How to Cite Sources in SBL and Format Papers: Motion Pictures/Videos

Note: Examples shown on this page follow Turabian style guide rather than CMOS for issues not covered in the SBL manual.  You can follow either guide's formatting in such cases, per the SBL Student Supplement. 

Some Basics:

1. Citations for multimedia will vary in interpretation of the guidelines and are more fluid in that guidance for formatting than for books and articles.  At a minimum, "identify the title of the work, the date it was created or published or otherwise made available, the name of the studio or other entity responsible for producing or distributing the work, and information about the medium in which you consulted it.  If you consulted the source online, include a URL" (Turabian - 9th ed., p. 208).  Some examples given in the manual for movies also include timings (length) and they are included in this guide. Video length is included in examples in the manual for all videos such as YouTube videos.

2.Tips on citing films: Films are in the notes by the title of the film. The film may appear on the reference page under the title or the name of the director. In general, the title of the film is listed first and is in italics. This is followed by the name of the director, the name of the company that produced or distributed the movie, and the year the film was released (or made). Add information about writers, producers, or actors if they are relevant to your text. Finish with medium and timings from the source. If watched online, include the URL.

3. A citation for a YouTube video generally includes information on the following: Author/creator name, Video title, Publication or creation date, Publishing/creating entity (if applicable), Information about the medium, Video duration, Video URL. For YouTube videos without a known author/creator, use the channel name. If the title or subtitle ends with an exclamation point or question mark, do not place a period or comma after it.

4. Citing the medium is optional in shortened citations.