Below, you will find step-by-step instructions for citing videos in the MLA citation style. Videos can be tricky to cite. If you aren't sure how to cite a video, feel free to ask a librarian.
Here is the basic format for citing a film or DVD in MLA format:
Title of Film: Subtitle. Producer, Director, Actors, Studio or Publisher, Year.
Let's break the citation down.
Type in the entire title of the film, along with the subtitle if there is one. Italicize the entire title. Place a period at the end of the title. So, the best Star Wars Film, "The Empire Strikes Back," would have its title written like this:
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back.
For the producer of a video, type "produced by" and their name as it is listed in the film credits. For example, a film produced by John Smith would have its citation as produced by John Smith. The same rule applies for directors and actors, but type "directed by" and "performed by". For the actors, however, do not list them all; just list the stars or host of the production. For example, a film produced by John Smith, directed by Ed Jones, and starring Edna Goldsmith and Tony Hall would have its citation written like this:
Produced by John Smith, directed by Ed Jones, performed by Edna Goldsmith and Tony Hall,
If the production has multiple producers, directors, or performers, follow the same rules as you would for book or article authors. In other words, use "and" for two people and "et al." for three or more people.
Sometimes the producer or director may not be clearly written on the DVD case. In those cases, research the film to determine who they are. The information is usually in the first few minutes of the film, or the closing credits. As a last resort, look the information up on the internet. Students have had good luck finding the information on IMDB and Amazon.com in the past.
The studio is usually listed on both sides of the DVD case, the disc itself, and in the opening and closing credits. List the name of the studio in a brief format, leaving off abbreviations like "Co.," "Inc.," etc. So, for example, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation would be listed as:
Twentieth Century Fox
The year is simply the date of release. It is usually listed on the back of the DVD case, and might be on the disc itself. If there are multiple years to choose from, use the most recent one.
The best Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back, was produced by Gary Kurtz, directed by Irvin Kershner, and starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, and James Earl Jones. It was released in 1980 by 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. This is what the citation would look like:
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Produced by Gary Kurtz, directed by Irvin Kershner, performed by Mark Hamill, et al., Twentieth Century Fox, 1980.
NOTE: citations on your Works cited page will need to have a hanging indent if the citation runs past one line. This is where the first line is extended to the left margin like a normal sentence, but the rest of the lines are tabbed in a half inch. Visit here for instructions on setting up a hanging indent in Microsoft Word.
There are multiple ways of citing online videos, so check with your instructor on how they want the citation to look. Here is the most common format for citing an online video in MLA format:
Author. "Title of Video: Subtitle." Website Name,uploaded by creator, Date, Link.
Let's break the citation down.
The author's name should be prominently listed, and is frequently the owner of the video channel. If the video does not have an author listed, leave this part off and start with the title of the video. If the production has multiple authors, follow the same rules as you would for book or article authors. In other words, use "and" for two people and "et al." for three or more people.
Type in the entire title of the video, along with the subtitle if there is one. Type the entire title in title case, and put a period at the end. So a film from an online database, for example "Gardening in Spring: How to Plant Flowers," would have its title written like this:
"Gardening in Spring: How to Plant Flowers."
Type in the name of the website the video comes from, followed by a comma. Italicize the name. For example, if you are using a YouTube video, it will be listed like this:
YouTube,
After the name of the website, type "uploaded by" and the name of the creator or channel. For example, if you are citing a YouTube video uploaded by Midland College Library, you would type the following:
YouTube, uploaded by Midland College Library,
This is simply the date of release. It is usually listed in the description for the video.If there are multiple years to choose from, use the most recent one. If the full date, and not just the year, is listed, put it in Day, Month, Year format, with the month abbreviated. A video uploaded on August 26, 2022 would have its release date listed as 26 Aug. 2022.
In this part, simply paste a link to the video. The database may have a direct link listed. If it does, use that instead of copying the URL from your browser bar. Here is an example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7UmUX68KtE.
According to MLA citation rules, when you are pasting in a link, putting the "http://" or "https://" part is optional. You can start it with the "www" part if you want to. Be consistent on whether or not you put that part in. However, be sure to ask your instructor what they prefer, as they may have their own requirements.
The streaming film entitled "Hiking In Winter" was directed by Mark Jones for the studio Outdoor Productions. It was released in 2018, and published on the Films on Demand database. This is what the citation would look like:
Jones, Mark. "Hiking in Winter." Films on Demand, uploaded by Outdoor Productions, 2018, www.filmsondemand.com/hikinginwinter.
The YouTube video "Muppet Thought of the Week ft. Fozzie Bear" was created and uploaded by The Muppets on November 7, 2017. Because the same person or people both created and uploaded the video, you skip the author part and start with the title. This is what the citation would look like:
"Muppet Thought of the Week ft. Fozzie Bear." YouTube, uploaded by The Muppets, 7 Nov. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntTIgh3sf6A.
NOTE: citations on your Works cited page will need to have a hanging indent if the citation runs past one line. This is where the first line is extended to the left margin like a normal sentence, but the rest of the lines are tabbed in a half inch. Visit here for instructions on setting up a hanging indent in Microsoft Word.