How to Cite Films and TV Shows in APA Format
Films and television shows serve as primary sources for media studies, cultural analysis, and interdisciplinary research. Whether you're citing a classic film, Netflix series, documentary, or streaming special, understanding APA 7th edition audiovisual citation format ensures proper credit to creators while documenting these rich media sources in your scholarly work.
Why Film and TV Citations Matter
Visual media shapes culture, reflects societal values, and serves as legitimate objects of academic study across disciplines including film studies, communications, sociology, psychology, and literature. Documentaries provide evidence for historical and scientific research. Television shows offer insights into cultural moments and social issues. Proper citation acknowledges the creative and intellectual work of directors, writers, producers, and production companies while allowing readers to engage with your primary sources.
APA 7th edition recognizes films and television as complex collaborative works. The citation format emphasizes directors for films and executive producers or creators for TV shows, while noting the production company and how viewers can access the content. Understanding these conventions helps you properly attribute audiovisual media in academic writing.
Basic Formats for Film and TV Citations
Film or movie:
Director, D. D. (Director). (Year). Title of film [Film]. Production Company. URL or distribution info
TV series:
Creator, C. C. (Executive Producer). (Start year–End year). Title of series [TV series]. Production Company. URL
TV episode:
Writer, W. W. (Writer), & Director, D. D. (Director). (Year, Month Day). Episode title (Season X, Episode Y) [TV series episode]. In C. C. Creator (Executive Producer), Series title. Production Company. URL
In-text Citation:
- Parenthetical: (Director, Year) or (Creator, Year–Year)
- Narrative: Director (Year) or Creator (Year–Year)
- With timestamp: (Director, Year, 1:15:30)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Identify the Primary Creator
For films, the director is typically the primary creator listed as author, followed by "(Director)." For television series, executive producers or creators are listed with "(Executive Producer)" or "(Creator)." For specific TV episodes, list the writer and director. Check opening or closing credits for accurate attribution.
Step 2: Determine the Year or Date Range
For films, use the release year. For TV series, use the year span (2020–2025 for ongoing series, 2020–2023 for completed series). For individual TV episodes, use the air date (Year, Month Day).
Step 3: Format the Title
Italicize film titles and TV series titles, using sentence case (capitalize first word, first word after colon, and proper nouns). For TV episodes, the episode title is not italicized, but the series title is. Include season and episode numbers for TV episodes.
Step 4: Add the Medium Descriptor
After the title, include [Film], [TV series], [TV series episode], [Documentary film], or other specific descriptors in brackets. This clarifies the format for readers.
Step 5: Include Production Company
List the primary production company or studio. For films with multiple producers, list the primary or first credited company. For streaming originals, the streaming service (Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO) serves as the production company.
Step 6: Add Access Information
For streaming content, include the URL or note the streaming service. For theatrical releases, you may include the studio or distribution information. If unavailable for streaming, note general availability (e.g., "Available from Netflix").
Detailed Examples
Example 1: Feature Film
Reference list:
Gerwig, G. (Director). (2023). Barbie [Film]. Warner Bros. Pictures. https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/barbie
In-text citation:
(Gerwig, 2023)
Standard film citation with director, year, title, production company, and URL.
Example 2: Film with Multiple Directors
Reference list:
Russo, A. (Director), & Russo, J. (Director). (2019). Avengers: Endgame [Film]. Marvel Studios. https://www.marvel.com/movies/avengers-endgame
In-text citation:
(Russo & Russo, 2019)
Multiple directors are listed with (Director) after each name, separated by commas and ampersand.
Example 3: Documentary Film
Reference list:
Orlowski, J. (Director). (2020). The social dilemma [Documentary film]. Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/title/81254224
In-text citation:
(Orlowski, 2020)
Documentaries use [Documentary film] descriptor and cite the streaming service or production company.
Example 4: TV Series (Complete)
Reference list:
Benioff, D., & Weiss, D. B. (Executive Producers). (2011–2019). Game of thrones [TV series]. HBO Entertainment. https://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones
In-text citation:
(Benioff & Weiss, 2011–2019)
Completed TV series show the full year range and list executive producers or creators as authors.
