If you need to cite a film in a research article or presentation, gather information about the film in question and its production. In general, you will need information on the title of the film, the director and producer, the production company, and the year of release. The format of the citation and the specific information that needs to be included will depend on the style of citation used, such as the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), or Chicago.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using the MLA Citation Style
Step 1. Start with the title of the movie and type it in italic text
Reference entries (works cited) for MLA style citations usually begin with the author's name. However, for movie entries, start with the title of the movie. Use a capital letter as the first letter of each word (title case), then insert a period at the end of the title.
For example: Deadpool
Step 2. Name the director
Insert a space after the movie at the end of the movie title. Use plain font and type in the phrase " Directed by " (or "Directed by"), then state the director's name in first name-last name format. Add a period after the director's name.
-
For example: Deadpool. Directed by Tim Miller.
Example in Indonesian: Deadpool. Directed by Tim Miller
Step 3. State the name of the player if this information is relevant
If you mention a specific player or character in your writing or presentation, include their name after the phrase "Performances by". Separate each name with a comma and add the word “and” or “and” before the last name. Place a period after the last name.
-
For example: Deadpool. Directed by Tim Miller. Performances by Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, and T. J. Miller.
Example in Indonesian: Deadpool. Directed by Tim Miller. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, and T. J. Miller
- If player information is deemed irrelevant for writing or presentation, you do not need to mention it in the quote entry.
Step 4. State the production company and year of release of the film
In place of the publishing information normally used for books, for films you will need to include the name of the studio that produced the film, followed by a comma. End entries with the year the film was released, followed by a period.
-
For example: Deadpool. Directed by Tim Miller. Performances by Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, and T. J. Miller. Marvel Entertainment, 2016.
Example in Indonesian: Deadpool. Directed by Tim Miller. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, and T. J. Miller. Marvel Entertainment, 2016
- Double-check the information to make sure you're including the name of the studio or company that produced the film, not the distributor company.
Step 5. Include the title of the film (in brackets) in the in-text citation
The MLA citation style typically uses author information and page numbers for in-text citations. Since movies don't have page numbers and the title is listed first in the reference entry, just use the movie title. Italicize the title of the film in the in-text citation as the name is also italicized in the reference entry.
For example: (Deadpool)
Method 2 of 3: Using ANY Citation Style
Step 1. Name the producers and directors of the film as “writers”
Begin the full reference entry with the producer's last name, followed by the initials of his first name. Introduce the name as “Producer” or “Producer” of the film (in parentheses), then insert a comma after the closing parenthesis. Add the and (“&”) symbol and include the director's name in the same format. Place a period at the end of this entry element.
-
For example: Kinberg, S. (Producer) & Miller, T. (Director).
Examples in Indonesian: Kinberg, S. (Producer) & Miller, T. (Director)
Step 2. Include the year of the film's release in parentheses
After the name of the producer and director, state the year the film was released in theaters. Place a period after the closing parenthesis.
-
For example: Kinberg, S. (Producer) & Miller, T. (Director). (2016).
Examples in Indonesian: Kinberg, S. (Producer) & Miller, T. (Director). (2016)
Step 3. Enter the movie title and the format used
Type the title of the movie in italics. Use capital letters as the first letter in the first word and only your own name in the title (sentence case). Add a space and describe the film format you are using in square brackets. Insert a period after the closing parenthesis. The movie format does not need to be tilted.
-
For example: Kinberg, S. (Producer) & Miller, T. (Director). (2016). Deadpool [Blu-ray].
Examples in Indonesian: Kinberg, S. (Producer) & Miller, T. (Director). (2016). Deadpool [Blu-ray]
Step 4. End the entry with publication information
For films, the publication information includes the country of origin of the film, followed by a colon. After the colon, type in the film production studio or distribution company. Insert a period at the end of the entry.
-
For example: Kinberg, S. (Producer) & Miller, T. (Director). (2016). Deadpool [Blu-ray]. United States: Marvel Entertainment.
Examples in Indonesian: Kinberg, S. (Producer) & Miller, T. (Director). (2016). Deadpool [Blu-ray]. United States: Marvel Entertainment
Step 5. Use the author's name and the year of the film's release for in-text citations
The APA citation style typically uses the author-year format for in-text citations. For films, the name of the producer and director is considered as the “author” of the work. Separate the last name “author” and year of release with a comma.
For example: (Kinberg & Miller, 2016)
Method 3 of 3: Using the Chicago Quote Style
Step 1. Use the director's name as “author”
Bibliographic entries in the Chicago citation style are preceded by the director's last name. Insert a comma after the director's last name, then type his first name. Add a period after the first name.
For example: Miller, Tim
Step 2. Type the title of the movie in italic text
After the director's name, type in the title of the film. Use a capital letter as the first letter of all nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adverbs in the title, as well as the first word (title case). Place a period at the end of the title.
For example: Miller, Tim. Deadpool
Step 3. Include the movie's publication (or "release") information
State the year the film was released in theaters, followed by a semicolon. Type in the city of origin of the production studio, insert a colon, and state the name of the film production studio. If you watched the film in other media (not watching it live in theaters), state the year of release of that media. Place a dot at the end of the year. If you're watching a movie in a theater, place a period after the studio name. End the entry quote and the type of media used to watch the film.
For example: Miller, Tim. Deadpool. 2016; New York City: Marvel Entertainment, 2016. Blu-ray
Step 4. Change the format for the footnote
For Chicago citation style footnotes, state the director's name in first-name-last-name format. Use a comma instead of a period, and place the publication or film release information in parentheses. The period only needs to be added at the end of the footnote.
