How to Cite a Movie in MLA Style: A Step-by-Step Guide with Tips and Examples
If you are a student or a researcher who creates academic or professional documents that require citing movies, you need to know the MLA citation style. MLA stands for Modern Language Association, which is a professional organization that provides guidelines to create consistent and accurate citations in various fields, including literature, languages, and media.
Citing movies in MLA style is essential because it enables your readers or audience to find your sources and verify the accuracy of your information. Moreover, it gives credit to the original creators and avoids plagiarism, which is a serious ethical and legal violation that can have severe consequences. Therefore, understanding how to cite a movie in MLA style is crucial for your success and integrity as a researcher or writer.
This article will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to cite a movie in MLA style, along with common mistakes to avoid, formatting tips, and recommendations on using citation tools. Additionally, it will answer some frequently asked questions about MLA citing in movies, so you can have a comprehensive and practical overview of this topic.
Step-by-Step Guide
The MLA citation style follows a standard format that includes essential information about the movie, such as its title, director, actors, studio, and year of release. Here’s how you can create MLA citations for movies:
Basic Format:
Title. Director’s name. Performers’ names. Studio, Year of release.
For example:
The Shawshank Redemption. Directed by Frank Darabont, performance by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, Columbia Pictures, 1994.
Note that the title of the movie should be italicized and capitalized, but not underlined or enclosed in quotation marks. If the movie has a subtitle, you can include it after the main title and separate it with a colon. The director’s name should be written in the standard format of last name, first name, followed by a comma. If the movie has more than one director, you can list them in the same order as they appear in the credits, or you can use “et al.” if there are more than three directors. The performers’ names should be written in the order of their importance to the movie, or you can use “et al.” if there are more than three performers. The studio is the production company that financed and distributed the movie, and it can be abbreviated in some cases. The year of release is the year when the movie was first shown to the public, and it can be found on the movie’s title card, poster, or online database.
Title of the Movie:
If the title of the movie is already mentioned in your sentence or paragraph, you can either use it as it is or abbreviate it in parentheses and put the year of release after it, followed by a period.
For example:
In The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) and Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman) form a bond that transcends their prison bars.
Director’s Name:
If the director’s name is not available or known, you can use the abbreviation “dir.” instead. You can also add a role after the director’s name if it is relevant, such as “dir. and producer.”
For example:
The Green Mile. dir. Frank Darabont, performance by Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan, Warner Bros., 1999.
Performers’ Names:
If the performer’s name is not available or known, you can use the abbreviation “perf.” instead. You can also add a role after the performer’s name if it is relevant, such as “perf. and narrator.”
For example:
Apocalypse Now. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, perf. Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, and Robert Duvall, Zoetrope Studios, 1979.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Despite the straightforward rules of MLA citation for movies, there are some common mistakes that you should avoid:
– Not italicizing the title of the movie: Remember that the title of the movie should be italicized and capitalized, but not underlined or enclosed in quotation marks.
– Not citing the director’s name correctly: Be sure to write the director’s name in the standard format of last name, first name, followed by a comma. Avoid using nicknames, initials, or middle names unless they are commonly known.
– Not including the performers’ names or roles: Make sure to provide the names and roles of the most important performers in the movie, as they can be significant for your audience or readers to recognize or appreciate the movie’s artistic or historical contribution.
– Not indicating the studio or distributor: Remember that the studio or distributor is a crucial part of the movie citation, as it identifies the source where the movie can be found or obtained. It also shows the context and quality of the movie, as some studios or distributors are more prestigious or reputable than others.
– Not stating the year of release: Although some movies may have different versions or editions released at different times, you should use the year of the original release when citing the movie in MLA style. This helps to distinguish it from other versions and acknowledges the date when it first appeared on the screen.
Formatting Tips
MLA citation style allows for different citation formats depending on the type of source and the purpose of the citation. Here are some examples:
– In-text citation: If you want to mention a movie in your text and refer to it briefly, you can use an in-text citation that includes the last name of the director and the page number(s) of the movie scene or the source where the information came from. The in-text citation should be written in parentheses and separated from the rest of the text.
For example:
According to Martin Scorsese, “Cinema is a matter of what’s in the frame and what’s out” (12).
– Works Cited page: If you want to include a list of all the sources you used in your document, you can create a Works Cited page that follows specific guidelines on formatting and ordering the entries. The Works Cited page should include all the necessary information about the movie in MLA citation style, and it should be alphabetically arranged by the last names of the authors or creators of the sources.
For example:
Scorsese, Martin, director. Taxi Driver. Performance by Robert De Niro, Columbia Pictures, 1976.
Using Citation Tools
If you want to make the process of citing movies in MLA style faster and easier, you can use citation tools that provide templates or generators for creating MLA citations automatically. Here are some popular citation tools that you can try:
– EasyBib: This online tool allows you to search for the title of the movie or other sources and generates MLA citations in different formats. You can also edit or export the citations to your document directly.
– Citation Machine: This website offers MLA citation templates for several types of sources, including movies. You can fill in the necessary information in the form and create a citation quickly.
– Zotero: This is a free software that enables you to manage and organize your sources, create citations and bibliographies, and collaborate with others. It also has a plugin for multiple browsers that can detect the sources you visit and save them for later use.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about MLA citing in movies:
Q. Do I need to cite a movie if I only use quotes from it?
A. Yes, you need to cite the movie even if you only use direct quotes from it, as it is a form of intellectual property that belongs to the creators.
Q. How do I cite a movie that has no director or performers mentioned?
A. You can use the title of the movie instead of the name of the director or performers and follow the rest of the MLA citation format. If the movie has multiple titles or is known by different names, you can use the most common or significant one.
Q. Can I use Wikipedia or IMDb as sources for my movie citations?
A. You can use Wikipedia or IMDb as sources for your research or understanding of the movie, but you should not cite them directly in your document as they are not authoritative or reliable sources. Instead, you can use the sources cited or referenced in Wikipedia or IMDb, or you can find other academic or credible sources that support your arguments.
Conclusion
In summary, citing movies in MLA style is a necessary and useful skill for anyone who wants to create accurate and credible academic or professional documents. By following the step-by-step guide provided in this article, you can create consistent and effective MLA citations for movies that include essential information such as the title, director, performers, studio, and year of release. Additionally, by avoiding common mistakes, using formatting tips, and utilizing citation tools, you can enhance your citation proficiency and save time and effort. Remember, proper citing is not only a matter of compliance but also a matter of integrity and respect for the creators and contributors of the movies you use in your work.
