film titles in essays

How to Format Movie Titles in Writing: A Comprehensive Guide

My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

Formatting Movie Titles in Writing: A Comprehensive Guide

– understanding the importance of formatting movie titles, – capitalization rules for movie titles, – italics or quotation marks: choosing the right format, – correctly formatting movie titles in essays and research papers, – formatting movie titles in screenplays and scripts, – handling foreign-language movie titles, – how to format movie titles in social media and blog posts, – additional tips and guidelines for formatting movie titles, frequently asked questions.

When it comes to writing about movies, it’s essential to know the proper formatting for movie titles. Correctly formatting movie titles not only ensures consistency and professionalism in your writing, but also shows respect for the creative works you’re discussing. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the essential rules and conventions for formatting movie titles.

1. Capitalization and punctuation: – In general, capitalize the principal words of the movie title. – Use italics to format movie titles, unless you’re writing by hand or on a platform without italics capability. – Don’t place a period at the end of a movie title, even when the title itself is a complete sentence.

2. Styling specific movie types: – For feature films, documentaries, and TV series, capitalize the first and last word of the title, as well as any other principal words. – Denote a series or franchise by including the series name or number in italics after the movie title, separated by a comma. – When discussing a specific episode of a TV series, put the episode title in quotation marks instead of italics. Examples: “The One Where They All Turn Thirty,” Friends; “The Winds of Winter,” Game of Thrones.

By following these guidelines, you’ll be able to confidently format movie titles in your writing, whether it be for blog posts, essays, or academic papers. Remember, accurate formatting not only enhances the readability of your work, but also displays your adeptness as a skilled writer.

Formatting movie titles correctly is crucial for several reasons. First and foremost, it enhances the overall professionalism and aesthetic appeal of any written or digital content. Properly formatted movie titles demonstrate attention to detail and respect for the art of filmmaking. Whether you’re writing a review, creating a poster, or citing sources in an academic paper, applying the appropriate formatting to movie titles stands as a testament to your meticulousness and expertise.

Secondly, consistent and accurate formatting ensures clarity and avoids confusion for readers or viewers. By adhering to the correct formatting guidelines, you enable people to easily identify and locate the movies you’re referring to. This is particularly important in an era where countless films are released each year across various platforms. Consistency also helps maintain the integrity of databases, libraries, and online streaming platforms, enabling users to easily search, sort, and access movie titles without any ambiguity or mix-ups.

Capitalization Rules for Movie Titles

When it comes to capitalizing movie titles , following the correct rules can make a significant difference in your writing. Here are some guidelines to help you get it right:

– Always capitalize the first and last word of the title, regardless of their parts of speech. For example, “The Lord of the Rings” and “Gone with the Wind.” – Capitalize all principal words in the title, including nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Skip articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, but, or), and prepositions (in, on, at) unless they are the first or last word in the title. For instance, “Singin’ in the Rain” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” – Capitalize any other words that are typically capitalized, such as proper nouns and proper adjectives. Notable examples include names of specific people, places, or brands within the title. For example, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

When it comes to emphasizing words or phrases in your writing, two common options are italics and quotation marks. These formatting choices can add clarity and emphasis to your text, making it easier for readers to understand your intended meaning. However, deciding between the two can sometimes be a daunting task. Let’s delve into the differences and help you choose the right format for your needs.

Italics are typically used to emphasize words or phrases by shifting the font style to a slanted position. Italicized text stands out as it appears slightly different from the surrounding text. You can use italics in various scenarios, such as:

1. Titles of works: Italicize book titles, newspaper or magazine titles, movie or song titles, or even the titles of TV shows to help them stand out. 2. Foreign words or phrases: Italics can be used when incorporating non-English words or phrases to indicate that they are not part of the native language. 3. Introducing new terms: If you introduce a new technical or scientific term, you can italicize it to draw attention and let readers know it’s something they should pay attention to.

On the other hand, quotation marks are punctuation marks used to enclose quoted or spoken language within a text. They are useful in various situations, such as:

1. Direct quotations: When directly quoting someone’s words, enclose them in quotation marks to indicate that the words are not your own. 2. Words used in a special way: Quotation marks can be used to highlight words used in an ironic or sarcastic sense or when discussing the definition or meaning of a specific word. 3. Titles of shorter works: Unlike italics, quotation marks are used to identify shorter works, such as chapters, articles, or short stories, within a larger body of work.

Overall, the decision to use italics or quotation marks depends on the specific context and purpose of your writing. Both formats have their own significance and can be powerful tools in effective communication. Taking a moment to consider the most suitable option for each situation will ensure that your words are formatted in a way that resonates with your readers.

When it comes to correctly formatting movie titles in your essays and research papers, it is important to follow specific guidelines to ensure clarity and consistency. Here are a few tips to help you appropriately format movie titles:

1. Capitalization: The first and last words of the title should always be capitalized, regardless of their part of speech (e.g., nouns, pronouns, verbs). Additionally, all major words in the title should be capitalized. However, minor words such as articles (e.g., a, an, the), conjunctions (e.g., and, but, or), and prepositions (e.g., of, in, on) should be lowercase unless they are the first or last word of the title.

2. Formatting Dialogue: When referencing movie titles that include dialogue, it is important to properly format the dialogue. Enclose the dialogue in double quotation marks and use single quotation marks within the dialogue for any relevant quotes or references. This helps distinguish the dialogue from the rest of the title and ensures clarity for the readers.

Remember, correct formatting of movie titles not only enhances the overall presentation of your essay or research paper but also shows your attention to detail. By following these guidelines, you will create a polished and professional document that adheres to proper formatting standards.

When it comes to formatting movie titles in screenplays and scripts, it’s important to follow certain conventions to ensure clarity and professionalism. Here are some guidelines to help you correctly format movie titles in your writing:

1. Capitalization: Movie titles should be capitalized, including all major words. This applies to both the main title and any subtitles. For example, “The Dark Knight Rises” or “Avengers: Endgame.”

2. Italicize or Underline: Movie titles should be italicized or underlined to distinguish them from the rest of the text. This helps make them stand out and easily identifiable to readers.

3. Quotation Marks: If you’re writing a screenplay or script that is referencing a specific scene or dialogue from a movie, you can use quotation marks around that particular reference. For instance, if a character exclaims, “I’ll be back,” make sure to enclose it in quotation marks to indicate that it’s a direct quote from a movie.

Foreign-language movies often come with intriguing titles that can leave us curious and sometimes confused. But fret not! Here are some tips on how to handle those foreign-language movie titles with ease.

1. Research the literal translation: Often, foreign-language movie titles are translated into English preserving the original meaning. To uncover the essence behind a title, search for its literal translation. For example, the French film “Amélie” translates to “The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain.” Knowing the original translation can give you a clearer understanding of what the movie might be about.

2. Pay attention to cultural significance: Different languages and cultures have unique ways of assigning meaning to words. Some movie titles may have cultural references that may not make sense when directly translated. Keep an open mind and try to grasp the cultural implications associated with a title. For instance, the Spanish film “Volver” means “to return” but carries a deeper connotation of going back to one’s roots or returning to a familiar place.

3. Consider international recognition: Sometimes, foreign-language films gain international fame and decide to keep the original title for marketing purposes. If a title remains unchanged, it’s essential to include the original language to distinguish it. For example, the Japanese film “Ringu” became a global sensation and is commonly referred to as “The Ring” internationally. Including the original language helps connect the film to its origins and allows audiences to identify it correctly.

4. Embrace subtitles: While some foreign-language movie titles are eventually translated into English, many films keep their original titles with English subtitles during screenings. It’s important to remember that embracing subtitles is crucial to fully appreciate the artistry and authenticity of a foreign-language film. Subtitles ensure that language barriers are overcome without altering the essence of the movie.

Handling foreign-language movie titles may seem daunting at first, but with a little research and an open mindset, you can unlock a world of cinematic wonders. From understanding literal translations to recognizing cultural significance, these tips will help you appreciate foreign films in their truest form. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the captivating journey that foreign-language films have to offer.

When it comes to social media and blog posts, it’s essential to know how to properly format movie titles to engage your audience and maintain a professional appearance. Follow these simple guidelines to ensure that your movie titles stand out and capture readers’ attention.

1. Capitalize the principal words: When writing movie titles, capitalize all the principal words, such as nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs. For example, “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.”

2. Use italics: Italicize movie titles to distinguish them from the rest of the text. This helps grab readers’ attention and enhances the aesthetic appeal of your post or article. For instance, “Have you watched the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Widow ?” or “I was blown away by the cinematography in Inception !”

3. Include quotation marks for shorter works: If you’re referencing a shorter work within a blog post or social media content, such as a short film or an episode from a TV series, use quotation marks. For example, “I highly recommend watching the TV series episode titled ‘The One with the Embryos’ from Friends .”

Remember, consistency is key when formatting movie titles. By applying these guidelines, you’ll elevate the appearance and readability of your blog posts and social media content, allowing your readers to easily identify and engage with the movie titles you mention. Don’t be afraid to showcase your love for cinema through appropriately formatted movie titles – it’s a great way to capture your audience’s attention and fuel conversations about everyone’s favorite films!

When it comes to formatting movie titles, there are a few additional tips and guidelines that can help ensure consistency and professionalism. One important thing to remember is that all movie titles should be formatted in italics. This distinguishes them from regular text and makes them stand out. To format movie titles in HTML, you can use the ` ` tag for italics. For example, if you were referencing “The Shawshank Redemption,” you would write it as ` The Shawshank Redemption `.

Another tip to keep in mind is the correct capitalization of movie titles. In general, the first and last words in a title, as well as all major words, should be capitalized. This includes nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. However, do not capitalize articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or), or prepositions, unless they are the first or last word of the title. For instance, the correct formatting for “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” would be ` The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring `. Keep this capitalization rule in mind to ensure your movie titles are formatted correctly and consistently throughout your work.

Q: What is the correct way to format movie titles in writing? A: When writing about movies, there are specific formatting rules to follow for movie titles. Generally, italicizing movie titles is the preferred format. For example, “Gone with the Wind” or “The Shawshank Redemption” should be italicized. However, if you are unable to use italics, you can capitalize the title instead.

Q: Are there any exceptions to this rule? A: Yes, there are a few exceptions. Short films, like those you would find on YouTube or Vimeo, should be put in quotation marks. For example, “Piper” or “The Present” should be written with quotation marks. Additionally, the titles of movies that are part of a larger body of work, such as a series or trilogy, should be italicized or put in quotation marks, depending on the original format. For instance, “Star Wars: A New Hope” or “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”

Q: What about titles within the movie, like the names of songs or books? A: If you need to mention a song or book title within your text, those should be formatted the same way as regular book titles, which is to italicize or underline. For example, if you were discussing the movie “La La Land,” you would italicize the song titles like “City of Stars” or “Another Day of Sun.”

Q: Can movie titles also be capitalized without using italics? A: Yes, if you are unable to use italics, another acceptable method is to capitalize the title instead. This is especially useful when writing by hand, such as in handwritten notes or on physical documents. For example, if you were creating a movie poster by hand, you can capitalize the movie title like “AVATAR” or “INCEPTION.”

Q: How should foreign movie titles be formatted? A: Foreign movie titles should be treated the same as English movie titles. If you can use italics, simply italicize titles like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” or “Amélie.” If italics are not available, you can capitalize the title instead, like “KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE” or “PAN’S LABYRINTH.” The key is to maintain consistency throughout your writing.

Q: Are there any other tips to keep in mind when formatting movie titles? A: Yes, it’s important to remember that regardless of the format—italics or capitalization—the title of the movie should always be written exactly as it appears. This means using any punctuation marks, abbreviations, or specific capitalization that were originally used in the title. However, articles like “a,” “an,” or “the” should typically be excluded when alphabetizing movie titles on reference lists.

In conclusion, correctly formatting movie titles ensures clear and professional writing. Whether you’re writing an essay or a screenplay, this guide has provided all the necessary guidelines for consistent and accurate formatting.

Do You Quote Poem Titles When Writing? Creative Writing Tips

Tumblr Writing Prompt: Dive into Online Creativity

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Reach out to us for sponsorship opportunities.

Welcome to Creative Writing Prompts

At Creative Writing Prompts, we believe in the power of words to shape worlds. Our platform is a sanctuary for aspiring writers, seasoned wordsmiths, and everyone. Here, storytelling finds its home, and your creative journey begins its captivating voyage.

© 2024 Creativewriting-prompts.com

How to Write a Movie Title in an Essay or Article

When you're writing a paper or article in school or at work, you may be in a situation where you need to write a movie title in your writing. But how should you format them? Should you use italics? Or quotation marks? Or maybe both? Or neither…

The first thing to note is that the rules will be different depending on whether you’re writing an article or an essay. In this guide, we'll explain how to write one in an essay or article so that your writing looks professional and polished. Refer to the relevant section, depending on the piece you are creating. 

The main things to know are:

• If you are writing a movie title in an article, the format you use is up to you (or the company you work for). Pick a format and stick to it.
• If you are writing a movie title in an essay, then you should follow your university's or employer's referencing style guidelines. 

Read on for suggestions of different formats for articles, and more in-depth guidance around different university referencing styles.

How to Write a Movie Title in an Article 

Let's begin by exploring why you need a specific format, and examining some key principles and rules around writing a movie title in an article.

Why You Need a Specific Format 

So picture this. You’re writing an article and want to refer to a particular movie - perhaps to illustrate a point, or maybe you’re critiquing it. But you’re unsure how to format it. You don’t want to be marked down for formatting it incorrectly, so you consider leaving it out to avoid the trouble. Not on our watch!

But hold on a sec! Why should you even worry about this? Why do movie titles need to be formatted correctly anyway? Well, it’s simple really. If you don’t differentiate the title from the rest of the text, your readers might not understand you’re referring to a movie title. Imagine, for instance, that you wrote:

I finally got around to watching three billboards outside ebbing missouri.

Can we agree this sentence doesn’t make any sense? With this punctuation (i.e. none) your reader may well believe that you headed out into the night and found a couple of billboards to look at for some time. 

So do you see why it’s important to have some kind of format for writing movie titles? 

Key Principles and Rules

Now here’s the tricky bit: with articles, there’s no hard and fast rule on how to format a movie title in your writing. There are many different options and any of them would be acceptable to use in an article you’re going to publish online or physically. 

So what to do?

