Chapter 7: Manuscript Form, Citations & Film Writing Style

Manuscript Form, Citations & Film Writing Style begins by outlining the fundamental physical requirements of a manuscript, including the use of standard 8.5-by-11-inch paper, one-inch to one-and-a-half-inch margins, and double-spacing throughout the text—except for long, indented quotations. The text provides specific instructions for formatting the essay title, noting that it should be centered and creative, with film titles italicized and short works or quotations within the title placed in quotation marks. A significant portion of the chapter is dedicated to the proper integration of quotations, distinguishing between short passages incorporated into the prose and longer excerpts (exceeding four lines) which must be indented, stripped of quotation marks, and typically introduced by a colon. Detailed rules are provided for handling punctuation relative to quotation marks, noting that in standard American usage, periods and commas reside inside the closing marks, while colons and semicolons sit outside. The chapter further elucidates technical editing tools, such as using square brackets to insert clarifications within a quote and ellipses to signify omitted text, ensuring the writer maintains grammatical coherence without altering the original meaning. The summary moves into the critical importance of academic integrity, defining the boundaries of plagiarism and explaining when to acknowledge sources versus when information—such as the general characteristics of Italian Neorealism—counts as "common knowledge" that requires no citation. It details the specific documentation protocols based on the MLA style, explaining the logic of parenthetical citations (author and page number) and how they link to the comprehensive "Works Cited" list at the end of the paper. The construction of this bibliographic list is explained in depth, covering the formatting of various sources including books, multi-author works, anthologies, online articles, and audiovisual materials like DVDs, all of which must be alphabetized and formatted with a hanging indent. Finally, the chapter addresses common conventions of usage in film writing, such as the preference for italicizing foreign terms (like mise-en-scene) unless they are Anglicized, the logic for choosing between original foreign titles and English translations, the necessity of avoiding sexist language by using gender-neutral terms, and the importance of final proofreading to catch spelling errors in directors' names or titles.