You've just finished reading a screenplay, maybe for a class, maybe just because you love diving deep into the bones of a story. Now comes the part that can sometimes feel a bit like navigating a maze: citing it. It's not quite like citing a film, and that's where a little clarity goes a long way.
Think of it this way: when you're citing a screenplay, you're primarily interested in the text itself, the words written by the screenwriter(s). The reference material I've been looking at makes this point quite clearly. It emphasizes that you don't need to include details about the director, the actors, or the studio that brought the film to life. Your focus is on the authorship and publication of the screenplay as a written work.
So, how does this look in practice? If you're using a published edition of a screenplay, the title itself often makes it obvious you're referring to the script. For instance, a citation might look something like this:
Welles, Orson, and Herman J. Mankiewicz. Citizen Kane: The Complete Screenplay. Methuen Publishing, 2002.
See how the title, Citizen Kane: The Complete Screenplay, leaves little room for doubt? It tells you exactly what you're citing.
But what happens when the title could easily be mistaken for the film itself? This is where you get a little creative, or rather, precise. The guidance suggests a couple of ways to handle this. One approach is to add a descriptor to clarify. For example, you might add something like "Screenplay" or "Original Screenplay" after the title, or perhaps within the citation itself, depending on the specific edition and how it's presented. The key is to ensure your reader understands you're referencing the written script, not the cinematic adaptation.
It's also worth remembering that screenplays, like any other book or published work, can be part of a larger collection or a multivolume set. When that happens, the MLA Handbook treats it much like citing any other multivolume work. You'll follow the standard book citation format, making sure to note the specific volume you consulted. The general structure for a full citation on your Works Cited page will typically include the author's name, the title of the work (and subtitle, if applicable), edition information, volume number, publisher, and year of publication. For in-text citations, it's usually the author's last name and the page number, enclosed in parentheses, unless you're incorporating the author's name directly into your sentence, in which case the year might follow.
Ultimately, the goal is to be clear and accurate. You're giving credit where it's due and providing your readers with all the information they need to find the exact source you used. It’s about respecting the work and making your own research transparent and easy to follow. So, next time you're citing a screenplay, just remember to focus on the script as a written document, and you'll be well on your way.