Our first advice is to check in with your editor/head of copywriting / your point of reference at the company you work at. They will most likely have a specific format they like to use and will be able to share that with you.

That’s if you are writing for a company.

If you’re self-publishing, say, for example, on your website or Medium.com, then you’re the boss, friend. The conventions you use are completely up to you. 

But here are a few key principles and rules:

• Common conventions are to use italics or quotations marks
• Choose one format and stick with it - not only throughout the article but in everything you write
• Keep an eye out for the correct spelling of the movie. For example, don’t forget the comma in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. 
• Title case is a great way to further demarcate the movie title from the rest of the text to make it abundantly clear that it’s a movie title.

How to Write a Movie Title in an Essay 

Now let's turn our attention towards writing a movie title in an essay.

New scenario. You’re writing an essay for your college or university course. Perhaps you’re using the movie as an example, or maybe you’re critiquing it.

But you don’t want to be marked down for getting it wrong, so you consider avoiding mentioning it altogether. But that would be a shame! Let us help you. 

Here are some general rules to get you started:

• Follow the rules of your school’s academic writing style (APA, MLA, AP, or Chicago.)
• Use title case
• Use italics or quotation marks (depending on the writing style)

Academic Referencing Styles

There are different academic referencing/writing styles in the English language, and these vary depending on the education establishment. Different styles have different rules that govern the way that you might write, punctuate and cite within your essay.

The four most common styles are Associated Press (AP), Chicago, American Psychological Association (APA), and Modern Language Association (MLA).

Of course, there are many more than just four in existence, but these are the prevalent ones. 

But why are there so many different writing styles, we hear you ask? Quite simply, this is to cater to different fields. For instance, the scientific sector places a lot of importance on using recent research, hence the APA style places the date before anything. Humanities tend to use the MLA style which places the author's name first. 

Write a Movie Title in APA, MLA, and Chicago styles

Luckily, the APA, MLA, and Chicago styles all use the same format for movie titles, so it’ll be easy to remember.

These styles all require that you place the movie title in italics. Here are some examples:

• Saving Private Ryan
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 

Do not use any quotation marks! This is not necessary and will be considered incorrect.

You’ll also notice that the title is written in the title case. This means you capitalize certain words in the title. More on that in the next section.

Write a Movie Title in AP style

The AP style is the exception here since it does not use italics to format movie titles. Instead, you’re required to use quotation marks. Let’s use the same examples as above, to make the difference clear:

• “Kill Bill”
• “Saving Private Ryan”
• “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”

Again, here, remember to use title case. 

Write a Movie Title in Title Case

Using title case means that you capitalize certain words in the title. But depending on the writing style you’re using, there are different rules on which words need capitalizing and which ones don't. Mostly, they disagree on whether or not to capitalize minor words.

Read on to find out the rules for each style, to ensure you’re writing it correctly. 

Note that if you’re writing an article, this will again depend on the rules that the company you work for is using, or if you’re writing for your own business, then you can make your own rules. Remember to pick a structure and stick to it. Consistency is key!

• Capitalize the major words.
• Lowercase the articles the, a, and an.
• Capitalize the ‘to’ in an infinitive (e.g., I Want To Eat Cake)
• Capitalize the first and last words (overrides other rules)
• Capitalize all words of four letters or more (overrides other rules)
• Lowercase the second word after a hyphenated prefix

Chicago Style

• Lowercase articles, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions
• Lowercase the second part of Latin species names.
• Lowercase articles, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions.
• Do NOT capitalize ‘to’ in infinitives (e.g., I Want to Eat Cake).

As you can see, all four styles share some common rules but are different in certain small details. 

Incorrect ways to write a movie title

Here are some examples of incorrect ways to write a movie title:

• Saving private ryan
• Eternal SUNSHINE of a Spotless Mind
• “Shawshank Redemption”
• One Flew Over the cuckoo’s Nest

Can you figure out what is wrong with each of these examples? We’ll give you a clue! It has to do with incorrect usage of title cases, block capitals and quotation marks.

A note on reference lists

We just wanted to include a little note here to remind you that when citing a movie in your essay, you should include it in your reference list, or bibliography, depending on the academic writing style you are using. 

Again, the structure of your reference list will vary depending on whether you’re writing in APA, AP, MLA or Chicago, and you can find guidance on this in an official manual for the style (or online).

Other Points of Interest

There are some other things you might be interested in knowing that are related to the topic of how to write a movie title in an essay or article, so we’re detailing those below.

How to write a quote from a movie

So you’ve successfully referenced a movie using the rules outlined above. Now you’d like to quote a line from the movie. Which conventions should you use for this? 

For this, you would use quotation marks. For instance, if you want to quote this famous line from the movie Star Wars , you would write: “May the force be with you.”

Remember that if you’re writing an essay, you might need to also include the reference in your in-text citation. Let us show you a full example of what this would look like:

History was made when General Dodonna said “May the force be with you.” in the iconic movie Star Wars (Lucas, 1977).

How to write the name of an episode of a TV show 

If you wanted to cite a TV series, you would follow the same rules as those for citing a movie - as outlined above. But what if you also wanted to include the name of the episode you’re referring to? 

Similarly to inserting a direct quote from a movie, in this case, we recommend using quotation marks. For example:

Friends , “The One Where Everybody Finds Out.”

If writing an essay, please refer to your academic writing style’s guide to learn about conventions around formatting and using title case.

Where does the word ‘movie’ come from?

Dating back as far as the early 1900s, the word ‘movie’ stems from the term ‘moving picture’.

Before they could be projected onto a screen for wider viewing, the first movies could only be seen by one person at a time, using an Electrotachyscope, Kinetoscope, or Mutoscope.

And there we have it! We hope that this article has helped you better understand the conventions around writing a movie title in your essay or article, so you can feel confident about handing in your essay or turning in your article to your line manager.

To summarize, when you’re writing an article, the rules are pretty much up to you if writing for your own business, or your manager if writing for another company. Check-in with them to find out which conventions are already in place.

If writing an essay, then you should always use the structure set out in the academic writing style’s manual. Find out first of all which style you are expected to use. 

Now that that's done, it's time to get writing! 

Learn More:

• 'Dos and Don'ts': How to Write Them With Proper Grammar
• How to Write a List Correctly: Colons, Commas, and Semicolons
• ‘Right’ vs ‘Write’ vs ‘Rite’ vs ‘Wright’: What’s the Difference?
• How to Write Height Correctly - Writing Feet and Inches
• How to Write a Postcard (Tips and Examples)
• How to Write Comedy: Tips and Examples to Make People Laugh
• How to Write an Inequality: From Number Lines or Word Problems
• How to Write a Monologue: Tips and Examples
• How to Write a Letter to the President (With Example)
• How to Write Like Ernest Hemingway
• How to Write a Follow-Up Email After an Interview
• How to Write a Formal Email
• How to Write a 2-Week Notice Email
• How to Write an Out-of-Office (OOO) Email
• How to Write a Professional ‘Thank You’ Email

We encourage you to share this article on Twitter and Facebook . Just click those two links - you'll see why.

It's important to share the news to spread the truth. Most people won't.

Add new comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Post Comment

• About Our Blog
• Essay Writing Service

How to Format Movie Titles in Academic Writings

• by Lesley V.
• October 26, 2023

How to write a movie title in an essay?

Students, especially those in Arts, often refer to films or movie series in their papers. The formatting rules here are easy to remember. But:

They vary a bit, depending on the citation style you use.

In this post, I’ve gathered the guidelines for citing movie titles in five primary formats. Examples included, for you to compare and remember everything better.

How to Write Movie Titles in Essays

Are movie titles italicized?

It’s the most frequent question students ask when looking for this information online. Indeed, most citation formats prescribe italicizing. Other general rules include:

• Uppercase for subtitles
• Extra short movie names (like “It” ) may also go in quotations
• When using quotation marks (AP style), put punctuation inside them

Below are the details on how to format movie titles in essays and reference lists correctly.

Writing Film Titles in Different Citation Styles

For APA style (1):

• Uppercase all four-letter words and above
• Uppercase the first and the last word of a movie title, even if they are short articles (a, the) or pronouns (in, at, etc.)
• Italicize the entire name

For MLA format (2):

• Uppercase movie titles and subtitles
• Use capital letters for both parts of hyphenated words
• No uppercase for articles (a, the) and short conjunctions within the movie name
• Italicize the entire movie title

For Chicago style:

• Uppercase all main words
• Lowercase short conjunctions (below four letters) within the movie title
• Uppercase prepositions, regardless of their length

For AP citation style:

• Lowercase articles (a, the) and prepositions/conjunctions that are shorter than four letters
• Uppercase articles and prepositions/conjunctions in the beginning/end of the title
• No italics; put movie names in quotation marks

For Harvard style:

• Uppercase all primary words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.)
• Lowercase articles and prepositions/conjunctions (below four letters) within the movie title

How to Capitalize Movies in Papers

When writing a film name in a sentence, capitalize every word except for:

• Articles (a, an, the) within the movie title
• Short (below four letters) prepositions and conjunctions within the title

If a movie name begins with the above, use uppercase. Also, write long prepositions/conjunctions (moreover, although, etc.) with a capital letter. For example:

Italics vs. Quotations vs. Underlines

Most citation styles, except AP, prescribe italicization for movies and film series titles. When writing in AP, use quotation marks.

Quotes are also possible to use if you mention super short movie names like “It” or “M.” You italicize them in APA, MLA, or Chicago.

Underlines are for handwritten essays. When written by hand, you can’t italicize, huh? Use underlining instead to highlight a movie title somehow.

How to Format Punctuation in Movie Titles

If punctuation is a part of a film name, place it inside quotation marks or italicize it.

For example:

Writing Movie Titles in Reference Lists

Do you italicize movie titles.

Here they go, the rules on formatting movie titles in essays. Now that you know how to write a movie title in an essay properly, the only detail remains:

Check the formatting guidelines before writing. What citation style does an educator or editor ask you to follow? If none assigned, choose one and stick to it for consistency.

References:

• https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/index.html  
• https://lib.westfield.ma.edu/c.php?g=354010&p=2388441

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• How to Cite
• Language & Lit
• Rhyme & Rhythm
• The Rewrite
• Search Glass

How to Write a Title of a Movie in a Paper

The formatting and capitalization of a movie title depends on the style guide you are using for your paper. The Modern Language Association, American Psychological Association and Chicago style place movie titles in italics, while Associated Press style uses quotes for such titles. When referring to a movie in the body of a paper, all of the major style guides use title case, which means all of the major words in the title are capitalized.

APA, MLA and Chicago style

Movie or film titles are formatted the same in APA, Chicago and MLA style. In each of these styles, the movie title is italicized in the body of the paper. For instance:

Pirates of the Caribbean broke from Disney's tradition of releasing more mature titles under alternate studio names.

Fritz Lang's M deals with the issues of suspicion and punishment in Weimar Germany.

In the body of a paper, APA, Chicago and MLA all use title case capitalization for titles of movies. All major words -- such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and pronouns -- are capitalized. Minor words -- such as prepositions, conjunctions and articles -- are lower case unless it is the first word of the title.

APA also specifies that all words more than four letters should be capitalized: Gone With the Wind . APA uses sentence case capitalization for movie titles in reference lists, which means only the first word of a title and proper nouns (names of specific people, places or things) are capitalized: For whom the bell tolls .

Associated Press Style

In AP style, movie titles are placed in quotes. Note that the normal rules for quotes within quotes still apply. Here are two examples:

"Star Wars" broke box office records when it was first released.

"I am excited to work on any film as complex as 'The Prestige,'" he said.

AP style uses title case capitalization for movie titles. However, the AP stylebook specifies that any word that is four or more letters as well as the first and last word of a title should always be capitalized.

• Rasmussen College: When writing a paper, do I use italics for all titles?
• Purdue University Online Writing Lab: MLA Formatting and Style Guide
• The Chicago Manual of Style Online: Capitalization, Titles
• RMIT University: Harvard Referencing Guide for Visual Material
• Journalist's Resource: Associated Press Style Basics

Jon Zamboni began writing professionally in 2010. He has previously written for The Spiritual Herald, an urban health care and religious issues newspaper based in New York City, and online music magazine eBurban. Zamboni has a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies from Wesleyan University.

7 Steps to Write a Movie Title in an Essay

By Film Threat Staff | November 6, 2021

There are indeed many types of essays you have to deal with throughout your studies. And every time you sit to type my essay , you first start looking for sources to use in your paper as examples and references. These sources can range from scholarly articles to movies. So naturally, m any times in your college essays, you’ll be asked to make reference to movies. When you do so, you will be confronted with the question of how to refer to the title of a movie in the text of your paper.

Surely, you can make your life easier and contact experts with a message “I want to pay someone to write my paper cheap ”, so you can continue watching the movies while others do your assignments. While there are some variations in how different writing styles approach movie titles, there is a general way to write the titles of movies that you should follow if you plan to discuss a movie title in your essay. So, what are the steps you need to take to write a movie title in your essay correctly? Here are the seven steps you should follow to make sure you get the title right.

If you are stymied by the right way to write about movies in your paper, you can pay someone to do papers for you. A professional writer can free you from the burden of essay writing by offering help with the correct use of movie titles in your paper and expert discussion of the movies you need to write about for your essay properly formatted in APA or MLA citation style. In order to hire an online writer, all you need to do is to contact a quality academic writing service and say, “I need you to write my essays for me online.” While quality academic writing isn’t always cheap, many services offer great value and affordable assistance to help you achieve your essay goals with some of the best professional writers with exceptional experience and a deep bank of movie knowledge to make every essay excellent. 

Many times in your college essays, you’ll be asked to make reference to movies. When you do so, you will be confronted with the question of how to refer to the title of a movie in the text of your paper. Surely, you can make your life easier and contact experts with a message “I want to pay someone to write my paper cheap ”, so you can continue watching the movies while others do your assignments. While there are some variations in how different writing styles approach movie titles, there is a general way to write the titles of movies that you should follow if you plan to discuss a movie title in your essay. So, what are the steps you need to take to write a movie title in your essay correctly? Here are the seven steps you should follow to make sure you get the title right.

