16 Writing About Film

When writing about film, in an academic class, such as Hum 1003, always do the following:

• Write in present tense
• Italicize film titles
• Use only articles with named authors, except for articles from the International Movie Data Base. Those are acceptable as they are
• reviewed by experts.
• Avoid reference to the reader. In academic writing it is important not to tell the reader what they see, feel, or think. Avoid use of words like, “you,” “we,” and “our.” Keep in mind that, here is no problem with you telling the reader what you see, feel or think.

Always share themes in statement form. In other words, don’t tell the reader what a film explores but what it means! “The film is about the tragedy of war.” is a topic, while “The film demonstrates that war is tragic.” is a theme. “The film explores the price of war” is a topic. “The film demonstrates the human cost of war.” is a theme.

• Use in-text citations, formatted in MLA style.
• Include a Works Cited in MLA format.

Indent after the first line of each Work Cited entry. This keeps them clearly separated.

• Cite use of Ai if you have an assistive technology accommodation or if your instructor allows use of Ai.