Television, Radio Program, or Music Video
MLA:
Audioslave. “Doesn’t Remind Me.” Out of Exile. Interscope, 2005. Music Video.
[author.] [“program title.”] [album or series title.] [production company, year.] [format.]
Dir. Chris Milk. MTV. 20 Dec 2005.
[Dir. director.] [broadcast network.] [broadcast date.]APA:
Milk, C. (Director). (2005, December 20). Doesn’t Remind Me [Music Video].
[director or producer.] [(broadcast date).] [program title] [[format.]]
In Audioslave (Performer & Writer), Out of Exile. New York: MTV Networks.
[In producer (role),] [album or series title.] [viewing city: broadcast network.]Chicago:
29. Audioslave, “Doesn’t Remind Me.”
[fn. #.] [author,] [”title.”]
[Shortened Chicago reference; see More Notes on Chicago Style for more information.]
Conventions for citing television and radio productions are less fixed than those for print and even many online sources. This ambiguity is caused in part by the group nature of such productions: even if you identify a writer, producer, or director, a performance almost never has the single authorship of a written text or image. Your citation should always include the same basic elements (as described below), but their order can vary—especially concerning the first item listed.
A solid basic format includes title, director’s name, and the name of one or two lead performers. Also include the broadcast network and release date. If you’re working from a video or DVD, MLA style adds the word “Videocassette” or “DVD,” followed by the release date of the video. Note that APA style includes the city where the program was aired, because some programs are modified for different markets.
MODIFIED FORMAT
But because academic essays may focus on different aspects of a radio or television production, citation conventions can vary. This is especially true of MLA style, which will be more common in courses where you analyze these programs. If you focus primarily on one person’s work in the production, you may decide to list by that name, followed by an abbreviation of their role. Then list the title and the rest of the information described above. (Example below in MLA style; adjust as needed for other styles.)
Morello, Thomas B., perf. “Doesn’t Remind Me.” Audioslave. Out of Exile. Interscope, 2005. Music Video. Dir. Chris Milk. MTV. 20 Dec 2005.
Note: If substantial time has passed between the original air date and the date you viewed the program, you may want to list the original date just after the title, leaving the date you viewed at the end of the citation. Similarly, if you’re working from a video or DVD, include the original broadcast date after the title, add the title of the collection, then add the word “Videocassette” or “DVD” to the end of the listing, followed by the release date of the video. Most listings for commercial recordings or a program would also leave out the original broadcast network, including instead the name of the company that released the collection. (Example below in MLA style; adjust as needed for other styles.)
Lauper, Cyndi. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” 1984. Music Video. Dir. Edd Griles. 12 Deadly Cyns... And Then Some. DVD. Sony, 2000.
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