Make sure you have the right movie

Many movies have very similar titles. Some have the exact same title. You don’t want to confuse Broken Arrow , a Jimmy Stewart western, with Broken Arrow , a John Travolta thriller, for example, or The House on Haunted Hill for The Haunting of Hill House . Indeed, many movies called “mockbusters” intentionally use titles to remind you of blockbuster films and you don’t want to confuse them! So, before you use a title in your paper, make sure that you have the right movie in mind.

Check the wording of the title

Many movies are known by multiple titles, often because they have been retitled to appeal to different countries. For example, Mad Max 2 became The Road Warrior in the United States. Others have their titles changed after the fact. Star Wars became Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , while Raiders of the Lost Ark had Indiana Jones and… appended to it decades later. When you refer to a movie, be sure you know the correct title for the context and how your audience will expect to see you discuss the title.

Watch out for “a” and “the”

Many movie titles either have an article before them that most people don’t say, or don’t have an article when people say one anyway. This can be a little confusing, but you’ll want to check whether the “a” or “the” at the beginning is really part of the title before you write the title so you will know whether to include it in the title.

Capitalize the title of the movie

When you write the title of a movie, you will generally follow the conventions of capitalization for titles. That means that you will capitalize the first word and the last word and all proper nouns and important words in the title. Capitalization can be tricky, however, because many movies use stylized capitalization in their advertisements and title cards. However, in formal academic writing, you will use standard capitalization except in rare circumstances where another scheme is essential for understanding. That means that if a movie uses ALL CAPS, you will not use all-caps unless they are an essential part of the title. Similarly, unusual or non-standard capitalization should be retained when it is essential. For example, the unusual capitalization of the movie eXistenZ is generally retained in writing because it is a made-up word whose spelling is correct within the movie.

Italicize movie titles

Movie titles should be italicized in most major writing styles. This sets the text apart from the rest of the sentence and indicates which words belong to the title and which do not. There are some exceptions to the rule about italicizing movie titles. The titles of short films are not typically italicized but are often placed in quotation marks. This generally applies to short subject films under half an hour in length, as well as to segments within a larger movie. This rule, however, is not hard-and-fast, and you should check the style guide for your chosen writing style to see when different punctuation is used. Another exception is newswriting. If you are writing in Associated Press style, all movie titles appear in quotation marks rather than italics because AP style does not use italicization for anything except in very rare circumstances.

Give the year of release on first reference

More often than not, it is beneficial to follow the title of a movie with the year of its release in parentheses on first reference. This will help the audience to place the movie in its correct position in time, and it will also make it easier to distinguish between films with similar or the same title. While this step is not always necessary, particularly for very famous films, it is generally good practice in academic writing.

Consider using an essay writing service

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Is Movie Streaming the Next Step for NFT?

Since a few decades the film and entertainment sector have undergone some drastic transformation. The first ever format to bring movies in the household...

How to Change Netflix Region on a Smart TV

Netflix has a lot of libraries to offer but, there is only one problem - the library varies from country to country. Netflix content differs based on...

8 Steps to Enjoy a Boring Movie

Sometimes, movies can be boring. Maybe your spouse dragged you to the theatres to watch a romantic comedy that made you fall asleep? Or maybe you went on a...

Amazing CBD Movies And TV Shows To Enjoy On Weekends 

Most avid consumers of CBD attribute their love for it to cinemas and movies. The media always adds a touch of pizzazz to all that has to do with various...

What Can We Learn from Netflix’s All-Time Top 10 movies?

Our excitement for the weekend never fades, and we begin making plans from the weekdays. Weekdays are too busy to relax and watch Netflix, so the weekends...

Where to Get Your Fill of Fantasy

Reality can be incredible, but nothing beats the feeling of stepping into a new world filled with magic, mystery, and excitement. We all need a break from...

Join our Film Threat Newsletter

• Freelancing
• Trending Stories

Including a movie title in an essay, it is essential to adhere to certain guidelines to ensure accuracy and professionalism. The following article will give you detailed information on how to write a movie title in an essay.

When it comes to crafting an impressive essay about movies, the effective use of movie titles plays a pivotal role. Movie titles not only add depth and context to your work but also serve as captivating hooks for readers. However, many writers struggle with the correct format and punctuation rules for movie titles in their essays.

This comprehensive guide will delve into the intricacies of writing movie titles, exploring the different styles, considerations, and conventions that govern their usage. By the end of this exploration, you will possess the necessary knowledge to confidently and accurately include how to write a movie title in an essay, thereby enhancing the impact and cohesiveness of your writing.

Table of Contents

Three main components of a movie title in an essay

An excellent essay title is created using a formula, just like all professional writing has a framework to follow. Remember that shorter is always preferable. A title cannot contain more than 10 to 12 words.

The elements that make up a movie title in an essay include:

• An eye-catching and compelling hook
• An effective tone of the title establishes a general attitude or mood.
• The focus keyword around which the whole aura of the title revolves.

How to properly write a movie title in an essay – Is formatting necessary?

Formatting plays a critical role in writing a movie title in an essay and holds significant importance for several reasons. Firstly, formatting ensures clarity and distinguishes the movie title from the rest of the text. The title stands out by italicizing or using quotation marks, enabling readers to identify it easily within the essay. This clarity helps to avoid confusion and enhances the overall readability of the essay.

Secondly, adhering to proper formatting guidelines demonstrates professionalism and attention to detail. Academic writing requires precision, and following established rules for formatting movie titles showcases a writer’s commitment to accurately presenting their work. Consistency in formatting also contributes to the overall coherence of the essay, creating a polished and cohesive piece of writing.

Furthermore, formatting movie titles correctly is essential for maintaining consistency across different citation styles. Various citation styles, such as APA and MLA, have specific guidelines for formatting movie titles. Sticking to these guidelines ensures that the essay aligns with the conventions of the chosen citation style, enhancing the credibility and professionalism of the work.

Formatting movie titles: Rules and conventions

Regarding formatting movie titles, writers must adhere to specific rules and conventions. The primary consideration is whether the essay is being written formally or informally, as this will determine the formatting style for movie titles.

In formal writing, such as academic essays, it is customary to use italics to denote the title of a movie. For instance, “The Shawshank Redemption” or “Casablanca” would be italicized. On the other hand, in more informal contexts, such as personal narratives or blog posts, movie titles are often placed within quotation marks, such as “The Dark Knight” or “Inception.”

Punctuation

Proper punctuation and capitalization are essential in writing movie titles in an essay. In formal writing, the first and last words of the title should always be capitalized, regardless of their nature (e.g., articles, prepositions).

However, conjunctions or short prepositions within the title should only be capitalized if they are the first or last words. When using quotation marks, the punctuation should be placed inside the quotation marks, except in the case of question marks or exclamation points, which follow the same rules as general punctuation placement.

Capitalization

While writing the title, one question revolves around the do’s and don’ts; do I capitalize a movie title? Or not? Ensuring proper capitalization of movie titles is vital. Always capitalize significant words in the title, such as nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

However, articles (e.g., “a,” “an,” “the”), coordinating conjunctions (e.g., “and,” “but,” “or”), and prepositions (e.g., “of,” “in,” “on”) are generally not capitalized unless they are the first or last word in the title.

Context and consistency

While mastering the technical aspects of writing movie titles is important, it is equally crucial to consider the context and maintain consistency within your essay. In addition to introducing the title, provide relevant information about the movie, such as the director’s name, release year, or any pertinent details that enhance the reader’s understanding.

Moreover, ensure that the chosen formatting style remains consistent throughout the essay, promoting clarity and coherence in your writing. As consistency is key, stick to that format throughout your essay once you decide whether to use italics or quotation marks for movie titles. Avoid mixing both formats within the same document. So, on the question of how to write a movie title in an essay, it is important to maintain consistency throughout the essay by using the same format for movie titles.

How to write a movie title in an essay in APA

If you are using the APA style for your essay, there are specific guidelines for citing movie titles:

• Italicize the movie title both in the text and in the reference list. This ensures consistency and helps distinguish the title from the rest of the content.
• When referring to a movie title within the body of your essay, include it in italics and use sentence case. For example: “The film Titanic (1997) depicts…”
• In the reference list, provide the full movie title in italics, followed by the year of release, the director’s name, and the production company. For example: “Titanic. (1997). Directed by James Cameron. [Motion Picture]. Paramount Pictures.”

How to write a movie title in an essay in MLA

If you are following the MLA style, here are the guidelines for citing movie titles:

• Italicize the movie title in the text and Works Cited page. Italicization helps distinguish the title and gives it prominence within the essay.
• When referring to a movie title within the body of your essay, italicize the title and enclose it in parentheses. For example: “The film Titanic (1997) portrays…”
• In the Works Cited page, include the movie title in italics, followed by the director’s name, the year of release, and the production company.

In short, formatting is important when writing a movie title in an essay because it enhances clarity, showcases professionalism, and maintains consistency with citation style guidelines. By paying attention to these formatting details, writers can effectively communicate their ideas while adhering to the established standards of academic writing.

9 Incorrect ways to write a movie title in an essay

It is essential to use the correct formatting, punctuation, and capitalization when writing movie titles in essays to ensure accuracy and consistency. The detailed pointers with examples about the incorrect ways to write a movie title in an essay are as follows:

1.   No capitalization

“the lord of the rings” In this incorrect format, the entire movie title is written in lowercase letters, disregarding the capitalization rules. It lacks the necessary capitalization of important words, such as “Lord” and “Rings.”

2.   Missing spaces

“Titanicthe Movie” This format omits the required spaces between words, resulting in a jumbled title. The movie title “Titanic” should have a space after it, followed by the word “the” with another space.

3.   Incorrect quotation marks

“The Lion King’ Quotation marks should enclose the entire movie title, both at the beginning and the end. In this case, the closing quotation mark is missing, resulting in an incomplete and incorrect representation of the movie title.

4.   Abbreviations

“HPATDH: Part 2” While abbreviations are commonly used for movie titles, they should be written correctly. In this incorrect format, the abbreviation for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” is not properly represented, which can create confusion.

5.   Inconsistent capitalization

“Jurassic park” Movie titles should follow consistent capitalization rules, typically capitalizing the principal words. In this case, the title “Jurassic Park” is written with inconsistent capitalization, disregarding the capitalization of the second word.

6.   Misspelling

“Forrest Gump” Misspelling a movie title can significantly impact the accuracy and credibility of an essay. In this example, the movie title “Forrest Gump” is misspelled, omitting the second “r” in “Forrest.”

7.   Punctuation errors

“The, Shawshank Redemption!” Punctuation marks within a movie title should be used correctly. This incorrect format includes a comma after “The,” which disrupts the flow of the title. Additionally, an exclamation mark is added, which is unnecessary and improper.

8.   Wrong order of words

“Witch the The Wizard of Oz” The correct word order is crucial in representing a movie title accurately. In this example, the words “the” and “witch” are misplaced, resulting in an incorrect and nonsensical title.

9.   Using article incorrectly

“An Avengers, The” Articles (e.g., “a,” “an,” “the”) should be used appropriately in movie titles. In this format, the article “an” is placed before “Avengers,” and the article “the” is used incorrectly at the end, resulting in an inaccurate representation of the movie title.

How to brainstorm for writing a movie title in an essay

Title brainstorming is an art that combines creativity, clarity, and relevance. It involves generating a range of potential titles, evaluating their suitability, and selecting the most compelling one that encapsulates your essay’s core ideas and themes. To embark on this process, follow these steps:

●     Understand the essay’s focus

Understand your essay’s main topic and purpose comprehensively. Consider the key concepts, arguments, or research questions you will explore and the central message you aim to convey.

●     Identify the tone and style

Determine your essay’s desired tone and style. Are you aiming for a formal, academic approach, or do you want to infuse it with a touch of creativity? Understanding the desired tone will help shape the language and style of your title.

●     List keywords and phrases

Write down relevant keywords and phrases related to your essay’s subject matter. These could include essential terms, themes, or specific concepts that encapsulate the core ideas of your work.

●     Analyze the content

Review your essay’s content, paying attention to any unique angles, insights, or distinctive arguments you have presented. Consider any standout quotes, ideas, or metaphors that could be potential sources of inspiration for your title.

●     Consider the target audience

Reflect on the intended audience for your essay. Are you addressing a scholarly community, a general readership, or a specialized group? Tailoring your title to resonate with your target audience can enhance its effectiveness.

●     Free writing and association

Engage in a free writing exercise, allowing your thoughts to flow naturally and spontaneously. Write down any words or phrases that come to mind when contemplating your essay’s topic. These associations can stimulate fresh ideas for your title.

●     Synthesize and refine

Analyze the ideas, keywords, and phrases you have generated so far. Look for connections, patterns, or themes that emerge from your brainstorming. Begin synthesizing these elements into potential title options.

●     Test for clarity and impact

Assess each potential title for clarity, relevance, and impact. Is the title concise and understandable? Does it accurately reflect the essay’s content and purpose? Does it generate curiosity and intrigue?

●     Seek feedback

Share your potential titles with others, such as peers, instructors, or mentors, to gather feedback. Their perspectives can provide valuable insights and help you choose the most effective title.

●     Select the final title

After considering feedback and thoroughly evaluating your options, select the title that best captures the essence of your essay while captivating your intended audience. Ensure that the chosen title aligns with your essay’s content and objectives.

Thus, an effective essay title should be concise, intriguing, and accurately represent the content of your work. It serves as a powerful tool to capture readers’ attention and generate interest in your essay. Through a thoughtful and systematic brainstorming process, you can create a professional and engaging title that enhances the overall impact of your essay.

How do you give a movie a title? The absolute qualities of an essay title

A movie title in an essay serves as a concise representation of the film being discussed. It plays an important role in capturing the reader’s attention. When crafting a movie title for an essay, several qualities contribute to its effectiveness and professionalism. Here are some key qualities to consider:

●     Conciseness

A strong movie title in an essay is concise, providing a brief yet impactful summary of the film’s essence. It should avoid excessive length and unnecessary details, focusing on the core theme or idea.

●     Clarity

The title should be clear and easily understandable, conveying the film’s subject matter. It should provide a glimpse into what the movie is about, enabling readers to grasp its central focus quickly.

●     Relevance

A professional movie title should be directly relevant to the content of the essay. It should reflect the analyzed film accurately, ensuring readers can easily connect the title to the subsequent discussion.

●     Captivating and intriguing

A well-crafted movie title should evoke curiosity and intrigue in the reader. It should entice them to delve deeper into the essay, generating interest and anticipation about the film’s analysis.

