When you include films as part of the references of the bibliography of your history paper, be sure to follow these Chicago movie citation examples. Depending on your teacher’s guidelines, you’ll either use the notes-bibliography or author-date style to make a Chicago film citation. Now, let’s dive into how to cite a movie or film in Chicago style.
Movie Citation Examples in Chicago Author-Date
Chicago’s writing style not only comes in two referencing types but two styles. The student version of the Chicago 17 style is called Turabian. Both types are easy to use once you understand the basic elements.
Follow this basic format for citing movies in Chicago’s author-date style. The first element contains the director’s name. If they are essential to your citation, you can choose to include the timestamps in the parenthetical Chicago style citation for a film.
Last Name, First Name, director. Year. Title of Movie. Production Company or Distributor.
(Director’s Last Name Year, 0:00:00 to 0:00:00)
Example Reference List
Melfi, Theodore, director. 2016. Hidden Figures. 20th Century Fox.
Example Parenthetical Citation
(Melfi 2016, 0:11:43 to 0:14:54)
Online Movie Citation Format – Author-Date
If you accessed and viewed the movie online, then you will need to add the URL to the end of the citation.
Last Name, First Name, director. Year. Title of Movie. Production Company or Distributor. URL.
(Director’s Last Name Year, 0:00:00 to 0:00:00)
Example Reference List
Scorsese, Martin, director. 2019. The Irishman. Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/title/80175798.
Example Parenthetical Citation
(Scorsese 2019, 1:12:45 to 1:13:26)
Chicago Movie Citation Examples – Notes/Bibliography
Citing movies in the notes-bibliography style is a little different than author-date style. Follow this format for your bibliography and notes.
When it comes to Chicago notes, you include a superscript number in the text that corresponds to a number you list them at the bottom of the page as a footnote or at the end of the work before the bibliography. The footnote or endnote includes the citation information and is indented five spaces.
Last Name, First Name, director. Title of Movie. Production Company or Distributor, Year.
##. Title of Movie, directed by First Last Name (Production Company or Distributor, Year).
Notes-Bibliography Example
Spielberg, Steven, director. Schindler’s List. Universal Pictures, 1993.
1. Schindler’s List, directed by Steven Spielberg (Universal Pictures, 1993).
How to Cite Online Movies in Notes- Bibliography
Include the URL if you are citing movies found online. Use either the director or movie title as the first element of the bibliography entry. You may add the length of the film if desired. List the title as the first element in the notes entry.
Last Name, First Name, director. Title of Movie. Production Company or Distributor, Year. URL.
#. Title of Movie, directed by First Last Name (Production Company or Distributor, Year), URL.
Online Notes-Bibliography Example
Rees, Dee, director. Mudbound. Elevated Films, 2017. https://www.netflix.com/title/80175694.
1. Mudbound, directed by Dee Rees (Elevated Films, 2017), https://www.netflix.com/title/80175694.
- Include actor, producer, or writer data, if they are relevant to your paper.
- Chicago author-date style uses a reference list.
- Chicago notes-bibliography style uses a bibliography.
- Always follow your teacher’s guidelines.
Podcast Citations in Notes-Bibliography
Incorporate brief references to podcasts and videos into the text of your research paper or create a notes entry only. However, if you decide to cite a podcast or video in your bibliography, include the title, name, and date of the episode and the creator of the work.
Podcasts for Notes-Bibliography Example
Helm, Sally. “#913: Counting the Homeless.” Recorded May 17, 2019 in New York, NY. NPR Planet Money. MPEG-4, 22:51. https://www.npr.org/2019/05/17/724462179/episode-913-counting-the-homeless.
1. Sally Helm, “#913: Counting the Homeless,” recorded May 17, 2019 in New York, NY, NPR Planet Money, MPEG-4, 22:51, https://www.npr.org/2019/05/17/724462179/episode-913-counting-the-homeless.
How to Cite a Movie in Chicago or Turabian
When it comes to finding Chicago film citation information, look no further than your film or Blu-ray case. You can also find citation information for movies on the web through IMDb.
Adding Chicago Film Citation to Your Research
Using the Chicago style for your history paper gives you an excellent opportunity to add visual elements to your research. Many history buffs love to watch documentaries and movies about kings, queens, and other historical figures. Always check for accuracy before citing a movie source.
FAQ Chicago Citation for Movie Examples
How do you cite a movie in Chicago style?
To cite a movie in Chicago style, you use a different format depending on if you are using author-date or notes-bibliography. An author-date reference citation looks like:
Wang, Wayne, director. 2005. Because of Winn-Dixie. Twentieth Century Fox.
A notes-bibliography citation looks like:
Wang, Wayne, director. Because of Winn-Dixie. Twentieth Century Fox, 2005.
How do you cite a Netflix movie in Chicago?
To cite a Netflix movie in Chicago style, you add the URL to the citation. An example of a Chicago Netflix citation in notes-bibliography style looks like:
Barry, Dee, director. Life. Elevated Films, 2018. https://www.netflix.com/title/80175694.
How do you cite a movie scene?
To cite a movie scene in your Chicago style paper, you need to include the timestamp in your in-text citation in author-date and notes-bibliography style. Therefore, you would add the time the scene began and ended in the text for the reader to easily find the scene.
How do you in text cite a Netflix show?
To in-text cite a Netflix show, you include the author's last name and timestamp in Chicago's author-date style. To create an in-text citation for a Netflix show in Chicago's notes-bibliography style, you include a superscript number in the text and a note at the foot of the page or end of the paper with the title of the movie, director, production company, and URL.
Are movies italicized in Chicago style?
Yes, in Chicago style, you italicize the title of the movie for both author-date and notes-bibliography styles. The title also uses title capitalization.