MLA – Citing Audiovisual Media

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Citing audiovisual sources in MLA format involves providing the title of the audiovisual work, the name(s) of the primary creator(s) (such as directors, producers, or performers), the version or format of the work, the production or distribution company, the release or production year, and the URL if accessed online. For example, when citing a film, you would include the director’s name, the film’s title in italics, the production company, and the release year. For online videos, include the uploader’s name, the title of the video in quotation marks, the platform (e.g., YouTube), the upload date, and the URL. This comprehensive approach ensures that the citation provides sufficient context and detail, allowing others to accurately locate the source easily.

Citing an Album

Format:
Last Name, First Name. Title of Album. Publisher, Year of Release.

Examples:

  1. Swift, Taylor. 1989. Big Machine Records, 2014.
  2. Marley, Bob. Legend. Island Records, 1984.
  3. Queen. A Night at the Opera. EMI, 1975.

Citing Artwork

Format:
Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork. Year, Museum or Collection, City, URL.

Examples:

  1. Da Vinci, Leonardo. Mona Lisa. 1503, Louvre Museum, Paris, www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/mona-lisa.
  2. Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, www.moma.org/collection/works/79802.
  3. Michelangelo. David. 1504, Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence, www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.beniculturali.it/en/david/.

Citing a Film

Format:
Title of Film. Directed by Director’s First Name Last Name, performance by Main Performer’s First Name Last Name, Production Company, Year of Release.

Examples:

  1. Inception. Directed by Christopher Nolan, performance by Leonardo DiCaprio, Warner Bros., 2010.
  2. The Godfather. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, performance by Marlon Brando, Paramount Pictures, 1972.
  3. Parasite. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, performance by Song Kang-ho, CJ Entertainment, 2019.

Citing a Photograph

Format:
Last Name, First Name. Title of Photograph. Year, Museum or Collection, City, URL.

Examples:

  1. Adams, Ansel. Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. 1941, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/266121.
  2. Lange, Dorothea. Migrant Mother. 1936, Library of Congress, Washington D.C., www.loc.gov/pictures/item/fsa1998021539/PP/.
  3. Cartier-Bresson, Henri. Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare. 1932, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, www.moma.org/collection/works/49928.

Citing a Song

Format:
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Song.” Title of Album, Publisher, Year of Release.

Examples:

  1. Swift, Taylor. “Blank Space.” 1989, Big Machine Records, 2014.
  2. Marley, Bob. “One Love.” Legend, Island Records, 1984.
  3. Queen. “Bohemian Rhapsody.” A Night at the Opera, EMI, 1975.

Citing a Television Episode

Format:
“Title of Episode.” Title of Series, created by Creator’s First Name Last Name, performance by Main Performer’s First Name Last Name, season number, episode number, Production Company, Year of Release.

Examples:

  1. “Ozymandias.” Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, performance by Bryan Cranston, season 5, episode 14, AMC, 2013.
  2. “The Rains of Castamere.” Game of Thrones, created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, performance by Emilia Clarke, season 3, episode 9, HBO, 2013.
  3. “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers.” Stranger Things, created by Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, performance by Winona Ryder, season 1, episode 1, Netflix, 2016.

Citing a TV Series

Format:
Title of Series. Created by Creator’s First Name Last Name, performance by Main Performer’s First Name Last Name, Production Company, Years of Series.

Examples:

  1. Breaking Bad. Created by Vince Gilligan, performance by Bryan Cranston, AMC, 2008-2013.
  2. Game of Thrones. Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, performance by Emilia Clarke, HBO, 2011-2019.
  3. Stranger Things. Created by Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, performance by Winona Ryder, Netflix, 2016-present.

Citing a YouTube Video

Format:
Last Name, First Name [Username]. “Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by Uploader’s First Name Last Name, Date of Upload, URL.

Examples:

  1. Doe, John [JohnDoe]. “How to Learn Programming.” YouTube, uploaded by John Doe, 15 Aug. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcd1234.
  2. Smith, Mary [Smith123]. “Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet.” YouTube, uploaded by Mary Smith, 22 Mar. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=efgh5678.
  3. Lee, Kevin [LeeK]. “The Importance of Mental Health.” YouTube, uploaded by Kevin Lee, 5 Dec. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijkl9012.

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