An Original Film

A citation for an original film (for a video or DVD see examples below) usually begins with the title, underlined, and includes the director, distributor, and year of release.  Other important data such as names of performers may be included.

It's a Wonderful Life. Dir. Frank Capra.  Perf. James Stewart, Donna

          Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and Thomas Mitchell.  RKO, 1946.

Like Water for Chocolate (Como Agua para Chocolate). Screenplay

          by Laura Esquivel.  Dir.Alfonso Arau.  Perf. Lumi Cavazos,

          Marco Lombardi, and Regina Torne.  Miramax, 1993.

A Videocassette, DVD, Laser Disc, etc.

A videocassette, DVD, laser disc, slide program or filmstrip is cited like a film or videorecording, but the original release date (if relevant) should be included and the medium (DVD, videocassette) is entered before the name of the distributor.

It's a Wonderful Life. Dir. Frank Capra.  Perf. James Stewart, Donna

     Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and Thomas Mitchell.  1946.  DVD. 

     Republic, 1998.

Don Carlo.  By Guiseppe Verdi.  Dir. Franco Zeffirelli.  Perf. Luciano

     Pavarotti and Samuel Ramey.  La Scala Orch. And Chorus. 

     Cond. Riccardo Muti.  Videocassette.  EMI, 1994.