Formatting Notes

Unless directed otherwise by your instructor, when using MLA 8 Style for your paper, follow these steps for formatting your citations:

• Start your works cited list on a separate page at the end of your paper
• Double space all of your citations, but don't add extra spaces between citations. Spacing should be consistent for the whole list.
• Use a hanging indent for each citation by indenting the second line and any following lines of a citation. 

The Purdue Owl site has a helpful page with more detailed information about formatting:

Due to some limitations on this guide's design, many of the examples do not use double spaces and hanging indents (they don't work well with responsive design). Any color-coded images of citations, however, do show citations with standard MLA style spacing and indents.

Works of Original Art (paintings, sculptures, photographs, etc.)

• Name of Artist. Title of Artwork. Date of composition, artistic medium, Name of the Institution Housing the Artwork, Location of institution [if the location isn't part of the institution's name].

Examples:

Dine, Jim. Technicolor Heart. 2004, bronze and oil enamel with mixed media, Washington State Arts Commission, Pullman.

Chagall, Marc. American Windows. 1977, stained glass, Art Institute of Chicago.

Evans, Walker. Teenagers. 1928-30, film negative, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Photographic Reproductions of Art (found in books, magazines, etc.)

• Name of Artist. Title of Artwork. Date of composition, Name of the Institution Housing the Artwork, Location of institution [if the location isn't part of the institution's name]. Title of the Publication Where the Reproduction is Found, Publisher's Name, Date of publication, page number(s).

Example: 

O'Keeffe, Georgia. My Last Door. 1954, oil on canvas, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe. Georgia O'Keeffe, by Gerry Souter, Parkstone International, p. 132.

Film Seen in the Theater, on DVD, or on Blu Ray

• Title of Film or Video. Director. Film Studio or Distributor, Release Year.
  • If relevant to your paper, you can other contributors such as performers or screenwriters after the director's name. If you do this, include information about the roles of the contributors. For example, Performance(s) by, Screenplay by, Special Effects by, etc.
  • If you are focusing on work by a particular actor or director, place their name in the Author/Creator position at the beginning of the citation.

Examples:

Black Panther. Directed by Ryan Coogler, Marvel Studios, 2018.

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. Directed by Paul Feig, performances by Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon, Columbia Pictures, 2016.

Smith, Will, performer. Collateral Beauty. Directed by David Frankel, New Line Cinema, 2017.

Television Series

• Title of Series. Name(s) of Series Creators, TV Studio or Distributor, Year(s) of the series.
  • If relevant to your paper, you can other contributors such as performers or screenwriters after the creator's name. If you do this, include information about the roles of the contributors. For example, Performance(s) by, Written by, Special Effects by, etc.
  • If you are focusing on work by a particular actor, writer, or director, place their name in the Author/Creator position at the beginning of the citation.

Examples:

Cranston, Bryan, performer. Breaking Bad. Created by Vince Gilligan, AMC, 2008-2013.

Deadwood. Created by David Milch, HBO, 2004-2006.

Sorkin, Aaron, creator. The Newsroom. Performance by Jeff Daniels, HBO, 2012-2014.

Television Episode

• "Title of the Episode." Title of the Television Series, Name(s) of Series Creators, season number, episode number, TV Studio or Distributor, Air Date.
  • If relevant to your paper, you can other contributors such as performers or screenwriters after the creator's name. If you do this, include information about the roles of the contributors. For example, Performance(s) by, Written by, Special Effects by, etc.
  • If you are focusing on work by a particular actor or director, place their name in the Author/Creator position at the beginning of the citation.

Examples:

"20 Hours in L.A." The West Wing, Created by Aaron Sorkin, season 2, episode 16, NBC, 23 Feb 2000.

Cuoco, Kaley, performer. "The Gothowitz Deviation." The Big Bang Theory, Created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, CBS, 5 Oct. 2009.

Song

• Artist. "Title of Song." Title of Album [if available], Record Label, Release year. 
  • If relevant, you can include information about performers and composers after the album title. 

Examples:

Queen. "Somebody to Love." A Day at the Races, written by Freddie Mercury, Elektra, 1976.

Williams, Pharrell. "Happy." Despicable Me 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Back Lot Music, 2013.

Album

• Artist. Title of Album, Record Label, Release year.
  • If relevant, you can include information about performers and composers after the album title. 

Examples:

Bowie, David. Let's Dance, EMI, 1982.

Redbone. Potlach, Epic, 1970.