This webpage contains information on common forms of citation for students studying film. This includes examples of:
More information on citation can be found on the school's main MLA LibGuide, in the MLA Handbook (9th edition) copies of which can be borrowed from the library, and on websites like the MLA Style Center.
Films are created by many different people (actors, directors, writers etc.). They way you cite the film depends on what you are focusing on. If the director is the main focus of your writing then begin the works cited list with the director's name, and use their name for your in-text citation. If you are looking at different parts of the film (like the story, directing, acting, cinematography) then your works cited list starts with the film title, and the in-text citation should also be the film title.
Focus on the director
The animation shows a daring shift in style and artistic technique, which links the movie strongly to the comic book roots of the story (Persichetti et al).
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Works Cited |
Persichetti, Bob, et al., directors. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures Animation / Marvel Entertainment, 2018. |
Focus on the film as a whole
The animation shows a daring shift in style and artistic technique, which links the movie strongly to the comic book roots of the story (Spider-Man).
| Works Cited | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures Animation / Marvel Entertainment, 2018. |
Film seen in person
Back to the Future. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Universal Pictures, 1985.
Film seen in person (with more than 'publisher')
If you know that one company had primary responsibility for producing the film, just list that one company. If more than one company has an equal role list them all and separate each name with a forward slash (MLA Handbook 170).
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures Animation / Marvel Entertainment, 2018.
Film viewed online via YouTube
Kind Hearts and Coronets. Directed by Robert Hamer, Ealing Studios, 1949. YouTube, uploaded by Video Vault, 24 Mar. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4PgC2eYq6c. Accessed 4 Feb. 2022.
Film viewed online via streaming service
Saving Private Ryan. Directed by Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks, 1998. Netflix, www.netflix.com/watch/21878564?trackId=14206622. Accessed 4 Feb. 2022.
Foreign language film with original title given optionally
The Bicycle Thieves [Ladri di Biciclette]. Directed by Vittorio De Sica, Ente Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche, 1948.
Film viewed through an app
Blade Runner 2049. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Warner Brothers / Sony Pictures, 2017. Netflix app.
Screenplay
Hornby, Nick. Brooklyn: Yellow Script. 24th April 2014. BBC: Script Library, downloads.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scripts/Brooklyn-Shooting-Script.pdf. Screenplay. Accessed 4 Feb. 2022.
In some instances you may need to include still frames from films in your work. Under the image include 'Fig.' (for figure), a number, and a caption that links to the works cited list. Include a time-stamp so that the reader knows at what point in the movie the still frame was taken. If you annotate the still frame acknowledge this along with the caption information by writing 'My annotations' or 'Annotations by the candidate'.
Still Frame (No special emphasis on director)
Fig. 1. Still from Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (00:53:35)
Works Cited
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Directed by Nicholas Webster, Embassy Pictures, 1964. YouTube, uploaded by Cult Cinema Classics Cult Cinema Classics, 5 Nov. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4SZyeUGSM4. Accessed 10 Feb. 2022.
Still Frame (Special emphasis on director)
Fig. 2. Still from Webster, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (00:53:35)
Works Cited
Webster, Nicholas, director. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Embassy Pictures, 1964. YouTube, uploaded by Cult Cinema Classics Cult Cinema Classics, 5 Nov. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4SZyeUGSM4. Accessed 10 Feb. 2022.
Still Frame with student annotation
Fig. 3. Still from Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (00:53:35). My annotations.
Works Cited
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Directed by Nicholas Webster, Embassy Pictures, 1964. YouTube, uploaded by Cult Cinema Classics Cult Cinema Classics, 5 Nov. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4SZyeUGSM4. Accessed 10 Feb. 2022.
Only include images in your work if necessary. All images should be followed by 'Fig.' (short for figure), then a number, then the caption. The caption for the image should include the image creator's name, title, and date for the image. If you do not have the image creator name or the date for the image then do not include this information. If you do not have a title for the image then give it a descriptive title yourself.
You can include the full source information under the image. You can also just include the caption details - so long as this is enough to directly link the caption to the works cited entry.