●     Tone and style

The title should align with the overall tone and style of the essay. Whether it is academic, analytical, or creative, the title should set the appropriate tone and convey the essay’s approach to the film.

●     Consistency with formatting

Following proper formatting guidelines is essential for a professional movie title in an essay. It should be appropriately capitalized, italicized or enclosed in quotation marks (as per the chosen style guide) and adhere to any specific formatting requirements of the essay or publication.

●     Accuracy

The movie title should accurately represent the film being discussed in the essay. It should reflect the official title and avoid any misleading or incorrect information that could confuse readers.

●     Memorable

A memorable movie title leaves a lasting impression on readers. It may incorporate unique or distinctive elements of the film, such as a significant quote, a metaphor, or a memorable character or scene.

●     Originality

While it is essential to accurately represent the film, a professional movie title should also exhibit some originality. It should stand out from generic or commonly used titles, adding a touch of creativity or uniqueness.

●     Grammar and spelling

The title should be free of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Proofreading and editing the title, just like the rest of the essay, contribute to its professionalism and credibility.

13 Tips and tricks of how to write the title of a movie in an essay:

By following these professional tips, you can confidently and accurately write movie titles in your essays, demonstrating your attention to detail and adherence to established writing conventions. Let’s look at the top fourteen points that will help you ace your movie title game.

1.   Follow the citation style guidelines

Different styles, such as MLA, Chicago, and APA, have specific rules for formatting movie titles. Familiarize yourself with the guidelines of your style and apply them accurately.

2.   Italicize the title

In most cases, it is recommended to italicize movie titles to set them apart from the rest of the text. This helps readers easily identify the title.

3.   Use quotation marks

If you are unable to use italics, such as in certain online platforms or handwritten essays, use quotation marks to enclose the movie title. The movie title should be in quotation marks, indicating that it is a specific work within a larger body of work. For instance, “The Shawshank Redemption” or “Inception.”

4.   Include the title in the sentence case

When mentioning a movie title within the body of your essay, use sentence case, capitalizing only the first word and proper nouns.

5.   Place the title in parentheses

When referring to a movie title within the text, enclose it in parentheses after the relevant information or context.

6.   Indicate the release year

Whenever possible, include the year of release in parentheses after the movie title. This provides context for the reader and helps differentiate between movies with the same or similar titles.

7.   Include the director’s name

If relevant to your discussion, consider including the director’s name after the movie title to provide additional context or highlight specific aspects of the movie.

8.   Include additional details (if necessary)

Depending on the focus of your essay, you may include other details, such as the production company or relevant actors in the movie title mentioned.

9.   Avoid excessive punctuation

Stick to using parentheses, commas, and periods as necessary. Avoid using unnecessary punctuation that may clutter the title.

10.                Maintain parallelism

If referencing multiple movies within your essay, ensure consistent formatting and parallel structure for all the titles.

11.                Pay attention to accuracy

Double-check the spelling and accuracy of movie titles to avoid any errors or inaccuracies that may detract from the credibility of your essay.

12.                Consult reliable sources

If you are unsure about the correct formatting of a movie title, consult reputable style guides, writing handbooks, or official citation style manuals to ensure accuracy.

13.                Proofread and edit

After writing your essay, thoroughly proofread and edit to ensure all movie titles are correctly formatted and consistent with the chosen citation style.

The bottom line

Understanding how to write movie titles in an essay is essential for maintaining proper adherence to citation style guidelines. So, in conclusion, you can accurately and effectively incorporate movie titles into your essays by following the basic rules, such as italicizing or using quotation marks, ensuring consistency, and properly capitalizing words.

If you use a specific citation style like APA or MLA, follow the respective guidelines for citing movie titles within the text and in the reference list or Works Cited page. With these rules in the above-mentioned guide, you can present movie titles professionally and clearly in your academic writing.

Further, writing movie titles in an essay is an art form that requires attention to detail and adherence to specific rules. By understanding the significance of movie titles, following formatting guidelines, and maintaining consistency, you can effectively incorporate movie titles into your essays and captivate your readers. Now armed with this knowledge, you can confidently embark on your journey to weave compelling narratives with the power of cinema.

You Might Also Like

How To Write A Biography? An Ultimate Guide

Joyful Recovery: What To Write In A Get Well Card?

How To Write A Literary Analysis? The Ins And Outs Of A Great Literary Analysis

No comments, leave a reply cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

Are Movies Italicized?

3-minute read

• 16th September 2023

If you’ve ever found yourself hesitating before handing in a paper because you’re wondering whether the movie titles you refer to should be italicized, you’re not alone. Proper formatting of movie titles can be tricky, especially when following different style guides for various writing purposes.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the rules and conventions regarding italicizing movie titles in different contexts, from essays to news articles to blog posts.

Should You Italicize Movie Titles in an Essay?

In academic writing, maintaining consistent formatting is essential for clarity and professionalism. When it comes to movie titles in essays, the general rule is to italicize them. This will help to differentiate them from the rest of the text, making your paper more organized and readable. For example:

But the final answer, of course, will depend on your style guide.

Should You Italicize Movie Titles for MLA?

The Modern Language Association (MLA) provides specific guidelines for formatting essays and research papers. It’s often required for humanities courses, especially English and literature. According to MLA style , you should italicize movie titles. For example:

Should You Italicize Movie Titles in APA?

American Psychological Association (APA) style , commonly used in social sciences, has different rules for formatting movie titles. In APA style, movie titles are also italicized , but note that APA has different rules than other style guides when it comes to capitalization of titles in general.

In APA, you write the movie title with title case (all major words capitalized) in the main body of an essay, but in the reference list, the title should use sentence case (except for proper nouns and words following a colon). For example:

In both cases, the movie title is italicized.

Should You Italicize Movie Titles in Chicago/Turabian?

The Chicago Manual of Style and Turabian style , often used in history and other social sciences, align with the general practice of italicizing movie titles. Here’s an example:

Should You Italicize Movie Titles in News or Web Articles in AP Style?

When writing for news articles or web content following the Associated Press (AP) style , movie titles are placed in quotation marks rather than italicized. AP Style doesn’t use italics. For example:

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

Remember to consult the specific style guide required for your writing to ensure accurate formatting. Properly formatted movie titles enhance the overall professionalism and readability of your work.

Here’s a quick rundown of the guidelines of this post:

●  In essays: Typically, movie titles are italicized for clarity and consistency. But check your style guide!

○  In MLA style: Italicize movie titles.

○  In APA style: Italicize movie titles but pay attention to title capitalization guidelines for the main body of the paper vs. the reference list.

○  In Chicago/Turabian style: Italicize movie titles.

○  In AP style for news or web articles: Place movie titles in quotation marks.

So, the next time you’re discussing your favorite films, you’ll know just how to format their titles with confidence.

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

8-minute read

Why Interactive PDFs Are Better for Engagement

Are you looking to enhance engagement and captivate your audience through your professional documents? Interactive...

7-minute read

Seven Key Strategies for Voice Search Optimization

Voice search optimization is rapidly shaping the digital landscape, requiring content professionals to adapt their...

4-minute read

Five Creative Ways to Showcase Your Digital Portfolio

Are you a creative freelancer looking to make a lasting impression on potential clients or...

9-minute read

How to Ace Slack Messaging for Contractors and Freelancers

Effective professional communication is an important skill for contractors and freelancers navigating remote work environments....

How to Insert a Text Box in a Google Doc

Google Docs is a powerful collaborative tool, and mastering its features can significantly enhance your...

2-minute read

How to Cite the CDC in APA

If you’re writing about health issues, you might need to reference the Centers for Disease...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

• Dissertation
• PowerPoint Presentation
• Book Report/Review
• Research Proposal
• Math Problems
• Proofreading
• Movie Review
• Cover Letter Writing
• Personal Statement
• Nursing Paper
• Argumentative Essay
• Research Paper
• Discussion Board Post

How to Write Movie Titles in Essays?

Table of Contents

Writing a movie title in essay projects may be necessary when handling different academic assignments. Thus, knowing how to write movie captions in the correct format is vital for composing successful papers. While mastering this art is necessary, many students face challenges doing it. 

This subject raises many questions regarding various components. For instance, italicizing, quoting, underlining, and punctuating are some of the challenges some students face. 

Fortunately, relevant guidance exists to address all these challenges and improve your writing skills. This post addresses these difficulties in all the major academic writing styles like APA , Chicago, and MLA. Keep reading to learn more and master this area of academic writing. 

How to Put a Movie Title in an Essay

Writing a movie title in essay has different components that have evolved through the ages. The rise of computer technology has drastically changed how learners handle this subject. It has changed some elements, like underlining movie titles. For instance, before personal computers became common, students used typewriters to write academic papers. This technology required them to underline movie titles. Also, underlining movie headlines was necessary because some scholars hand-wrote their assignments. The reason is that italicizing a title was difficult in a hand-written essay. 

Rules to Follow When Writing a Movie Title in Essay

Here are the main rules to follow to write movie titles correctly in your academic papers. 

Title Sources 

As a rule of thumb, you should list the full title as it appears in the source you are citing. However, few exceptions exist for this rule, particularly when punctuating subtitles and standardizing capitalization. 

• You must capitalize every principal word, like an adjective, noun, and verb. However, don’t capitalize articles, prepositions, or conjunctions in the title’s middle. However, capitalize them if they are long, such as additionally and furthermore, or if they are a title’s first word. 
• Always separate subtitles with colons and spaces.

Italicization 

Italicization is another vital component to pay attention to when including a movie title in essay .

You must italicize titles from self-contained and independent sources. Remember to italicize every book, play, film, periodical, database, and website title.

Quotation Marks 

Put a title in quotation marks if its source is a part of a larger work.

Titles with Other Titles  

Titles containing other titles occur commonly in academic writing. Also, if the title usually appears in double quotation marks, enclose the caption in single quotes. For instance, 

“Madness in David’s ‘Make Common Sense Common Again.'”

Capitalization 

Capitalization is another core component when drafting movie captions in essays. You should apply all the established capitalization rules when writing these titles. These laws require you to do the following: 

• Begin all movie captions start with capital letters. 
• Always capitalize all proper nouns.

However, you must pay special attention to some exceptions when applying these rules to place a movie title . The final rules will depend on the writing style you use. Please note that different academic formats disagree on minor matters that may complicate matters. So, use these rules, knowing they don’t apply universally across various educational writing styles. 

Movie Title in Writing

You will format your essays using APA, MLA, or Chicago styles. While these disagree on different issues, they agree on a few core components. For instance, these styles need you to capitalize all movie titles. They also require you to capitalize adverbs, nouns, verbs, and pronouns. These formatting styles also agree on capitalizing prepositions, articles, and conjunctions only if they are the first word in titles. 

APA requires capitalizing all words with more than three letters. It also capitalizes a caption’s first word and proper nouns. Here is an excellent example: When the bells ring .

When formatting your essay using AP style, place your movie titles in quotes. You still have to abide by all the rules of writing titles within quotes. For example:

• “The Passion of the Christ” shuttered records within its first year of release.
• “We are happy to work on any movie as popular as ‘The Lord of the Ring,'” John exclaimed. 

While you should always italicize all TV shows and movie titles, several exceptions occur; for instance, treat every heading of a specific scene or episode and a short film as a shorter work. Therefore, place such captions in quotations. 

Here are two main questions students ask about placing a movie title in essay s, plus their answers. 

How do you write a movie title in an essay?

Capitalize all the major words in the headline, such as pronouns, verbs, proper nouns, and adverbs. However, don’t capitalize short prepositions articles like a, an , and the . The only exception occurs when these words open movie headlines or are four letters long and more, for instance, beneath or about. However, the three main formatting styles disagree on this last rule. So, consult your essay’s style guide before applying this rule. 

How to draft a movie title in an essay MLA?

The MLA format for writing a movie title requires formatting all headlines uniformly in the entire essay. It has two major principles you must pay attention to.

• Capitalize all the first letters of the main words except minor ones, such as conjunctions, articles, and prepositions. The only exception here applies when they exist at a headline’s beginning.  
• Italicize every title in the essay’s body.

100 Good Research Topics

Anorexia essay: how to work with a scary topic and do it right.

How to Write a Short Essay?

Thursday, February 23: The Clark Library is closed today.

APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Films/Videos/TV Shows

• Introduction
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Biblical Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Films/Videos/TV Shows
• How to Cite: Other
• Additional Help

Table of Contents

Film or Video

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

Streaming video from a subscription media website (netflix, amazon prime, hulu, etc.), streaming video from a library database, television series episode.

Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

This Microsoft support page contains instructions about how to format a hanging indent in a paper.

Who to Credit - Film or Video

The director should be credited as the author of a film. If the director is unknown, someone in a similar role, such as a producer and/or writer, can be credited. 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 that followed by the person's user name in square brackets. If the real name of the person who posted the content is not known, just use their user name without brackets.

Note : It is not necessary to specify how you watched a film or video (e.g. motion picture, DVD, streaming online). 

In the Body of a Paper

Books, Journals, Reports, Webpages, etc.: When you refer to titles of a “stand-alone work,” as the APA calls them on their APA Style website, such as books, journals, reports, and webpages, you should italicize them. Capitalize words as you would for an article title in a reference, e.g., In the book Crying in H Mart: A memoir , author Michelle Zauner (2021) describes her biracial origin and its impact on her identity.

Article or Chapter: When you refer to the title of a part of a work, such as an article or a chapter, put quotation marks around the title and capitalize it as you would for a journal title in a reference, e.g., In the chapter “Where’s the Wine,” Zauner (2021) describes how she decided to become a musician.

The APA Sample Paper below has more information about formatting your paper.

• APA 7th ed. Sample Paper

Film or Video

When the Director, Producer and/or Writer is known:

Director/Producer/Writer's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Job Title). (Year film was produced).  Title of film: Subtitle if any  [Film]. Production Company.

Note: If not produced in the United States, list the city name and the country.

Hallam, J. (Producer, Writer), & Lam, K. (Producer, Director). (2010).  Staff relations in healthcare: Working as a team  [Film]. Insight Media.

• When you have more than one producer, writer and/or writer to credit, separate the names with a comma and put an ampersand (&) before the last person's last name.
• Serling, R. (Executive Producer). (1959–1964). The twilight zone [TV series]. Cayuga Productions; CBS Productions.

