How to Cite Movies in Papers

MLA Format

• 1

  Write the name of the movie in italics and place a period at the end of the title. Example: Pretty Woman.

• 2

  Write the abbreviation for director, insert a period and then his name, followed by a period. Example: Pretty Woman. Dir. Garry Marshall.

• 3

  List the performers after the director. Write the abbreviation for performers and then list the main characters. Place a comma after each actor's name and period after the last actor. Example: Pretty Woman. Dir. Garry Marshall. Perf. Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, and Jason Alexander.

• 4

  Place the year the movie was released after the last actor's name and whether the movie was a DVD or videocassette. Follow with the name of the company who manufactured the movie and the year it was released. Insert a period after the release year and after the DVD or videocassette. Add a comma after the movie distribution company and a period after the DVD or videocassette release year. Example: Pretty Woman. Dir. Garry Marshall. Perf. Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, and Jason Alexander. 1990. DVD. Touchstone Pictures, 1990.

APA Format

• 5

  Write the name of the producers by the last name first and their first initial. Insert a comma after the last name, a period after the first name initial and a comma after the period. If there is more than one producer then insert the second producer in the same format as the first. Once the producers have been written, write the word," Producers" and place parentheses around that word and a comma outside the parentheses. Example: Ziskin, L., (Producer),

• 6

  Place an "and" symbol and list the director of the film after the comma. The director's last name will go first and his first initial. Insert a comma after the last name and a period after the first initial. Place the word "Director" in parentheses after the initial and a period outside the parentheses. Example: Ziskin, L., (Producer), & Marshall, G. (Director).

• 7

  List the year of the movie, the name of the movie and whether the movie is a DVD or videocassette. Insert parentheses around the year, italicize the name of the movie and place brackets around whether it is a DVD or videocassette. Example: Ziskin, L., (Producer), & Marshall, G. (Director). (1990). Pretty Woman [DVD].

• 8

  Add the movie distributor to the end and insert a period. Example: Ziskin,L., (Producer), & Marshall, G. (Director). (1990). Pretty Woman [DVD]. Touchstone Pictures.