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MLA Citation and Paper Formatting Guide (MLA 8th Edition): Videos & DVDs

Tips

Who to Credit - DVD or Film

Many people can be involved in the production of a video and not all need to be listed in the citation. Typically the director, producer and/or writer are the names that are used. To clarify what role the person has in the production, their job title such as Director is put after their name in round brackets if the job title is known.

Who to Credit - Streaming Video from a Website

For videos from websites such as YouTube or Vimeo, credit the person who posted the content. If a real name is provided, use it. If the real name of the person who posted the content is not known, use their user name.

Streaming Video From a Website (YouTube, Vimeo, Hulu, etc.)

Last Name, First Name of video creator or Username of Creator. "Title of Video." Title of the Hosting Website, Day Month Year of Publication, URL of video. Accessed Day Month Year video was viewed.

Works Cited List Example

Sethi, Ramit. "How to Write a Winning Resume, With Ramit Sethi." YouTube, 23 June 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0fjkKCsM1w. Accessed 28 June 2016.

In-Text Citation Example

(Last Name of Video Creator)

(Sethi)

Note: Because videos do not have page numbers, paragraph numbers or section headings, this information is left out of the in-text citation.

Streaming Video From a Library Database (Kanopy, Intelecom, etc.)

"Title of Video." Publisher/Production Company, Date. Title of Library Database. 

Works Cited List Example

"Secret Life of Twins." BBC, 2015. Kanopy.

 Note: Typically films are cited without an author. 

Example

("Words From Title")

("Secret")

 Note: Because videos do not have page numbers this information is left out of the in-text citation.

Note: While MLA 8th edition recommends including URLs, we recommend URLs be left out when citing a work found in a library database. Because library databases require a login, most URLs will stop working after the session ends.

DVD or Film

Title of Movie. Director's Name. Performers Names. Production Company, Year of Release. 

Note: If you are writing about a film or television series without focusing on an individual's contribution, begin with the title. You can include information about the director and other key participants in the position of other contributors.

Note: Exclude the list of performers if not relevant.

Works Cited List Example

The Usual Suspects. Directed by Bryan Singer. Performances by Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, and Benicio Del Toro. Polygram, 1995. 

In-Text Citation Example

(Title of Movie)

(The Usual Suspects)

Note: The title of the film is in italics in the in-text citation because that is how it appears in the Works Cited List Example.

Note: Because DVD's do not have page numbers this information is left out of the in-text citation.

Television Series Episode

"Title of Episode." Title of TV Series. Contributors Name(s), Season, Episode,  Production Company, Year of Release. 

Note: If the episode has many contributors, include the ones most relevant to your project. i.e. if you are writing about an episode that focuses on a key character, you might mention the series creator and the actor who portrays the character.

Note: Seasons of a television series are usually numbered in sequence, as are the episodes. Both numbers should be included in the works cited list if available.

Works Cited List Example

"The One Where Chandler Can't Cry." Friends, created by Marta Kauffman, performance by Matthew Perry, season 6, episode 14, Warner Brothers, 2004. 

In-Text Citation Example

("Title of Episode")

("The One Where Chandler")

Note: The title of the episode is in quotation marks in the in-text citation because that is how it appears in the Works Cited List Example.

Note: Because DVD's do not have page numbers this information is left out of the in-text citation.

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