In academic writing, the details matter. Proper formatting makes your work clearer and more credible. Messing up citations or misformatting titles distracts from your message and can even hurt your grade.
One area that often trips people up is knowing how to write a movie title in an essay. There are lots of style guides out there – MLA, APA, Chicago, and more – and they all have slightly different rules. Whether it’s capitalizing the right words, using italics, or getting the punctuation right, it’s easy to make a mistake.
This guide is here to help. We’ll walk you through the ins and outs of formatting movie titles in essays, with a special focus on APA style. Consistency is key, and we’ll show you how to get it right every time.
While APA is our main focus, we’ll also touch on other common styles to give you a well-rounded understanding.
Understanding the Basics: Italics, Quotation Marks, and Capitalization
When you’re writing about a movie in an essay, there are a few formatting conventions to keep in mind. These guidelines cover when to use italics, when to use quotation marks, and how to properly capitalize the title.
Italics vs. Quotation Marks
In academic writing, titles of movies and TV series are generally italicized. So, if you’re writing about Casablanca or The Queen’s Gambit, you’d put those titles in italics.
Quotation marks are typically used for shorter works, like episodes of a TV show or short films. For example, you might refer to the Black Mirror episode “San Junipero.”
It’s worth noting that journalistic style, particularly AP style, often uses quotation marks for movie titles. So, you might see “‘Oppenheimer’ was the big winner…” in a news article.
A quick note about underlining: In the olden days of typewriters, when italics weren’t an option, people would underline movie titles. But underlining is no longer standard practice in professional publishing.
Capitalization Rules
The general rule for capitalizing movie titles is to capitalize the major words. This means you capitalize:
- The first word of the title
- The first word of a subtitle
- The first word after a colon or em dash
Typically, you’ll use lowercase for articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, but, or), and prepositions (of, to, in, for, etc.). However, there are a couple of exceptions:
- If the article, conjunction, or preposition is the first word of the title, capitalize it.
- Some sources recommend capitalizing shorter prepositions (like “at,” “by,” “up,” etc.) but leaving longer prepositions (like “between,” “without,” “throughout”) in lowercase.
APA Style: A Detailed Guide
If you’re writing a paper using APA style, here’s how to format movie titles:
General Formatting
In APA style, movie titles should always be italicized. This rule applies whether you’re mentioning the title in the body of your paper or on the references page.
When it comes to capitalization, APA style dictates that you capitalize major words in the title but lowercase articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, but, or), and prepositions (of, in, to).
In-Text Citations
When you’re citing a movie within the text of your paper, you’ll typically use the director’s last name and the year the movie was released. For example:
(Spielberg, 1993)
If a movie has multiple directors, separate their names with an ampersand (&):
(Coen & Coen, 1996)
In cases where no director is listed, use the production company as the author:
(Pixar, 2003)
Reference Page Entries
On your references page, a movie title entry should follow this format:
Last Name, First Initial. (Director). Title [italicized]. Production Company.
For example:
Spielberg, S. (Director). Jurassic Park. Universal Pictures.
If there are multiple directors, list them all, separated by commas, with an ampersand before the last director’s name:
Coen, J., & Coen, E. (Directors). Fargo. Gramercy Pictures.
Common Mistakes and Exceptions
Formatting movie titles in essays can be tricky. Here are some common errors to avoid:
- Forgetting to italicize: Movie titles must be italicized. No exceptions!
- Incorrect capitalization: Watch out for those little words! “Of,” “the,” “a,” etc., are usually lowercase unless they start the title.
- Punctuation problems: Make sure your commas and periods go in the right place relative to the italics.
Of course, there are always exceptions. What if you’re talking about a song title within a movie title? You’d italicize the whole movie title, and put the song title in quotation marks. Foreign language titles can also be tricky; it’s best to check a style guide for how to handle translations.
The most important thing is to be consistent. Pick a style (MLA, APA, Chicago, whatever!) and stick with it throughout your entire essay. Don’t switch halfway through!
Here are a couple of examples of correctly formatted movie titles in APA style:
- The Shawshank Redemption
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Movie Titles in Other Style Guides
You’ll find that different style guides call for different ways of formatting movie titles in essays and other types of writing. Here’s a look at a few of the most common style guidelines:
MLA Style
The Modern Language Association (MLA) style guide is often used in the humanities, especially in language and literature classes. Like APA, MLA calls for you to put movie titles in italics. As with APA, you should capitalize all principal words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, as well as secondary words like “is” and “that.” Always capitalize the first and last word of the title.
For in-text citations in MLA style, you’ll usually include the author’s last name and the page number. If you’re citing a movie, you’ll usually include the title of the movie in your parenthetical citation.
Chicago Manual of Style
The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) is often used in history, literature, and the fine arts. As with MLA and APA, the Chicago Manual of Style calls for you to put movie titles in italics. Capitalize all principal words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, as well as secondary words like “is” and “that.” Always capitalize the first and last word of the title.
CMOS uses footnotes or endnotes to cite sources, and you’ll include the full citation information in the note.
AP Style
If you’re writing for a newspaper, magazine, or website, you’ll likely be following the Associated Press (AP) style guide. AP style is very different from the other styles we’ve covered so far. AP style calls for you to put movie titles in “quotation marks,” not italics. Capitalize the first word, last word, and all principal words in the title. AP style doesn’t typically use in-text citations. Instead, you’ll attribute information to a source within the body of your text.
Examples of Movie Title Formatting
Let’s look at some examples to clarify how to format movie titles in essays. We’ll examine common mistakes and show the correct way to do it.
Example 1: Simple Title
- Incorrect: The Godfather
- Correct: The Godfather
Explanation: Movie titles should be italicized. Simply capitalizing the first letter of each word is not enough.
Example 2: Longer Title
- Incorrect: “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb”
- Correct: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Explanation: Even long titles, including subtitles, get the full italic treatment. The quotation marks are completely unnecessary.
Example 3: A Title with Punctuation
- Incorrect: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
- Correct: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Explanation: The question mark stays inside the italicized title. Don’t put it outside!
Example 4: Common Error
- Incorrect: The Shawshank Redemption
- Correct: The Shawshank Redemption
Explanation: This is perhaps the most common mistake. People often forget the italics!
By following these simple rules, you can ensure that your essays present movie titles correctly and professionally.
Final Thoughts
Formatting movie titles correctly in academic papers and professional documents is crucial for maintaining credibility and clarity. Think of it as a small detail that speaks volumes about your attention to detail.
As we’ve discussed, APA style dictates that movie titles should be italicized. Remember to capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and any proper nouns. When citing a movie within the body of your essay, use parenthetical citations that include the director’s last name and the year of release. Finally, your reference page should include a properly formatted entry for the movie, complete with the director, year, and production company.
Consistency is key! Always double-check your formatting and consult the specific style guide required for your assignment or publication. Don’t assume every style is APA!
Mastering these formatting skills may seem tedious, but it’s a valuable investment in your writing. Correctly formatting movie titles demonstrates your professionalism and commitment to academic rigor.