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Producer/Director/Writer's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Hallam & Lam, 2010)

Note: This example has two people to credit, so both last names are given)

In-Text Quote:

(Producer/Director/Writer's Last Name, Year, Timestamp)

Example: (Hallam & Lam, 2010, 2:30)

Note: Because the timestamp serves the same purpose in a video as page numbers, paragraph numbers or section headings, you include it in the in-text citation. Include only the beginning timestamp.

When the Director, Producer and/or Writer is not known:  Start the citation with the film title.

Title of film: Subtitle if any  [Film]. (Year film was produced). Production Company if Known.

Era of viruses  [Film]. (2006). Films for the Humanities and Sciences.

( Title of Film , Year)

Example: ( Era of Viruses , 2006)

Note: Italicize the title of the film and capitalize the words for the in-text citation.

( Title of Film , Year, Timestamp)

Example: ( Era of Viruses , 2006, 40:00)

When the Poster's Name is known: 

Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. of person who posted the video if known. [User name that posted the video]. (Year video was posted, Month Day).  Title of video  [Video]. Website Name. URL

Note: According to APA, for citing purposes the person who posted the video is credited as the author.

Nye, B. [TheRealBillNye]. (2009, April 8).  Bill Nye the science guy on energy  [Video]. YouTube. http://youtu.be/0ASLLiuejAo

(Creator's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Nye, 2009)

(Creator's Last Name, Year, timestamp)

Example: (Nye, 2009, 0:55)

When the Poster's Name is not known: 

User name that posted the video. (Year video was posted, Month Day).  Title of video  [Video]. Website Name. URL

All Aces Media. (2012, January 19).  Often awesome the series  [Video]. Vimeo. http://vimeo.com/35311255

(User name, Year)

Example: (All Aces Media, 2012)

Example: (All Aces Media, 2012, timestamp)

Producer's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Producer). (Year of Publication).  Title of Video  [Video]. Website Name. URL

Note:  When you have one producer (Producer) is used after the producer's name. If you have more than one producer use (Producers) instead.

Allen, T., et. al. (Producers). (2017). The story of Diana  [Video]. Netflix. http://www.netflix.com

(Producer Last name, Year)

Example: (Allen, et. al., 2017)

(Producer Last name, Year, Timestamp)

Example: (Allen, et. al., 2017, 6:45)

Name of Company/Organization that Provided Content or Creator's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. if known. (Year video was created, Month Day if known).  Title of video  [Video]. Database Name.

National Film Board of Canada. (2014).  Making movie history: The women  [Video]. NFB Campus. 

(Name of Company/Organization, Year)

Example: (National Film Board of Canada, 2014)

(Name of Company/Organization, Year, Timestamp)

Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Job Title) if known. (Year the episode was originally aired). Title of episode (Season No., Episode No.) [TV series episode]. In Executive Producer's First Initial. Last Name (Executive producer) if known,  Television series name . Production Company.

Note: For other countries, list the city name and the country.

Young, R. (Writer, Producer, Director). (2010). Flying cheap (Season 2010, Episode 2) [TV series episode]. In  Frontline . American University School of Communication's Investigative Reporting Workshop.

(Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Young, 2010)

(Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, Year, Timestamp)

Example: (Young, 2010, 15:38)

Television Series Episode Viewed on a Subscription Media Website 

Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Job Title) if known. (Year the episode was originally aired). Title of episode (Season No., Episode No.) [TV series episode]. In Executive Producer's First Initial. Last Name (Executive producer) if known,  Television series name . Streaming Video Site. URL

Attenborough, D. (Writer). (2001). Ocean world (Season 1, Episode 1) [TV series episode]. In A. Fothergill (Executive producer),  Blue planet: A natural history of the oceans . Netflix. http://www.netflix.com

Example: (Attenborough, 2001)

 (Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, Year, Timestamp)

Example: (Attenborough, 2001, 10:12)

• << Previous: Secondary Sources
• Next: How to Cite: Other >>
• Last Updated: Apr 30, 2024 1:29 PM
• URL: https://libguides.up.edu/apa

Tips for Online Students , Tips for Students

Do You Italicize Movie Titles? Become An Essay Pro

Updated: January 4, 2024

Published: May 16, 2021

Do you italicize movie titles? How many times have you been writing an essay, and suddenly you can’t remember whether to use italics, quotation marks, or other formats?

The short answer is that movie titles are always italicized. Read on to find out more about italics, and other important formatting tools in order to become an essay pro.

By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly when to use italics and quotations whenever you’re writing about movies and TV shows.

What Is Considered A Movie?

First, let’s get our definitions straightened up. What’s the difference between a movie, and let’s say, a clip on YouTube or a short film?

In general, most of us know what a movie is when we see it, but for the sake of clarification, movies do not include YouTube clips, short movies (such as Pixar’s shorts), or TV show episodes.

Movie Titles: Formatting In The Past

Before computers became commonplace, italicizing, underlining, and putting titles in “quotations” were considered to be equal and interchangeable, as long as you were consistent throughout your paper. This is because these tools were used for emphasis, as opposed to specific grammar rules. Typewriters, for example, did not have the ability to italicize or underline, and so there weren’t any strict rules.

Movie Titles Now

With the invention and increased use of computers, you’ll find that the rules concerning emphasis are much stricter, and it will be very important to know the difference if you’re writing a paper in college.

Now with the computer’s ability to format with the click of a button, movie titles are always italicized.

The only exception is when you are writing by hand, in which case the movie title would be underlined.

Below are some example sentences to demonstrate the different emphasis put on movie and TV show titles.

• Matilda was an all-time favorite movie in my home.
• Disney’s Alice in Wonderland is based on the books, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, by Lewis Carroll.
• The Netflix series, Workin’ Moms, is based on Catherine Reitman’s experiences as a working mother of two children.
• The TV show, Young Sheldon, centers around the early life of Sheldon Cooper, an eccentric character in The Big Bang Theory.
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published in June of 1997.

Some More Rules You May Want To Know

Although the titles of movies and TV shows are always italicized, it’s important to note that the titles of specific scenes or episodes, as well as short films, are treated as shorter works, and are therefore put in “quotations.”

Though movie scenes rarely have titles, this rule is more relevant to TV show episodes and scenes from plays.

Below are some example sentences to demonstrate the different emphasis put on movie and TV show titles in comparison with specific scenes or episodes.

• My favorite Friends episode is “The One With the Holiday Armadillo.”
• The first episode of The Big Bang Theory, entitled “Pilot,” aired on September 24, 2007.
• The Pixar short, “Bao,” which appeared in the initial release in Incredibles 2, won an Oscar Award for Best Animated Short Film.
• The jumping desk lamp that became Pixar’s famous icon was originally introduced in a Pixar short called “Luxo Jr.”
• In the episode, “The Pitch,” Seinfeld and George propose a TV show about nothing, which was the show’s way of poking fun at Seinfeld’s original premise.

Why Is Proper Formatting Important?

College essays.

No matter what you study in college, most students write a lot of essays during their school years. While some degrees may put more of an emphasis on writing proper essays , most teachers and professors will expect a certain level of basic grammar and formatting knowledge.

Before you even step foot into college, you’ll most likely be expected to write an application essay . It’s important to put your best foot forward, and small formatting rules can go a long way in making a good first impression.

Landing Your Dream Job

In addition to college essays, prospective employers and job positions will require and look for basic (or advanced, depending on the position) writing skills. Whether you think your dream job requires writing skills or not, writing is a part of everyday life and work, from emails and text messages, to presentations and reports. Having good writing skills will help you make a good first impression, land your dream job, and do your best work.

Having A Successful Career

Though different students earn a degree for different reasons, many are hoping to work toward a successful career. In order to do this, the right preparation is key. Preparation may be earning a degree, gaining specific skills, or having the right guidance along the way.

University of the People prepares our students for successful careers by providing program advising , mentorship , and an emphasis on career development . We know that these extra details, much like formatting in an essay, make a big difference for the future success of our students. University of the People is a tuition-free online university that offers degree programs in business administration, computer science, health science, and education.

Cheat Sheet

Titles in italics.

• Title of a movie or play
• Titles of a TV or radio series
• Title of a book
• Titles of magazines, journals, or newspapers
• Title of music album
• Title of a long poem
• Title of an opera
• Titles of paintings or sculptures

Titles In “Quotations”

• Title of a chapter in a book
• Title of an TV or radio series episode
• Name of an act or scene in a movie/play
• Title of a song
• Title of a short poem
• Title of an article or paper

The Bottom Line

So, do you italicize movie titles? In short, yes. Movie titles, as well as TV show titles, are italicized. We hope you learned a little bit about the history of italics, when to use italics and quotations, and the reasons why proper formatting is important for your education and career.

Related Articles

AP Style Composition Titles

Home » AP Style » AP Style Composition Titles

The following guidelines are rules set out in the AP Stylebook for AP style book titles, computer game titles, AP Style movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album titles, AP Style song titles, radio and television titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches, and work of art.

In AP Style, magazines names and titles are governed by their own rules. See AP Style Magazine Names .

How to Capitalize Composition Titles

Capitalize the principal words, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters.

Capitalize an article (a, an, the) or words of fewer than four letters if it is the first or last word in the title.

Put quotation marks around the names of all of the aforementioned types of works except the Bible and books that are primarily catalogs or reference materials. Items of reference include almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, gazetteers, handbooks, and other such similar publications. You should not include quotations around such software titles such as Adobe Photoshop or Windows.

You should translate a foreign title into an English one unless the specific word is commonly known by its foreign name. There is one exception to this and that is for reviews of musical performances. In such instances, you should generally refer to the work in the language that it was sung in, so as to differentiate it for your reader. However, musical compositions in Slavic languages are always referred to in their English translations.

For other classical music titles, use quotation marks around the composition’s nicknames but not compositions that are identified by their sequence. For example,

• Beethoven’s “New World Symphony,” but Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

Below are a number of examples for composition titles in AP Style,

AP Style Book Titles

• “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• “The Magician’s Nephew”
• “Of Mice and Men”

AP Style Movie Titles

• “Saving Private Ryan”
• “Trouble With the Curve”
• “The Dark Knight Rises”

AP Style Song Titles

• “Stairway to Heaven”
• “Good Vibrations

AP Style Videogame Titles

• “Call of Duty”
• “God of War”
• “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell”

AP Style Opera Titles

• “A Night in the Chinese Opera”
• “Nixon in China”
• “The Lighthouse”

AP Style Play Titles

• “The Sound of Music”
• “The Book of Mormon”
• “Fiddler on the Roof”

AP Style Poem Titles

• “The Road Not Taken”
• “A Pretty a Day”
• “Seeker of Truth”

AP Style Album Titles

• “Appetite for Destruction”
• “And Justice for All”
• “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

AP Style Television Titles

• “How I Met Your Mother”
• “The Tonight Show”
• “Good Morning America”

AP Style Website Titles

Most websites and apps are capitalized without quotations. For example,

“Farmville” and similar computer games apps are an exception and should be in quotes.

For classical compositions, use quotation marks around the composition’s nicknames but not compositions identified by its sequence. For example,

• Dvorak’s “New World Symphony.”
• Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Tech, Media & Entertainment

Movie Titles in Quotes or Italics? (Writing)

When it comes to writing about movies, one common question that often arises is whether to use quotes or italics for movie titles.

This seemingly simple question can actually be quite complex, as there are different style guides and conventions that dictate the proper formatting of movie titles.

Movie Titles in Quotes or Italics? In formal writing, movie titles are typically formatted in italics: The Godfather Inception In informal writing or social media, you can use either italics or quotation marks: The Godfather or “The Godfather” Inception or “Inception” However, different style guides may have different rules, so it’s always a good idea to consult the specific guide you are using.

Below we look at the various factors to consider when deciding whether to use quotes or italics for movie titles, and provide insights into the best practices based on research and industry standards.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Movie titles are an essential part of any film’s identity.

They serve as a marketing tool, capturing the attention of potential viewers and conveying the essence of the movie.

Therefore, it is important to present movie titles accurately and consistently in written materials, such as articles, reviews, essays, or academic papers.

Quotes vs. Italics: The Debate

The debate over whether to use quotes or italics for movie titles stems from the different style guides and conventions followed by various industries and publications.

Let’s examine the arguments for both approaches:

Quotes for Movie Titles

Using quotes for movie titles is a common practice in many writing styles, including the Associated Press (AP) style guide.

Here are some reasons why quotes are often preferred:

• Clarity : Quotes help distinguish movie titles from regular text, making them stand out.
• Consistency : Quotes are also used for other types of titles, such as book titles or song titles, creating a consistent formatting style.
• Readability : Quotes are familiar to readers and can make the text more visually appealing.

Italics for Movie Titles

On the other hand, using italics for movie titles is favored by other style guides, such as the Modern Language Association (MLA) style guide.

Here are some reasons why italics are often preferred:

• Clarity : Italics provide a clear visual distinction between movie titles and regular text.
• Consistency : Italics are commonly used for other types of titles, such as book titles or scientific names, maintaining a consistent formatting style.
• Tradition : The use of italics for movie titles has been a long-standing convention in the publishing industry.

Industry Standards and Guidelines

While there is no definitive rule that applies universally to all writing contexts, certain industries and style guides provide specific guidelines for formatting movie titles.

Let’s explore some of the most widely recognized standards:

Associated Press (AP) Style Guide

The AP Style Guide, commonly used in journalism and news writing, recommends using quotes for movie titles.

According to the AP Stylebook, movie titles should be enclosed in quotation marks, such as “The Shawshank Redemption” or “Casablanca”.

This style guide prioritizes clarity and consistency in news reporting.

Modern Language Association (MLA) Style Guide

The MLA Style Guide, commonly used in academic writing and literary criticism, suggests using italics for movie titles.

According to the MLA Handbook, movie titles should be italicized, such as The Shawshank Redemption or Casablanca .

This style guide emphasizes the importance of maintaining consistency and following established publishing conventions.

American Psychological Association (APA) Style Guide

The APA Style Guide, commonly used in social sciences and psychology, provides a different approach to formatting movie titles.

According to the APA Publication Manual, movie titles should be capitalized and italicized, such as The Shawshank Redemption or Casablanca .

This style guide aims to ensure clarity and consistency in academic writing.

Exceptions and Special Cases

While the aforementioned guidelines provide a general framework for formatting movie titles, there are certain exceptions and special cases that require additional consideration:

Foreign Language Films

When referring to foreign language films, it is important to consider the language of the text in which the movie title appears.