Image from a Website (just the caption)
Use this option when citing an image that is the central part of a website (i.e. the main focus - see this example). Structure the figure and works cited entries like the following:
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Figure Citation (under the image) Fig. Number. Creator, Title (or Description), Date |
Works Cited Creator. Title. Date. Website, Publisher, link. Accessed date. |
Fig. 4. Poster for the film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, 1964
Works Cited
Poster for the film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. 1964. IMDB, www.imdb.com/title/tt0058548/mediaviewer/rm305981184/ Accessed 11 Feb. 2022.
Image from a Website (with full source information)
Another way you can cite an image that is a central part of a website (i.e. the main focus) is by giving full source information directly under the image. If you give full source information in the caption use the same punctuation as you would in the works cited list only don't invert the name of the creator (MLA Handbook 8), i.e. for figure citation you would write 'Pablo Picasso' and for works cited you would write 'Picasso, Pablo'.
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Figure Citation (under the image) Fig. Number. Creator. Title. Date. Website, Publisher, link. Accessed date. |
Works Cited Creator. Title. Date. Website, Publisher, link. Accessed date. |
Fig. 5. Poster for the film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. 1964. IMDB, www.imdb.com/title/tt0058548/mediaviewer/rm305981184/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2022.
Works Cited
Poster for the film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. 1964. IMDB, www.imdb.com/title/tt0058548/mediaviewer/rm305981184/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2022.
Image from a webpage / online article (treating the image as a work contained within another work)
Use this option if the image is contained within a larger body of work, like an article.
This image citation includes the image details, then the webpage or article details, and finally the website details.
The best tool for creating these citations is the OSLIS MLA citation generator. NoodleTools will not make this kind of citation. NoodleTools and Zotero users are recommended to manually adjust their citation or to use the next option (treating the image as coming 'from' the webpage or article).
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Figure Citation (under the image) Fig. Number. Creator, Title (or Description), Date |
Works Cited Creator. Title. Date. "Title of webpage or article,” by Author Name. Website, Publisher, date, link. Accessed date. |
Fig. 6. Two Martians from the Film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, 1964
Works Cited
Two Martians from the Film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. 1964. "10 Fun Facts About Santa Claus Conquers the Martians," by Mark Mancini. Mentalfloss, 18 Dec. 2019, www.mentalfloss.com/article/80246/10-festive-facts-about-santa-claus-conquers-martians. Accessed 11 Feb. 2022.
Image from a webpage / online article (treating the image as coming 'from' the webpage or article)
Use this option if the image is contained within a larger body of work, like an article.
This approach gives the image details and then links the reference to the works cited entry for the article. Use this approach with tools like Zotero and NoodleTools.
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Figure Citation (under the image) Fig. Number. Creator, Title (or Description), Date (In-text citation for source) |
Works Cited Author. "Title of webpage or article." Website, Publisher, date, link. Accessed date. |
Fig. 7. Two Martians from the film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, 1964 (Mancini)
Works Cited
Mancini, Mark. "10 Fun Facts About Santa Claus Conquers the Martians." Mentalfloss, 18 Dec. 2019, www.mentalfloss.com/article/80246/10-festive-facts-about-santa-claus-conquers-martians. Accessed 11 Feb. 2022.
The in-text citation for a film should link to the works cited list entry. If you list a film under its title, you must refer to the title in your writing or cite it parenthetically. For example:
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The Magnificent Seven, a remake of Seven Samurai, retells the Japanese samurai story in the Western genre. or... Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai) and John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven) choose very different settings for their films. |
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Works Cited Seven Samurai. Directed by Akira Kurosawa, Toho, 1954. The Magnificent Seven. Directed by John Sturges, United Artists, 1960. |
If you list a film under the director’s name, you must discuss or cite the director. For example:
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The Magnificent Seven (Sturges), a remake of Seven Samurai (Kurosawa), retells the Japanese samurai story in the Western genre. or... Akira Kurosawa and John Sturges choose very different settings for their films. |
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Works Cited Kurosawa, Akira, director. Seven Samurai. Toho, 1954. Sturges, John, director. The Magnificent Seven. United Artists, 1960. |
Use time stamps the same way as you would use page numbers, to show what part of a film you are referring to.
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Saving Private Ryan begins with dramatic and gritty extended footage that portray US soldiers landing at Omaha Beach on D-Day (00:04:30-00:28:35). |
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Works Cited Saving Private Ryan. Directed by Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks, 1998. Netflix, www.netflix.com/watch/21878564trackId=14206622&tctx. Accessed 4 Feb. 2022. |