Example 5: TV Series Episode
Reference list:
Waller-Bridge, P. (Writer & Director). (2019, March 18). The provocative request (Season 2, Episode 3) [TV series episode]. In P. Waller-Bridge, H. Williams, & J. Williams (Executive Producers), Fleabag. BBC; Amazon Prime Video. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KXTBV7Y
In-text citation:
(Waller-Bridge, 2019)
Individual episodes list writer and director, air date, episode title, season/episode numbers, and series information.
Example 6: Streaming Series
Reference list:
Hwang, D. (Executive Producer). (2021–present). Squid game [TV series]. Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/title/81040344
In-text citation:
(Hwang, 2021–present)
Ongoing series use "present" for the end year and list the streaming service as production company.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Listing Actors Instead of Directors
For films, the director is the author, not the lead actors. Actors may be mentioned in your text but not as the cited author in references.
2. Forgetting "(Director)" or "(Executive Producer)"
Always include the role designation in parentheses after names. This clarifies their contribution to the production.
3. Not Italicizing Titles
Film titles and TV series titles must be italicized. Episode titles are not italicized but the series title is.
4. Omitting [Film] or [TV series] Descriptors
The medium descriptor in brackets is required to specify what type of audiovisual content you're citing.
5. Wrong Date Format for TV Episodes
TV episodes use the air date (Year, Month Day), not just the year. TV series as a whole use year ranges.
6. Confusing Production Companies with Distributors
Use the production company or studio that created the content, not just the distributor or platform where you watched it (though for streaming originals, the platform is the producer).
7. Including Runtime or Technical Details
APA citations don't require film length, aspect ratio, or other technical specifications. Include only the essential bibliographic elements.
Quick Reference Guide
Film Citation Elements:
- Director(s) with (Director) designation
- Release year
- Film title in italics and sentence case
- [Film] or [Documentary film] in brackets
- Production company/studio
- URL or streaming service
TV Series Citation Elements:
- Creator(s)/Executive Producer(s) with designation
- Year range (Start–End or Start–present)
- Series title in italics and sentence case
- [TV series] in brackets
- Production company
- URL or streaming service
Medium Descriptors
- [Film]: Theatrical or streaming movies
- [Documentary film]: Documentary features
- [TV series]: Television series as a whole
- [TV series episode]: Individual episodes
- [Limited series]: Miniseries or limited runs
- [Web series]: Originally online series
- [Special]: TV specials or one-offs
Using Timestamps
When citing specific moments in films or TV shows, include timestamps in in-text citations:
(Gerwig, 2023, 0:45:12) or (Waller-Bridge, 2019, 12:30)
Special Situations
Films in Other Languages
Provide the title in its original language, then include an English translation in square brackets if needed:
Director, D. (Director). (Year). Original title [English translation] [Film]. Production Company.
Films Not Yet Released
Use "in press" or the anticipated release year if citing unreleased films, though this is rare. Generally, cite only released content.
Deleted or Bonus Scenes
Cite these as part of the film, noting the special feature in your text rather than the citation.
Generate Perfect Film & TV Citations
Film and TV citations require careful attention to directors, producers, dates, and formats. Our free APA citation generator handles all audiovisual media—movies, TV series, documentaries, streaming content, and more. Get perfectly formatted citations in seconds.
Try Free APA Citation Generator →Frequently Asked Questions
Do I cite Netflix or the production company?
For Netflix originals, cite Netflix as the production company. For licensed content originally created by others, cite the original production company if known, though Netflix is acceptable if that's how you accessed it.
How do I cite a film I watched in theaters vs. streaming?
The citation is the same. Include the production company and, if available, a URL to where it can be accessed (streaming service or official website).
Should I include the screenwriter?
For films, cite the director. For TV episodes where you're specifically discussing the writing, you might mention the writer in text, but directors are standard for film citations.
How do I cite an entire TV series vs. one episode?
If discussing the series as a whole, cite the entire series with creators/executive producers. If analyzing a specific episode, cite that episode with its writer and director.
What about reality TV shows?
Cite reality shows like scripted TV series, using executive producers as authors and [TV series] or [Reality TV series] as the descriptor.