A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still images which, when shown on a screen, creates the illusion of moving images due to the phi phenomenon. This optical illusion causes the audience to perceive continuous motion between separate objects viewed rapidly in succession. A film is created by photographing actual scenes enacted by actors with a motion picture camera or on HD; by photographing drawings or miniature models using traditional animation techniques; by means of CGI (Computer generated images) and computer animation; or by a combination of some or all of these techniques and other visual effects. The word "cinema" is often used to refer to the industry of films and filmmaking or to the art of filmmaking itself. The contemporary definition of cinema is the art of simulating experiences to communicate ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty or atmosphere by the means of recorded or programmed moving images along with other sensory stimulations.
The process of filmmaking is both an art and an industry.
Films were originally recorded onto plastic film which was shown through a movie projector onto a large screen (in other words, an analog recording process). The adoption of CGI-based special effects led to the use of digital intermediates. Most contemporary films are now fully digital through the entire process of production, distribution, and exhibition from start to finish.
Films are cultural artifacts created by and for specific cultures. They reflect those cultures, and, in turn, affect them. Film is considered to be an important art form, a source of popular entertainment, and a powerful medium for education — or indoctrinating— citizens. The visual basis of film gives it a universal power of communication.
The necessary steps for almost any film can be boiled down to conception, planning, execution, revision, and distribution.
Film production consists of five major stages:
Development — The first stage in which the ideas for the film are created, rights to books/plays are bought etc., and the screenplay is written. Financing for the project has to be sought and green lit.
Pre-production — Preparations are made for the shoot, in which cast and film crew are hired, locations are selected, and sets are built.
Production —The raw elements for the film are recorded during the film shoot.
Post-production — The images, sound, and visual effects of the recorded film are edited.
Distribution — The finished film is distributed and screened in cinemas and/or released to home video.
.jpg)