Movies and documentaries are valuable and valid sources of information that you can use as reference materials for research papers and long-term investigative projects. Movies and documentaries can help you get a feel for time periods and atmosphere in a given span of time and can also make some types of research and science far easier to understand than when you are just reading it in a textbook. It is important to cite these resources just as you would a reference book or scholarly article so that you give credit to the creative and scientific efforts that went into the creation of a piece of film. MLA style is one of the easiest formats to use for this, as MLA uses a standard format for all types of citations and is simple to apply even to atypical sources.
Instructions
1.Start with the title of the film and a period. The film title should be italicized, but underlining can substitute if your word processor doesn't support italics. If your word processor will not support either type of formatting, use underscore symbols to indicate that the title should be underlined. For example, if the name of the movie is "Planet of the T-Rex," your citation should read: _Planet of the T-Rex_.
2.Include the name of the director next. Use the abbreviation "Dir." before the director's full name. If the director were named Lindsey Jane, your citation at this point would look like this: _Planet of the T-Rex_. Dir. Lindsey Jane.
3.List any important actors. Generally, you can skip this part. However, if the way an actor portrayed a character or the actor's life has some bearing on your research, then you should list these important contributors. If you do choose to list actors by name, use this format: "Perf. Kinsley Dickens," so that your citation would appear, thus far, as: _Planet of the T-Rex_. Dir. Lindsey Jane. Perf. Kinsley Dickens.
4. Add the name of the production company, followed by a comma and the year the movie was made. This information is usually available in the credits of the movie or on the box cover if you buy or rent a film. For example, if the production company's name is Little Big Star, and the film was made in 1989, your citation should now read: _Planet of the T-Rex_. Dir. Lindsey Jane. Perf. Kinsley Dickens. Little Big Star, 1989.
5. Complete the citation with the medium in which you viewed the film. Possible options are "Film," "DVD" or "Videocassette." Your finished citation should look something like this: _Planet of the T-Rex_. Dir. Lindsey Jane. Perf. Kinsley Dickens. Little Big Star, 1989. Film.
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