How to Capitalize Movie and TV Show Titles
Learn how to capitalize movie and TV show titles using APA, MLA, Chicago, and AP rules, with examples for subtitles, series names, episodes, and stylized titles.
Movie and television titles are easy to recognize but not always easy to format. A film poster may use all caps. A streaming platform may preserve unusual studio styling. An academic paper may require title case. A news article may follow AP. A citation may add italics or quotation marks according to the type of work.
The capitalization question is therefore only one part of the task. First decide which editorial style controls the writing. Then apply the correct capitalization and typography.
General Title Case for Movies and TV Shows
In ordinary title case, major words are capitalized.
These normally include:
- The first word
- The last word
- Nouns
- Pronouns
- Verbs
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
- Proper names
- The first word of a subtitle
Articles, conjunctions, and some prepositions remain lowercase in the middle according to the selected style.
Example:
a story of love and loss
may become:
A Story of Love and Loss
Movie Posters Are Not Style Manuals
Film artwork is designed for visual impact. A poster can show:
THE LAST CITY
or:
the last city
without telling you how a scholarly paper or article should capitalize the title.
When you write the title in prose, use the required style rather than copying the poster typography blindly.
The same principle applies to streaming thumbnails.
Movie Titles With Articles
Articles such as “a,” “an,” and “the” are usually lowercase in the middle but capitalized when they begin the title.
Examples:
The Road Home
A Place in the Sun
Searching for the Answer
If an article starts a subtitle, capitalize it there too.
Prepositions in Movie Titles
Prepositions reveal style differences.
Input:
the girl with the camera
APA:
The Girl With the Camera
AP:
The Girl With the Camera
Chicago:
The Girl with the Camera
MLA:
The Girl with the Camera
“With” has four letters, so APA and AP capitalize it, while Chicago and MLA generally keep it lowercase as a preposition.
Input:
a story about tomorrow
APA:
A Story About Tomorrow
AP:
A Story About Tomorrow
Chicago:
A Story About Tomorrow
MLA:
A Story about Tomorrow
Movie Subtitles
Franchises often use subtitles.
Example:
The Last City: A New Beginning
The first word after the colon is capitalized because it begins the subtitle.
A subtitle can contain its own minor words:
The Last City: A Journey through Time
Under MLA, “through” is generally lowercase as a preposition. Under Chicago 18, “Through” would be capitalized because it has five or more letters.
Numbered Sequels
Numbers do not have uppercase or lowercase forms.
Examples:
City Nights 2
Chapter 4: The Return
The words around the number follow normal title capitalization.
Roman numerals should be preserved as numerals rather than being changed by the case tool.
TV Series Titles
A television series title is treated as the title of a standalone work in many editorial systems.
Example:
Stories from the City
The exact title case depends on the style.
If the series uses a trademarked or deliberately unusual title, verify the official form before normalizing it.
Episode Titles
Episode titles are different from series titles in typography.
In many academic and editorial systems, the television series name is italicized while the individual episode title appears in quotation marks.
Capitalization can still use title case for the episode title where the style requires it.
Example structure:
Series Name, “Episode Title”
The capitalization tool handles the words. Your citation or publication style determines italics and quotation marks.
APA Movie and TV Capitalization
APA uses title case for titles of works when they are mentioned in the body of a paper. In a reference list, the title element may use sentence case depending on the type of source.
That means a film referenced in prose may appear as:
The Story of Modern Cinema
while its reference title can follow APA sentence case rules:
The story of modern cinema
The exact reference entry also includes format and production information according to APA requirements.
MLA Movie and TV Capitalization
MLA applies title style to English language titles.
Prepositions are generally lowercase in the middle, regardless of length.
Movie and television series titles are normally italicized as standalone works, while episode titles are normally placed in quotation marks.
Again, typography is separate from capitalization.
Chicago Movie and TV Capitalization
Chicago 18 applies its current title case rules, including capitalization of prepositions with five letters or more.
Example:
A Journey Through Time
“Through” is capitalized under Chicago 18.
If you find an older Chicago example showing A Journey through Time, check which edition it follows.
AP Movie and TV Capitalization
AP composition title rules capitalize principal words and words of four letters or more. In news writing, composition titles such as movies and TV shows are commonly placed in quotation marks under AP conventions.
A news organization's internal style can add exceptions.
Titles With Brand Names
A title may contain a brand, product, platform, or company name.
Examples:
Growing Up With YouTube
Inside OpenAI
The Story of iPhone Photography
Recognized names should retain their established capitalization.
A converter that turns YouTube into Youtube reduces accuracy.
All Caps and Lowercase Artistic Titles
Some filmmakers and studios deliberately style a title in all caps or lowercase.
If you are discussing the work in a context that prioritizes official styling, preserving that form may be appropriate.
If your required academic or journal style normalizes titles, follow the manual instead.
The question is not whether the artist's styling is “wrong.” It is which convention controls your document.
Foreign Language Titles
Do not apply English title case automatically to titles in other languages.
Many languages use sentence style capitalization. Some capitalize nouns differently. Some scripts do not have letter case in the English sense.
If the title is foreign language material, follow the language convention and the citation style.
Common Mistakes
Capitalizing every small word
The Story Of A City
is not normal title case in most styles.
Copying a poster exactly
Design typography does not automatically determine editorial capitalization.
Treating a series and episode identically
They may use different quotation or italics rules.
Destroying official brand case
Keep recognized names intact.
Using old Chicago rules
Chicago 18 changed capitalization for longer prepositions.
Movie and TV Title Checklist
- Identify the required style.
- Confirm the official title.
- Decide whether official stylization should be preserved.
- Capitalize the first word.
- Apply major word rules.
- Handle prepositions correctly.
- Capitalize the subtitle opening.
- Preserve proper names and acronyms.
- Apply italics or quotation marks separately.
- Check episode and series formatting if both appear.
Related Resources
- Use the Title Case Converter
- How to Capitalize a Book Title: Rules and Examples
- How to Capitalize Song Titles Correctly
- How to Capitalize Subtitles: Colons and Punctuation Explained
Frequently Asked Questions
Are movie titles always capitalized in title case?
Not always. Display designs can use any styling, and APA references often use sentence case for title elements. Use the style required by the context.
Is “with” capitalized in a movie title?
APA and AP generally capitalize “With.” Chicago and MLA generally lowercase it as a preposition in the middle.
Should TV episode titles be italicized?
Many styles use quotation marks for individual episode titles and italics for the series title. Check the required citation style.
Should I copy capitalization from Netflix or another streaming platform?
It can help identify official styling, but it does not replace the capitalization rules of APA, MLA, Chicago, AP, or your publisher.