually begins with the author’s name or authors, but since many people make a movie, the citation begins with the film’s name in italics.
For example, X-Men.
The movie’s title is X-Men, and it’s in italics. The title must always be the first element in the citation.
3.2 Contributors
The director’s name comes first after the film’s title. Then, the names of other contributors, such as actors, writers, lyrics, music, etc., are added.
For example, X-Men. Directed by Bryan Singer and written by Tom DeSanto, performance by Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen.
Here, mentioning one contributor is necessary, but the rest depends on you. Typically, films in MLA work cited include the director as the main contributor.
3.3 Version
The version of the movie following the contributor’s name may be extended, raw, shortened, director’s cuts, etc.
X-Men. Directed by Bryan Singer, written by Tom DeSanto, performance by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, final cut.
The version depends on the source of your work.
3.4 Publishers
The next thing to add is the publisher, which is the producer(s) or production company. However, there is often more than one producer, so for this, you may mention the primary producer or production company, separating them with a forward slash.
X-Men. Directed by Bryan Singer, written by Tom DeSanto, performance by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, Final-cut version, Twentieth Century Studios.
Here, the version that the source belongs to is mainly produced by the production company mentioned above.
3.5 Year
The last thing to add is the year of release.
For example, X-Men. Directed by Bryan Singer, written by Tom DeSanto, performance by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, final cut, Twentieth Century Studios, 2000.
So, the overall format or formula of an MLA film citation is the Film’s title, Contributors’ Names (the Director is a must, and you may choose to add or not mention other contributors), Version, Producer(s), and Year of release.
4. How To Cite Sitcoms or Television Shows
This is very similar to citing a movie in MLA format. The following format should be followed while citing a sitcom:
4.1 Name of the Episode
The television series episode name should be added first in double quotation marks.
“The One with Ross’s Wedding”
4.2 Name of Television Series
The second thing is the television series’ name. This should be in italics.
“The One with Ross’s Wedding.” Friends
4.3 Contributor of The Specific Episode
As TV series typically have many contributors, you should only include the relevant or the most important ones. This may include the creator, the director, and/or actors; if more than one is cited, they shall be separated by a forward slash or “/.”
“The One with Ross’s Wedding.” Friends, Directed by Kevin Bright,
4.4 Number of Seasons and Episode Numbers
The season number, along with the episode number, should follow the contributors.
“The One with Ross’s Wedding.” Friends, Directed by Kevin Bright, season 4, episode 24,
4.5 Producer
Afterward, the name of the producer, production company, or distributor(s) should follow.
“The One with Ross’s Wedding.” Friends, Directed by Kevin Bright, season 4, episode 24, Warner Brothers. Television Studios NBC,
4.6 Year of Release
Lastly, the year of release of the specific television episodes should be added.
“The One with Ross’s Wedding.” Friends, Directed by Kevin Bright, season 4, episode 24, Warner Brothers. Television Studios NBC, 1998
So, simply, the format of citing a television show in MLA formula is-
Name of Episode (in double quotation marks), Name of series (in italics), Contributor(s), Season and television episode number, and Year of Release.
5. In-Text Citations for Movies & Television Shows
The first word of the source cited is included in the in-text citations. For movies, the movie title is in italics. A book usually includes page numbers, but a movie includes the time range of the referred part in the in-text citation. This will be a parenthetical citation.
(Tune In For Love, 20:01:01-23:01:07)
However, if the movie title is already mentioned in the sentence, only the time range must be added in the parenthetical citation. Also, if a film title is too long, you may use a relevant shortened version as a shortened title from the works cited entry.
If you focus on a certain contributor for a television series, you may use their last name and timestamps in parenthetical citations. However, this contributor must have an author position, like in a book or as a singer in a song. This is usually the creator or the director.
(Bright Kevin, 01:09:01-05:10:02)
More examples of MLA citation:
- The Godfather. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Mario Puzo, performance by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. 1st version, Paramount Pictures, 1972.
- “Love Letters.” Schitt’s Creek. Created by Dan Levy and Eugene Levy, season 5, episode 2, Not a Real Company, CBC, Pop TV, 2019.
- Jaws. Directed by Steven Spielberg, performance by Roy Scheider, music by John Williams. Final cut, Universal Pictures, 1975.
- “VIPS.” Squid Game. Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, season 1, episode 7, Netflix app, 2021.
To sum up, it is essential to follow proper citation guidelines when citing movies in MLA format. These guidelines can ensure that your work is accurate, professional, and plagiarism-free. Remember to include important details such as the movie’s director, title, and release date.
Also, double-check your citations to ensure they are formatted correctly and consistently throughout your paper. Accurate and consistent citations demonstrate your attention to detail and add credibility to your work. So, take the time to review your citations and ensure that they are accurate before submitting your paper.
Last Updated on by Swati