For example, if you are writing in English and referencing a French film, you would still follow the formatting guidelines of the language you are writing in.

In English, this would mean using quotes or italics, depending on the chosen style guide.

Film Series and Franchises

When dealing with film series or franchises, consistency within the series is crucial.

If the first movie in a series is formatted with quotes or italics, subsequent movies should follow the same style.

This ensures clarity and coherence when referring to specific movies within a larger body of work.

Titles Within Titles

Occasionally, movie titles may appear within other titles, such as books or articles.

In such cases, it is important to follow the formatting guidelines of the specific title being referenced.

For example, if a book title contains a movie title, the movie title should be formatted according to the rules for book titles.

FAQs – Movie Titles in Quotes or Italics?

1. should i use quotes or italics for movie titles in an academic paper.

In academic writing, it is generally recommended to use italics for movie titles.

The MLA and APA style guides both suggest italicizing movie titles to maintain consistency and follow established publishing conventions.

2. Can I use underlining instead of italics for movie titles?

While underlining was commonly used in the past to indicate italics, it is now considered outdated.

Most style guides, including the MLA and APA style guides, recommend using italics for movie titles instead of underlining.

3. Do I need to capitalize all words in a movie title?

According to most style guides, including the APA Style Guide, only the first word and proper nouns should be capitalized in a movie title.

Articles, conjunctions, and prepositions are typically not capitalized unless they are the first word of the title.

4. Should I use quotes or italics for movie titles in a blog post?

The choice between quotes and italics for movie titles in a blog post depends on your personal preference and the style guide you follow.

If you are unsure, it is recommended to consult the style guide associated with your blogging platform or follow the guidelines of a widely recognized style guide, such as the AP Style Guide or the MLA Style Guide.

5. Can I use bold instead of italics or quotes for movie titles?

While bold formatting can be visually appealing, it is not commonly used for movie titles.

Quotes or italics are the preferred formatting options for movie titles in most writing contexts, as they provide a clear visual distinction from regular text.

6. Should I use quotes or italics for movie titles in a screenplay?

In a screenplay, it is common to capitalize and underline movie titles instead of using quotes or italics.

This formatting convention helps differentiate between dialogue and other elements of the screenplay.

7. Do I need to include the year of release when formatting movie titles?

The inclusion of the year of release when formatting movie titles depends on the specific context and purpose of your writing.

In general, if the year of release is relevant to your discussion or analysis, it can be included in parentheses after the title.

However, if the year is not essential to your point, it can be omitted.

8. Should I use quotes or italics for movie titles in a PowerPoint presentation?

In a PowerPoint presentation, it is recommended to use italics for movie titles.

Italics provide a clear visual distinction and are widely recognized as the standard formatting style for movie titles in written materials.

9. Can I use quotation marks within movie titles?

Quotation marks within movie titles can be used to indicate a specific element within the title, such as a quote or a song title.

However, it is important to follow the specific formatting guidelines of the style guide you are using and ensure consistency throughout your writing.

10. Should I use quotes or italics for movie titles in social media posts?

In social media posts, the choice between quotes and italics for movie titles is largely a matter of personal preference.

However, it is recommended to follow the formatting conventions of the style guide associated with your social media platform or use the style guide that aligns with your intended audience.

11. How do I format movie titles in a bibliography or reference list?

When formatting movie titles in a bibliography or reference list, it is important to follow the specific guidelines of the citation style you are using, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago style.

These style guides provide detailed instructions on how to format movie titles, including whether to use quotes or italics.

12. Can I use both quotes and italics for emphasis in a movie title?

Using both quotes and italics for emphasis in a movie title is generally not recommended. It can create confusion and make the title appear cluttered.

It is best to choose one formatting style, either quotes or italics, and apply it consistently throughout your writing.

13. Should I use quotes or italics for movie titles in a newspaper article?

In a newspaper article, it is recommended to use quotes for movie titles.

The AP Style Guide, commonly followed by newspapers, suggests using quotes to distinguish movie titles from regular text and maintain consistency within news reporting.

14. Can I use a combination of quotes and italics for movie titles in a book?

Using a combination of quotes and italics for movie titles in a book can be confusing for readers.

It is best to choose one formatting style and apply it consistently throughout the book.

If you need to emphasize a specific element within the movie title, such as a quote or a song title, you can use quotation marks within the italicized title.

15. Should I use quotes or italics for movie titles in a film review?

In a film review, the choice between quotes and italics for movie titles depends on the style guide or publication’s guidelines you are following.

It is recommended to consult the specific style guide associated with the publication or follow the conventions established by reputable film review publications.

Summary – Movie Titles in Quotes or Italics?

Deciding whether to use quotes or italics for movie titles ultimately depends on the style guide or industry standards you are following.

The AP Style Guide recommends using quotes, while the MLA and APA style guides suggest italics.

It is important to consider the context, purpose, and audience of your writing when making this decision.

Remember these key takeaways:

• Quotes are commonly used in journalism and news writing.
• Italics are often preferred in academic writing and literary criticism.
• Consistency within a series or franchise is crucial.
• Consider the language of the text when dealing with foreign language films.
• Follow the formatting guidelines of the specific title being referenced in titles within titles.

Related Posts

15+ BEST Anime Torrent Sites [Ranked]

50 Greatest TV Shows & TV Series of All-Time [List]

When to Use Quotation Marks for Titles

Do you know when to use quotation marks for titles? Knowing whether to use italics or quotation marks for titles is one of the most common problems students have, especially when it comes to academic writing where you discuss your sources. Luckily, there are consistent themes that can help you pick the right format for each title, no matter what style guide you’re following. 

Below, we explain exactly when to use quotation marks in titles (and when to use italics instead). We’ll cover the title rules for the three main style guides—APA, MLA, and Chicago—and give you some guidelines for figuring out which kinds of titles use which format. 

How to properly quote a title with quotation marks

Quotation marks (“ ”) are mostly for showing speech or copying passages verbatim from other works, but sometimes they’re used for more than just punctuation . For certain types of works, they’re used to set apart titles. 

The general rule is to use quotation marks for titles of short works such as articles, poems, songs, essays, or short stories. By contrast, use italics for larger works such as books, movies, and the names of periodicals. We provide a complete list below. 

When to use italics or quotation marks for titles

Some types of work italicize titles , and some use quotation marks, but how do you know which is which? Here’s a quick list of what kinds of works use each. 

Works that use quotation marks in titles

• journal articles
• newspaper and magazine articles
• blog and online news articles
• essay titles
• poems (except epic poems)
• short stories
• episode titles of TV shows, podcasts, and other serial works
• page titles for websites
• section or part titles within a larger work
• short-form videos, such as those on YouTube

Examples of titles with quotation marks

“A Policy Framework for the Growing Influence of Private Equity on Health Care Deliver”

( Journal of the American Medical Association )

“Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to consider sewer rate increase”

( The Press Democrat )

“E.U. Approves Microsoft’s $69 Billion Deal for Activision”

( The New York Times )

“A Dream Deferred” 

(Langston Hughes)

Short story:

“Everything that Rises Must Converge”

(Flannery O’Connor)

“A Lonely Coast”

(Annie Proulx)

“ (Sittin ’ On) The Dock of the Bay ”

(Otis Redding)

“Think About Things”

(Daoi Freyr)

“The Wolves”

( The Wild Robot Escapes )

“The First Tee”

( The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever )

“The Danger of a Single Story”

(Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)

“ Creativity in Management ”

(John Cleese)

Podcast episodes:

“The Lives of Others”

( This American Life )

“Alone@Work: Miles To Go Before I’m Me”

( Rough Translation )

“Responsible AI”

(Grammarly.com)

“Volleyball”

(Wikipedia.com)

Works that use italics in titles

• anthologies
• epic poems (not regular poems)
• periodical names (magazines, newspapers, and news websites)
• radio shows
• TV shows (not individual episodes)
• podcasts (not individual episodes)
• music albums
• video games
• operas and long musical compositions
• classic art like paintings and sculptures
• dissertations
• legal cases
• large vehicles such as ships, aircrafts, and spacecrafts

When to use quotation marks for titles for each style guide

While the basics are the same—italics for the titles of long works and quotation marks for the titles of short works—some minor details may vary. Here’s a quick rundown of when to use quotation marks in titles for the APA, MLA, and Chicago styles. 

Quotations marks in titles for APA

The APA format follows the list above: It uses quotation marks for all types of work mentioned. The only particular rule they have about quotation marks in titles is that they are not used in the reference list for articles and chapters.  

In APA, the reference list is the name of the bibliography, like a works cited page . When writing a full citation that mentions an article or book chapter, simply write the title with neither quotation marks nor italics. However, if the same title is written within the text (or in a copyright attribution), use quotation marks. 

Quotations marks in titles for Chicago

In general, Chicago style follows the list above. It does, nevertheless, list a few extra types of works that the other style guides do not. 

Quotation marks for titles:

• fairy tales and nursery rhymes

Italics for titles: 

• serialized cartoons and comic strips

Quotations marks in titles for MLA

The use of quotation marks in titles for MLA format is very straightforward. Simply use the appropriate format for the type of work, as indicated in the large list above. 

When to use single or double quotation marks for titles

There are two types of quotation marks: single quotation marks (‘ ’) and double quotation marks (“ ”). 

In general, American English uses double quotation marks. The only time we use single quotation marks for titles is to replace quotation marks within another pair of quotation marks. 

For example, if you were writing an article about Langston Hughes’s poems—highlighting “Harlem” in particular—the title of your article might be something like this:

“Reflections on ‘Harlem’ and Other Poems” 

Notice how, when we talk about the poem “Harlem” on its own, we use the standard double quotation marks. However, when we mention it within another pair of quotation marks, we use single quotation marks instead. 

This is done simply for the sake of clarity. It would be confusing to use double quotation marks within double quotation marks, so this makes reading a bit easier. Let’s look at another example: 

EPISODE TITLE: “The Winds of Winter” (episode of Game of Thrones )

ESSAY TITLE: “Why ‘The Winds of Winter’ Is the Best Episode of Game of Thrones ”

Keep in mind that if a title in quotation marks is used within an italicized title, double quotation marks are used. For example, look at how we write the title of a full book that collects Roald Dahl’s short stories: 

“The Landlady” and Other Short Stories

It’s also worth noting that this is only the convention in American English. In British English, single quotes and double quotes are switched! That means titles and speech quotes use single quotation marks most of the time and double quotation marks are used only within single quotes. Keep that in mind if you’re ever reading a British piece of writing . 

Quotation marks for titles FAQs

Why use quotation marks for titles.

Quotation marks set apart the titles of short works like articles, poems, songs, essays, or short stories. Longer works like books or movies use italics instead. 

When do you use quotation marks for titles?

Use quotation marks for the titles of articles, essays, poems, short stories, songs, chapters, lectures, pages for websites, episodes of serial works (such as TV shows or podcasts), names of sections or parts in larger works, and short-form videos such as those on YouTube. 

When do you use italics?

Use italics for the titles of books, movies, plays, TV shows, podcasts, video games, apps, classic art (like paintings and sculptures), music albums, legal cases, dissertations, anthologies, reports, periodicals (like magazines or newspapers), operas and long musical compositions, and large vehicles (like ships or aircraft).

Subscribe to Grammar Underground

How to Write Book and Movie Titles ~

When I teach grammar seminars, a subject that almost always comes up is: How do you write book and movie titles? Do you put them in quotation marks? Do you italicize them? Do you underline or even capitalize them?

And, whenever I hear this question, I’m always struck by the facial expressions of the people in the room. The students are really, really interested. It’s clear that the issue has troubled them for a long time. They can hardly wait to hear the answer.

So I tell them what I consider good news: There’s no right or wrong way. It’s just a matter of style. Then I pause to watch their faces light up with joy and relief. But that’s not what happens. The inquisitive expressions don’t fade because they didn't want to hear “Don’t sweat it.” They wanted more specific instruction. So here’s what I tell them.

News style harkens back to the days when printing presses were like dinosaurs: huge, clunky, and destined for extinction. Most couldn’t make italics. So newspapers put book and movie titles into quotation marks.

<<The actors in “Star Wars” went on to have varying degrees of success.>> <<Johnny read “War and Peace” in school.>>

Magazine titles they just capitalize, skipping the quote marks.

<<Jane writes for the Time and Newsweek.>>

Book publishers, which have a greater need to print things like tables and charts and excerpts, have had a greater need for flexible printing options, including italics. So, because they can, they skip the quotation marks and just italicize those titles instead.

<<We read The Road .>>

Book publishers also italicize magazine titles, but put article titles and chapter titles in quotation marks.

If, like the people in those grammar seminars, you need a thorough how-to, just consult a style guide. Or you could just pick one way, saying using quotation marks, and stick with it. Either way, there’s no need to worry you're doing it wrong.

Tags: PUNCTUATION , STYLE

This entry was posted on Monday, January 31st, 2011 at 8:00 am and is filed under Blog . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response , or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “How to Write Book and Movie Titles ~”

lol...i had a professor in college that told us..."when you get into the real world, no one really looks that hard, just make it look good (clean and professional)!" lol. now, that i write and am in the "real" world, some of what he says is true (to a point that is).

How does one write a movie title in a list?

Is it "Longest day, The" or "Longest day,The" ie without a space between (,The)

Also, I notice that the words "The" & "A" are printed at the end of the title following a comma --- what about the word "An" ? ie: "An American In Paris" (or) "American in Paris, An"

Lou: You mean movie titles in citations, bibliographies, etc., right? There are no real grammar rules governing that. That's more a style thing, like the Modern Language Association style, etc. I'm no expert in such things, but I'm quite confident that there are always spaces -- that no word directly touches a comma before it. As for when to put an article like "An" at the end, I'm afraid I don't know. But I bet a copy of the MLA style book could clear it up for you.

