This article is about motion pictures. For other uses of "film", see photographic film or film (disambiguation).
"Film" refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. This type of film here is 8mm.
Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects,
as well as the field in general. The origin of the name comes from the
fact that photographic film (also called filmstock) has historically
been the primary medium for recording and displaying motion pictures.
Many other terms exist — motion pictures (or just pictures or
"picture"), the silver screen, photoplays, the cinema, picture shows,
flicks — and commonly movies.
Films are produced by recording actual people and objects with cameras,
or by creating them using animation techniques and/or special effects.
They comprise a series of individual frames, but when these images are
shown rapidly in succession, the illusion of motion is given to the
viewer. Flickering between frames is not seen due to an effect known as
persistence of vision — whereby the eye retains a visual image
for a fraction of a second after the source has been removed. Also of
relevance is what causes the perception of motion — a
psychological effect identified as beta movement.
Film is considered by many to be an important art form; films
entertain, educate, enlighten and inspire audiences. The visual
elements of cinema need no translation, giving the motion picture a
universal power of communication. Any film can become a worldwide
attraction, especially with the addition of dubbing or subtitles that
translate the dialogue. Films are also artifacts created by specific
cultures, which reflect those cultures, and, in turn, affect them.
The making and showing of motion pictures became a source of profit
almost as soon the process was invented. Upon seeing how successful
their new invention, and its product, was in their native France, the
Lumieres quickly set about touring the Continent to exhibit the first
films privately to royalty and publicly to the masses. In each country,
they would normally add new, local scenes to their catalogue and,
quickly enough, found local entrepreneurs in the various countries of
Europe to buy their equipment and photograph, export, import and screen
additional product commercially. The Oberammergau Passion play of 1898
was the first commercial motion picture ever produced. Other pictures
soon followed, and motion pictures became a separate industry that
overshadowed the vaudeville world. Dedicated theaters and companies
formed specifically to produce and distribute films, while motion
picture actors became major celebrities and commanded huge fees for
their performances. Already by 1917, Charlie Chaplin had a contract
that called for an annual salary of one million dollars.
In the United States today, much of the film industry is centered
around Hollywood. Other regional centers exist in many parts of the
world, and the Indian film industry (primarily centered around
"Bollywood") annually produces the largest number of films in the
world. Whether the ten thousand plus features a year produced by the
Valley porn industry should qualify for this title is the source of
some debate. Though the expense involved in making movies has led
cinema production to concentrate under the auspices of movie studios,
recent advances in affordable film making equipment have allowed
independent film productions to flourish.
Profit is a key force in the industry, due to the costly nature of
filmmaking; yet many filmmakers strive to create works of lasting
social significance. The Academy Awards (also known as The Oscars) are
the most prominent film awards in the United States, providing
recognition each year to films, ostensibly based on their artistic
merits. Also, film quickly came to be used in education, in lieu of or
in addition to lectures and texts.
