MLA Guide

Film Watched at Theater or through Broadcast Television

Format: Title of Film. Directed by Director, Production Company, Year of Release.

*Note: You do not have to put the director first (in the author's place). You can start with the title of the film instead, or list the most relevant person, like the director or main actor (i.e. Pitt, Brad, performer.) 

Example: Barbie. Directed by Greta Gerwig, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2023.

Film Watched through a Physical DVD

Format: Title of Film. Directed by Director, Production Company, Year of Release. DVD.

*Note: You do not have to put the director first (in the author's place). You can start with the title of the film instead, or list the most relevant person, like the director or main actor (i.e. Pitt, Brad, performer.) 

Example: Washington, Denzel, performer. Fences. Directed by Denzel Washington, screenplay by August Wilson, Paramount Pictures, 2017. DVD.

Film Accessed on Streaming Website (i.e. Netflix, Hulu, etc.)

Format: Title of Film. Directed by Director, Production Company, Year of Release. Streaming Website Name in Italics, Base URL.

*Note: You do not have to put the director first (in the author's place). You can start with the title of the film instead, or list the most relevant person, like the director or main actor (i.e. Pitt, Brad, performer.) 

*Note: You can usually omit the http:// unless needed to hyperlink.

Netflix:

Example: 13th. Directed by Ava Duvernay, 2016. Netflix, www.netflix.com.

Hulu:

Example: Booksmart. Directed by Olivia Wilde, Annapurna Pictures and Gloria Sanchez Productions, 2019. Hulu, www.hulu.com. 

Amazon Prime Video:

Example: To Kill a Mockingbird. Directed by Robert Mulligan, Universal Pictures, 1962. Amazon Prime Video, www.amazon.com. 

Film Accessed on App (i.e. Netflix, Hulu, etc.)

Format: Title of Film. Directed by Director, Production Company, Year of Release. Company Name app.

*Note: You do not have to put the director first (in the author's place). You can start with the title of the film instead, or list the most relevant person, like the director or main actor (i.e. Pitt, Brad, performer.) 

Hulu:

Example: Booksmart. Directed by Olivia Wilde, Annapurna Pictures and Gloria Sanchez Productions, 2019. Hulu app.

Disney+:

Example: Miranda, Lin-Manuel, performer. Hamilton. Directed by Thomas Kail,  Disney Pictures, 2020. Disney+ app.

Film Accessed through Library Database

Format: Title of Film. Directed by Director, Production Company, Date of Release. Database Name in Italics, URL/DOI.

Note: You do not have to put the director first (in the author's place). You can start with the title of the film instead, or list the most relevant person, like the director or main actor (i.e. Pitt, Brad, performer.) 

*Note: You can usually omit the http:// unless needed to hyperlink.

*Note: For URLs longer than 3 lines, you can shorten the URL. Always retain the host (main website) of the URL.

Kanopy:

Example: Teach Us All: Segregation and Education in the United States. Directed by Sonia Lowman, Video Project, 2017. Kanopy, sccsc.kanopy.com/video/teach-us-all. 

*Note: If you skip the author, you can add important people like the director or main actor after the title (as above). For actors, you would use "Performed by" instead of "Directed by." 

Swank:

Example: The Tempest. Directed by Julie Taymor, 2010. Swank, www.digitalcampus.swankmp.net/sccsc364204/play/0B8EC62DA93C52F9.

Films on Demand:

Entire Film 

Example: Can We Save the Reef? Off the Fence, 2018. Films on Demand, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=97845&xtid=186717.

Part of Film (Segment)

*Note: When citing a segment of a film, put the name of the segment in quotation marks, followed by a period before the name of the film.

Example: "Adapting for Survival." Can We Save the Reef? Off the Fence, 2018. Films on Demand, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=97845&xtid=186717.

Academic Video Online

Example: "Hidden in the Genes." Directed by Krista Whetstone, Public Broadcasting Service, 2022. Alexander Street, video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/hidden-in-the-genes.

Drama Online

Example: The Tempest. Directed by Jeremy Herrin and Ian Russell, Globe on Screen. Shakespeare's Globe on Screen. 2013. Drama Online, https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350997547.

**Note: List both the screen director and stage director in your citation.

Television Episode

Base Format: "Episode Name." Name of Television Show, directed or created by, season #, episode #, TV Show Producer, Date. Website/Database/App, URL/DOI.

Episode Watched through Broadcast Television

Format: "Episode Name." Name of Television Show, season #, episode #, TV Show Producer, Date of Broadcast.

Example: "The Night of the Idaho Student Murders." 48 Hours, season 36, episode 2, CBS News, 16 Sept. 2023.

Episode Accessed through Streaming Website

Format: "Episode Name." Name of Television Show, season #, episode #, TV Show Producer, Date. Streaming Website Name in Italics, Base URL.

Example: "I, Borg." Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 5, episode 23, Paramount Pictures, 1992. Netflix, www.netflix.com.

Episode Accessed through Streaming App

Format: "Episode Name." Name of Television Show, season #, episode #, TV Show Producer, Date. Company Name app.

Example: "Secrets of Ancient Egypt." Journey with Dylan Dreyer, season 1, episode 3, Million to One Productions,15 Oct. 2016. Peacock TV app.

Episode Accessed through Library Database

Format: "Episode Name." Name of Television Show, season #, episode #, TV Show Producer, Date.Database Name in Italic, URL.

Example: "Episode 11." Beowulf, season 1, episode 11, ITV Studios, 13 Mar. 2016.Films on Demand,fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=97845&xtid=151176.