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

• #SpellCheckCannotSaveYou
• A AAA VS. AN AAA
• A HISTORIC VS AN HISTORIC
• A WHILE VS. AWHILE
• ABBREVIATIONS
• ACRONYM VS ABBREVIATION
• Acronym vs Initialism
• ACTION VERBS
• ACTIVE VERBS
• ACTIVE VOICE
• ADDRESS STYLE
• ADRENALINE VS ADRENALIN
• ADVERBS VS. ADJECTIVES
• ADVERBS VS. ADVERBIALS
• ADVERSE AND AVERSE
• ADVERSE VS AVERSE
• ADVISOR vs. ADVISER
• AESTHETIC AND ESTHETIC
• AFFECT AND EFFECT
• AFFECT VS EFFECT
• AGGRAVATE AND IRRITATE
• AGGRAVATE VS IRRITATE
• ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES
• ALL RIGHT VS ALRIGHT
• ALRIGHT ALL RIGHT
• an historic
• AND AT THE BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE
• AND I VS AND ME
• AND I VS. AND ME
• anxious vs eager
• ANYMORE ANY MORE
• ANYMORE VS ANY MORE
• apostrophe abuse
• APOSTROPHE IN LETTER GRADES
• Apostrophe in Mothers Day
• Apostrophe in Presidents Day
• APOSTROPHE IN SEASON'S GREETINGS
• Apostrophe in Veterans Day
• APOSTROPHE PROTECTION SOCIETY
• APOSTROPHE VS SINGLE QUOTATION MARK
• APOSTROPHES
• apostrophes for form plurals
• APOSTROPHES IN PLURALS
• APPEARANCE SAKE
• ATTRIBUTIVE NOUN
• ATTRIBUTIVE NOUNS
• AUXILIARY VERB
• AUXILIARY VERBS
• AVOID ADVERBS
• AWHILE VS. A WHILE
• BAITED BREATH
• BARBECUE BARBEQUE
• BEACH GOER OR BEACHGOER
• beg the question
• beginning a sentence with and
• beginning a sentence with but
• BEGINNING SENTENCE WITH AND
• BEGINNING SENTENCE WITH CONJUNCTION
• BEGINNING SENTENCE WITH PRONOUN
• BENJAMIN DREYER
• BETWEEN SENTENCES
• BETWEEN VS AMONG
• BETWEEN YOU AND I
• BETWEEN YOU AND ME
• BOOK TITLES
• BOOK TITLES IN ITALICS
• BOOK TITLES IN QUOTATION MARKS
• BORED BY OR BORED OF OR BORED WITH
• BRING AND TAKE
• Bristol Punctuation Vigilante
• BRYAN GARNER
• BULLETED LISTS
• BURIED VERB
• CACTUSES OR CACTI
• CANNABUSINESS
• CAPITAL LETTER AFTER A COLON
• capitalization
• CAPITALIZE CITY NAMES
• CAPITALIZE DISHES
• CAPITALIZE JOB TITLES
• CAPITALIZE MENU ITEMS
• CHAISE LONGUE
• CHAISE LONGUE VS CHAISE LOUNGE
• CHAISE LOUNGE VS CHAISE LONGUE
• CHAMPING AT THE BIT
• CHICAGO AP STYLE DIFFERENCES
• CHOMPING AT THE BIT
• CHOOSING SPECIFIC NOUNS AND VERBS
• CITE and SIGHT
• COLLECTIVE NOUNS
• COLON TO INRODUCE QUOTATION
• COLON VS. SEMICOLON
• COMMA AFTER INC
• COMMA AFTER STATE
• COMMA AFTER YEAR
• COMMA BEFORE A TITLE
• COMMA BEFORE TOO
• COMMA IN IS IS
• COMMA SPLICE
• commas around inc.
• COMMAS BETWEEN ADJECTIVES
• commas between coordinate adjectives
• COMMAS INSIDE QUOTATION MARKS
• COMMAS TO SET OFF INFORMATION
• COMMON SPELLING ERRORS
• COMMONLY CONFUSED EXPRESSIONS
• COMMONLY CONFUSED VERBS
• COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS
• COMPARATIVE
• COMPARATIVES
• comparatives and superlatives
• COMPARE TO VS COMPARE WITH
• COMPARED TO COMPARED WITH
• COMPLETE SENTENCE
• COMPLIMENT AND COMPLEMENT
• COMPLIMENT VS. COMPLEMENT
• COMPOSE AND COMPRISE
• COMPOSE VS COMPRISE
• compound adjectives
• COMPOUND MODIFIER
• compound modifiers
• COMPOUND NOUN
• CONCISE WRITING
• conjunctions
• CONJUNCTIVE LIKE
• CONTINUAL AND CONTINUOUS
• COORDINATE ADJECTIVES
• COORDINATION
• COPULAR VERBS
• copy editin
• COPY EDITING
• CORONAVIRUS SLANG
• COULD CARE LESS VS COULDN'T CARE LESS
• COULD OF and COULD HAVE
• COUPLE IS OR COUPLE ARE
• COUPLE IS VS. COUPLE ARE
• COURTESY TITLES
• CRINGE AS AN ADJECTIVE
• DANGLING MODIFIER
• DANGLING PARTICIPLE
• DASH VS HYPHEN
• DASH VS SEMICOLON
• DASH VS. COLON
• decimate usage
• DECLARATIVE
• DECLARATIVE QUESTION
• DEFINITE ARTICLE
• DEPENDENT CLAUSE VS. SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
• DICTIONARIES
• DIFFERENT FROM VS DIFFERENT THAN
• DIFFERENT SPELLINGS FOR SAME WORD
• DIRECT OBJECTS
• DISINTERESTED UNINTERESTED
• DISJUNCTS CONJUNCTS ADJUNCTS
• DISSATISFIED VS. UNSATISFIED
• DO'S AND DON'TS
• done vs finished
• DOS AND DONTS
• DOUBLE NEGATIVE
• DOUBLE POSSESSIVE
• DOUBLE SPACE AFTER A PERIOD
• DOUBLE SPACING
• DREAMED VS DREAMT
• DUMMY OPERATOR
• EASILY CONFUSED WORDS
• ECONOMY OF WORDS
• EDITING NOTES
• EDITING YOUR OWN WRITING
• EFFECTIVE WRITING
• EM DASH VS EN DASH
• EMAIL E-MAIL
• EMAIL GREETINGS
• EMIGRATE AND IMMIGRATE
• EN DASH VS EM DASH
• ENSURE INSURE
• ENSURE VS INSURE
• ERRANT APOSTROPHES
• EVERY DAY VS. EVERYDAY
• EXCLAMATION POINT
• EXCLAMATION POINTS
• EXCLAMATORY
• EXISTENTIAL THERE
• FALSE RANGES
• father's day
• faulty parallel
• FAULTY SENTENCE STRUCTURE
• FAZE and PHASE
• FICTION WRITING
• FIVE BASIC SENTENCE STRUCTURES
• FLAT ADVERBS
• FLESH OUT AND FLUSH OUT
• FLOUNDER VS FOUNDER
• FLUSH OUT VS. FLESH OUT
• FOR CONSCIENCE SAKE
• FOR GOODNESS SAKE
• FORGO AND FORGO
• FORGO FOREGO
• FORGONE FOREGONE
• FORM TYPES OF VERBS
• FORWENT FOREWENT
• FOUNDER VS. FLOUNDER
• FRAUGHT VS FRAUGHT WITH
• Fused Participle
• GAUNTLET GANTLET
• GENERIC PRONOUN ONE
• GOOD AND WELL
• GOOD SENTENCES
• GOOD THINGS COME TO HIM WHO WAITS
• GOOD VS WELL
• GOODNESS SAKE
• GOT VS. HAVE
• GOT VS. HAVE GOT
• GRADUATE COLLEGE OR GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE
• GRAMMAR BOOKS
• GRAMMAR CHECKER
• GRAMMAR MYTH
• grammar peeves
• grammar phobia
• GRAMMAR TERMS
• GRAMMATICAL MOOD
• GRAY VS GREY
• GREAT AND WELL
• HANGED VS HUNG
• HARSH WRITING ADVICE
• HAVE GOT VS HAVE
• HEADQUARTER AS A VERB
• HEADQUARTERED
• HEALTH CARE HYPHENATED
• HEALTHCARE VS HEALTH CARE
• HELTER SKELTER
• HERE'S BEFORE A PLURAL
• HERE'S VS HERE ARE
• HISTORIC VS HISTORICAL
• HOME IN VS HONE IN
• HOMO SAPIEN VS. HOMO SAPIENS
• HOMOPHONES AND HOMOGRAPHS
• HOW TO CAPITALIZE HEADLINES
• HOW TO PRONOUNCE FORTE
• HOW TO PRONOUNCE KYIV
• HOW TO PUNCTUATE CHRISTMAS CARDS
• HOW TO WRITE
• HOW TO WRITE BOOK TITLES
• how to write holidays
• HOW TO WRITE MOVIE TITLES
• HUMAN VS. CHATGPT
• Human writers
• HYPHEN WITH MAKER
• HYPHENATING NOUNS
• HYPHENATING PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES
• HYPHENATING SUFFIXES
• HYPHENATING VERBS
• hyphenation
• I FEEL BAD VS I FEEL BADLY
• I FEEL BADLY
• I LAY DOWN OR I LAID DOWN
• I-N-G VERBS
• if and whether
• IF VS WHETHER
• immigrate emigrate migrate
• imperatives
• IMPORTANTLY
• IN REGARDS TO
• INCOMPLETE SENTENCES
• INDEFINITE ARTICLES
• INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
• INDEXES INDICES
• INDIRECT OBJECT
• INDIRECT OBJECT PRONOUN
• insure vs ensure
• INTENSIFIER
• INTERROGATIVE
• INTO VS IN TO
• INTRANSITIVE VERBS
• INTRODUCTORY PHRASE
• INTRUSIVE OF
• IRREGARDLESS
• IRREGARDLESS AND REGARDLESS
• IRREGULAR NOUNS
• IS TEAM PLURAL OR SINGULAR
• IS WRONG AN ADVERB
• IT IS I WHO AM VS IT IS I WHO ARE
• IT'S VS ITS
• ITALICS VS. QUOTATION MARKS
• ITS AND IT'S
• ITS VS IT'S
• JACOB REES-MOGG
• JANUARY 6 INSURRECTION
• John Le Carre
• JOHN MCINTYRE
• JONATHON OWEN
• Journalism Standards
• JUDGEMENT VS JUDGMENT
• KORY STAMPER
• LAY AND LIE
• LAY IN STATE
• LEAD VS. LED
• less vs fewer
• LET'S AND LETS
• LET'S EAT GRANDMA
• LET'S VS. LETS
• LEXICOGRAPHY
• LIE IN STATE
• lighted vs lit
• LIGHTED VS. LIT
• LIKE AND AS
• LIKE AND SUCH AS
• LINKING VERBS
• LOAN VS LEND
• LOG IN VS LOGIN
• LONG SENTENCES
• LOWERCASE AFTER A COLON
• MAIN CLAUSE
• MAIN CLAUSES
• MAMA VS MOMMA
• MANIKIN MANNEQUIN
• MANNER ADVERBS
• MARY NORRIS
• MASS NOUNS VS COUNT NOUNS
• MAY VS. MIGHT
• METACONCEPTS
• MIKE POMPEO
• MISCHIEVOUS VS. MISCHIEVIOUS
• MISLEADING CONNECTIVES
• MODAL AUXILIARIES
• MODAL AUXILIARY
• modifying phrases
• MORE CLEAR VS CLEARER
• MOST COMMON APOSTROPHE ERRORS
• MOST COMMON GRAMMAR ERRORS
• Most common grammar mistakes
• mother's day
• MOVIE TITLES
• MYRIAD VS A MYRIAD OF
• MYRIAD VS. MYRIAD OF
• MYSELF VS. ME
• NATIONAL GRAMMAR DAY
• NEEDLESS WORDS
• Neil Gaiman
• NEVER MIND / NEVERMIND
• NEXT VS. THIS
• NGRAM VIEWER
• NOMINALIZATION
• NOMINALIZATIONS
• NONBINARY THEY
• NONE IS VS NONE ARE
• NONRESTRICTIVE CLAUSES
• NOUNS AS ADJECTIVES
• NOUNS ENDING IN S
• object complement
• OBJECT PRONOUN
• OBJECT PRONOUNS
• OBJECT VS SUBJECT PRONOUNS
• OBJECTS AND SUBJECTS
• OCTOPUSES OR OCTOPI
• OLDER OF TWO VS OLDEST OF TWO
• OLIVER TWIST
• OMIT NEEDLESS WORDS
• ONE SPACE AFTER A PERIOD
• ONE SPACE OR TWO BETWEEN SENTENCES
• ONTO VS ON TO
• OVER AND UNDER
• oxford comma
• OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY
• PALATE VS PALETTE
• PALETTE PALATE PALLET
• PALETTE VS. PALLET
• PALM OFF VS PAWN OFF
• PALM OFF VS. PAWN OFF
• PARALLEL STRUCTURE
• PARENTHESES
• PARTICIPIAL PHRASES
• PARTICIPLE VS. PARTICLE
• PARTS OF SPEECH
• PASSIVE VOICE
• past participles
• PAST TENSE OF LAY
• PAST TENSE OF LIGHT
• PAST TENSE OF SLAY
• period before a quotation mark
• PERIODS IN INITIALS
• PERIODS IN PHD
• PERIODS INSIDE QUOTATION MARKS
• PERSONAL PRONOUNS
• PETER SOKOLOWSKI
• PHRASAL VERBS
• PIRATE TALK
• PLACEMENT OF OBJECT
• placement of only
• PLACEMENT OF PREPOSITION
• PLURAL NAMES
• PLURAL OF ATTORNEYS GENERAL
• PLURAL OF MEDIA
• PLURAL POSSESSIVE
• PLURAL POSSESSIVES
• PLURAL POSSESSIVES OF PROPER NOUNS
• PLURAL VERB
• PLURAL VERB WITH AS WELL AS
• PLURAL VERBS
• PLURALS OF LATIN WORDS
• PLURALS OF LETTERS
• PLURALS OF MOVIE TITLES
• Possessive with Gerund
• possessives
• POSSESSIVES OF LAST NAMES
• POSSESSIVES OF MOVIE TITLES
• POSSESSIVES OF PROPER NAMES
• PREDICATE NOMINATIVE
• PREPOSITIONS
• PRESCRIPTIVISM
• PREVENTATIVE
• PREVENTIVE VS PREVENTATIVE
• PRINCIPAL AND PRINCIPLE
• PRINCIPLE and PRINCIPAL
• PRONONCIATION
• PRONOUN ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT
• PRONOUNS IN SHARED POSSESSIVES
• PRONOUNS INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
• pronunciation of often
• proofreading
• PUNCTUATION
• PUT A COMMA BEFORE TOO
• QUASI COORDINATOR
• QUASI POSSESSIVES
• QUESTION MARK
• QUOTATION ATTRIBUTION
• quotation marks
• raise the question
• READER FRIENDLY LANGUAGE
• REDUPLICATIVE COPULA
• REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
• REIGN VS REIN
• REIN vs REIGN
• RELATIVE PRONOUN ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT
• RELATIVE PRONOUNS
• RESTRICTIVE CLAUSES
• ROB AND BURGLARIZE
• ROCK N ROLL
• RUN-ON SENTENCES
• RUTH BADER GINSBURG
• SAYS VS. SAID
• SCARE QUOTES
• SEMICOLON ABUSE
• semimonthly
• SENTENCE ADVERBS
• sentence diagramming
• SENTENCE ENDING PREPOSITION
• SENTENCE ENDING PREPOSITIONS
• SENTENCE FRAGMENT
• SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
• SENTENCE STRUCTURE
• SENTENCE STRUCTURES
• SENTENCE WRITING
• serial comma
• SHARED POSSESSIVE
• SHARED POSSESSIVES
• SHORT SENTENCES
• SIMPLE COMPOUND AND COMPLEX SENTENCES
• SINCE VS BECAUSE
• SINCE VS. BECAUSE
• SINGLE QUOTATION MARK
• SINGULAR AUSPICE
• SINGULAR VERB
• SINGULAR VERB WITH EVERY
• SINGULAR VS PLURAL
• SKUNKED TERMS
• SLAVA UKRAINI
• SLEIGHT VS SLIGHT
• SLOW VS. SLOWLY
• SNEAK PEAK VS SNEAK PEEK
• SNEAK VS. SNUCK VS. SNEAKED
• SO AT THE BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE
• SO HELP ME GOD
• SPACE AROUND DASHES
• spaces around ellipses
• SPACES BEFORE AN ELLIPSIS
• SPACING BETWEEN SENTENCES
• SPEECH TAGS
• spell check fail
• SPELL-CHECKER
• SPIT AND IMAGE
• SPITTING IMAGE
• split infinitive
• SQUINTING MODIFIER
• STARTING A SENTENCE WITH AND
• STEPHEN CALK
• STREAMLINING SENTENCES
• STYLE GUIDES
• SUBJECT PRONOUNS
• SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT
• SUBJECT-COMPLEMENT AGREEMENT
• SUBJECT-OBJECT AGREEMENT
• SUBJUNCTIVE
• SUBORDINATE CLAUSES
• SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
• SUPERLATIVES AND COMPARATIVES
• SWAM VS. SWUM
• TENSE SHIFTS
• terminal punctuation
• THAN I VS THAN ME
• THANKSGIVING DAY
• THAT AND WHICH
• THAT VS. WHICH
• THAT VS. WHO
• THE JOY OF SYNTAX
• The Possessive of Jr.
• THE REASON IS BECAUSE
• THE REASON WHY
• THE REASON WHY VS. THE REASON THAT
• THE TEAM IS VS THE TEAM ARE
• THERE'S VS. THEIRS
• THEY'RE AND THEIR
• THIS IS HER
• THIS IS SHE
• THRU THROUGH
• THRU VS THROUGH
• TILL TIL UNTIL
• TITLED VS ENTITLED
• TITLES IN ITALICS
• TITLES IN QUOTATION MARKS
• TO BOLDLY GO
• TOO BIG A DEAL
• TOO BIG OF A
• TOO BIG OF A DEAL
• TOWARD VS. TOWARDS
• TRANSITIVE VERBS
• TRANSITIVE VS. INTRANSITIVE VERBS
• TRUMP SPELLING
• TRUMP TWEET
• UNCLEAR ANTECEDENTS
• UNDERLIE PAST TENSE
• UNDERWAY / UNDER WAY
• UNNECESSARY ADVERBS
• UPSIDE DOWN SUBORDINATION
• VAGUE WORDS
• VARIANT SPELLINGS
• VARIETY IS OR VARIETY ARE
• VERB AGREEMENT
• VERB ASPECT
• VERB CONJUGATION
• VERB TENSES
• veterans day
• WAS VS WERE
• WAVER VS. WAIVER
• WEBSTER'S NEW WORLD
• WEIRDEST LANGUAGES
• WERE VS WAS
• What Does Hoi Pollio Mean
• WHAT'S AN APPOSITIVE
• When to Capitalize After a Colon
• WHEN TO HYPHENATE PREFIXES
• WHILE VS ALTHOUGH
• WHILE VS THOUGH
• WHO AND WHOM
• who vs whom
• WHOA WOAH WHOAH
• WHOMEVER VS. WHOEVER
• WHOSE AND WHO'S
• WHOSE VS WHO'S
• WHOSE VS. WHO'S
• WITH VS. OF
• WOKE VS WAKED
• WORD CHOICE
• WORD TRENDS
• WORSE COMES TO WORST VS WORST COMES TO WORST
• WRITING BOOKS
• WRITING CRAFT
• WRITING FOR CLARITY
• WRITING SKILLS
• WRITING STYLE
• WRITING TIPS
• WRONG VS WRONGLY
• WRONG VS. WRONGLY
• ZERO RELATIVE PRONOUN

Ad Podcast to your site

• Podcast Archive
• Snobservations

A Pearson product. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Permissions

Send me a message

Quotes or Italics? Citing Titles of Books, Movies & TV Shows

When citing titles of songs, books, movies or tv shows, should you place them in italics or quotation marks? The answer is, ‘It depends.’

There are certain things you need to know if you’re writing about your favorite song, novel, film or television series. Some people insist that when citing titles, you should use italics. Others get bent out of shape and insist that’s wrong and that you should put quotes around them instead. There’s an easy way to know which to use when you cite book, movie and TV show titles.

But the fact that there’s an easy way doesn’t mean it’s one you’ll like.

In fact, it all boils down to the style guide you use. If you’re in school, there’s almost certainly a style guide your school prefers. Professionally, you don’t necessarily have to be a journalist to face the quirks of a style guide.

Unfortunately, different style guides offer different rules. So here’s a sampling of how a few of them differ.

I’m going to start with the Associated Press Style Book because that’s the one I use in my professional job. It’s also the one I mostly rely on for this blog, although here I may deviate occasionally.

AP makes everything simple when it comes to citing such titles. But you may not agree with their simplicity.

Don’t feel bad: A lot of us who use AP Style don’t always agree with everything they come up with. I could make a list.

The Perdue Writing Lab says you use quotation marks in AP Style. You’ll note in that last sentence I listed that source in bold. That’s not AP Style, but I think for a blog, it’s nice when you make bold a source that you’re actually hyperlinking to. So if you follow AP Style and can’t deviate, don’t use bold, either.

AP Style dictates that you should put quotation marks around books, songs, television shows, computer games, articles, poems, lectures, speeches and works of art. Don’t put quotation marks around titles of magazines, newspapers, books that are catalogs of reference materials or the Bible.

AP’s dislike of italics dates back to the old printing presses. It was impractical to stock more letters for italics. I doubt that any newspapers still rely on old-fashioned linotype machines. In this computer age, why can’t we just italicize?

Hey, that’s not up to me. So until AP changes that rule, stick with quotes: forget you even have the option of italics… if AP Style is your style guide.

If you’re in academia, you probably rely on the Modern Language Association’s style guide, which you’ve probably only ever heard of as “MLA Style.”

Like most guides other than AP, MLA mixes it up a bit. Northern Arizona University sums it up nicely in their MLA resource page.

But let me give you a snapshot: Book, movie and TV show titles go in italics. Individual episodes of TV shows go in quotation marks:

• My favorite episode of The Andy Griffith Show is “Man in a Hurry.”

Newspaper and magazine names go in italics. But names of broadcast networks are merely capitalized.

Albums and musicals are set in italics. Individual song titles go in quotes.

The one I find most curious is the style guide of the American Psychological Association. Since I doubt most of you have to deal with this one, which is more often used in academic medical papers, I won’t spend a lot of time on this one.

If you do use APA Style, I appreciate you. You make me realize that my gripes with AP Style may not be so bad after all.

What bothers me about APA Style is its rule of using sentence case for show titles in citations . AP Style would call Rod Serling’s famous program “The Twilight Zone.” MLA would style it as The Twilight Zone . But in citations, APA styles it as The twilight zone . Only the first word is capitalized.

Your mileage (and style guide) may vary.

The best advice I can give you here is to check the style guide that you use.

If you don’t use a style guide, the one that makes the most sense to me in the 21st century would be MLA, in which you italicize book, newspaper, magazine, album, movie and TV shows and put episode and song titles in quotes.

That practice, I think, makes the most sense to most readers without being distracting. I don’t think AP’s rule about putting everything in quotes confuses anyone, but I think italics look better.

As for APA, well, if the sentence case TV show titles rule makes sense to you, more power to you. I can’t see that as anything but a mistake!

But again, you should either consult the style guide you’re required to use or codify your own policy for such instances. That way, you remain consistent whenever you write.

That’s always a good thing.

You Might Also Like

New Grammar Book Sparks Rules Debate

The Thing I Like Most About My Copyediting Work

In the South, ‘Bless Your Heart’ has Multiple Meanings

Than or Then? Are They Really Homophones?

CBS Confirms ‘The Talk’ is Going Silent

Defuse or Diffuse? Don’t Let the Wrong One Bomb Your Work

Copyright ©MMXXIV Patrick's Place LLC. All rights reserved.

Patrick is a longtime television producer and digital journalist.

Patrick’s Place is a blog that focuses on multiple topics...from blogging to grammar to faith to life in general.

You'll find new content at least four days a week.

Read more about the blog here .

Follow Me on Social Media

Search the Site

Try my email newsletter.

Once a week, I'll send you an email with the previous week's posts so you never miss what's new. I post once a day Mondays through Thursdays on a variety of topics.

I've made it easy with help from the folks at FeedBlitz!

Just click the "Subscribe" button to sign up!

Copyright ©2004-2024 Patrick's Place LLC All rights reserved. Stock Photos licensed from their respective sources. Other photos used by permission as described.

• Start Here!
• Guest Post & Advertising Policies
• Privacy Statement
• Cookie Policy

Deciphering the Meaning Behind Movie “3:10 to Yuma”

This essay about the significance of the title “3:10 to Yuma” in Western cinema explores the metaphorical journey undertaken by the characters Dan Evans and Ben Wade. Through their interactions during the perilous escort mission, themes of morality, courage, and human nature are explored. The title symbolizes not only a physical journey but also a metaphorical odyssey towards redemption and self-discovery. Ultimately, “3:10 to Yuma” transcends its genre conventions to offer a thought-provoking exploration of the human condition and the complexities of morality.

How it works

In the realm of Western cinema, “3:10 to Yuma” holds a significant place, not merely as a classic film, but also as a symbol laden with cultural and thematic depth. Directed by Delmer Daves in 1957 and later reimagined by James Mangold in 2007, the title itself encapsulates a journey fraught with tension, moral dilemmas, and the timeless struggle between good and evil.

At its surface, “3:10 to Yuma” refers to a specific train departing at 3:10 destined for the town of Yuma. However, delving deeper, it becomes evident that the train serves as a metaphor for the characters’ journey towards redemption, justice, and self-discovery.

The film follows the story of Dan Evans, a struggling rancher portrayed by Van Heflin in the original and Christian Bale in the remake, who volunteers to escort the notorious outlaw Ben Wade, played by Glenn Ford and Russell Crowe respectively, to the train station to catch the 3:10 to Yuma.

The significance of the journey lies not in the destination itself, but in the transformation undergone by the characters along the way. Dan Evans represents the common man, grappling with his own sense of morality and the societal pressures imposed upon him. His decision to escort Ben Wade stems not only from a desire for financial reward but also from a quest for personal redemption and validation. Through their interactions during the perilous journey to the train station, Evans and Wade engage in a psychological battle that forces them to confront their own beliefs and values.

Moreover, “3:10 to Yuma” explores themes of courage, sacrifice, and the complexities of human nature. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes apparent that both Evans and Wade are not merely archetypes of good and evil, but multifaceted individuals shaped by their past experiences and circumstances. Evans, despite his initial reluctance, discovers a newfound sense of bravery and integrity as he grapples with the moral implications of his actions. Conversely, Wade, while portrayed as a ruthless outlaw, exhibits moments of vulnerability and introspection that humanize his character and challenge the audience’s perceptions of morality.

Furthermore, the title “3:10 to Yuma” serves as a poignant reminder of the passage of time and the inevitability of fate. The ticking clock, symbolized by the scheduled departure of the train, creates a sense of urgency and tension that permeates the narrative. Each passing minute brings the characters closer to their fateful encounter at the train station, where their destinies will be decided.

In conclusion, “3:10 to Yuma” transcends its status as a mere Western film and emerges as a timeless exploration of the human condition. Through its richly drawn characters, moral complexities, and thematic depth, the film invites viewers to ponder the nature of morality, redemption, and the pursuit of justice. Ultimately, the title “3:10 to Yuma” encapsulates not only a physical journey but also a metaphorical odyssey towards self-discovery and enlightenment.

Cite this page

Deciphering the Meaning Behind Movie "3:10 to Yuma". (2024, May 12). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/deciphering-the-meaning-behind-movie-310-to-yuma/

"Deciphering the Meaning Behind Movie "3:10 to Yuma"." PapersOwl.com , 12 May 2024, https://papersowl.com/examples/deciphering-the-meaning-behind-movie-310-to-yuma/

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Deciphering the Meaning Behind Movie "3:10 to Yuma" . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/deciphering-the-meaning-behind-movie-310-to-yuma/ [Accessed: 14 May. 2024]

"Deciphering the Meaning Behind Movie "3:10 to Yuma"." PapersOwl.com, May 12, 2024. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/deciphering-the-meaning-behind-movie-310-to-yuma/

"Deciphering the Meaning Behind Movie "3:10 to Yuma"," PapersOwl.com , 12-May-2024. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/deciphering-the-meaning-behind-movie-310-to-yuma/. [Accessed: 14-May-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Deciphering the Meaning Behind Movie "3:10 to Yuma" . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/deciphering-the-meaning-behind-movie-310-to-yuma/ [Accessed: 14-May-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers