What is Movie: Definition and 283 Discussions

A film, also called a movie, motion picture or moving picture, is a work of visual art used to simulate experiences that communicate ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere through the use of moving images. These images are generally accompanied by sound, and more rarely, other sensory stimulations. The word "cinema", short for cinematography, is often used to refer to filmmaking and the film industry, and to the art form that is the result of it.
The moving images of a film are created by photographing actual scenes with a motion-picture camera, by photographing drawings or miniature models using traditional animation techniques, by means of CGI and computer animation, or by a combination of some or all of these techniques, and other visual effects.
Traditionally, films were recorded onto celluloid film stock through a photochemical process and then shown through a movie projector onto a large screen. Contemporary films are often fully digital through the entire process of production, distribution, and exhibition, while films recorded in a photochemical form traditionally included an analogous optical soundtrack (a graphic recording of the spoken words, music and other sounds that accompany the images which runs along a portion of the film exclusively reserved for it, and is not projected).
Films are cultural artifacts created by 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 educating—or indoctrinating—citizens. The visual basis of film gives it a universal power of communication. Some films have become popular worldwide attractions through the use of dubbing or subtitles to translate the dialog into other languages.
The individual images that make up a film are called frames. In the projection of traditional celluloid films, a rotating shutter causes intervals of darkness as each frame, in turn, is moved into position to be projected, but the viewer does not notice the interruptions because of an effect known as persistence of vision, whereby the eye retains a visual image for a fraction of a second after its source disappears. The perception of motion is partly due to a psychological effect called the phi phenomenon.
The name "film" originates from the fact that photographic film (also called film stock) has historically been the medium for recording and displaying motion pictures. Many other terms exist for an individual motion-picture, including picture, picture show, moving picture, photoplay, and flick. The most common term in the United States is movie, while in Europe film is preferred. Common terms for the field in general include the big screen, the silver screen, the movies, and cinema; the last of these is commonly used, as an overarching term, in scholarly texts and critical essays. In early years, the word sheet was sometimes used instead of screen. 'Film' in general is not a good term to refer to a long standard commercial video production since it’s ambiguous in general and therefore requires context for correct interpretation.

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  1. M

    Best Science Fiction Movie ever

    Hey PF.. What do you think is the best Science Fiction movie(s) ever? Thanks :)
  2. F

    Is Jim Carrey's Latest Movie All About the Number 23 and Math?

    & here I was thinking there was nothing special about the number 23 except that it's a prime. (actually wikipedia has a bunch of stuff on it) :rolleyes: My first thought was that it's a movie that tries to be about math but actually isn't & therefore will mislead people as to what math is...
  3. DaveC426913

    S/w to turn still images into movie

    I've got a sequence of illustrated images that I want to run as an animation. What is an easy shareware way to do this? (It is a simple cell animation sequence that I once did.) I've got a gif animator program but my images are large and plentiful (say, 320x240 x 100 frames).
  4. Cyrus

    Rocky Balboa: A Classic Movie Worth Watching

    I saw that movie today with some friends. That movie is a classic, it was awesome. What a great movie. I thought it was going to be crap, but it wasnt. Go watch this movie, you will get your moneys worth...
  5. C

    Why the 'Matrix Movie' is unrealistic

    I'm going to keep this thread rooted in science, please post replies on topic. I know the movie the Matix brings a lot of creative people and discussions whenever its mentioned, so let's try to keep that passion grounded in realistic terms. That said, here is a reason why I think the movie...
  6. edward

    News This movie should not be shown in the USA

    Death of a President http://www.nbc5.com/politics/10177457/detail.html It is against the law to threaten the president, yet some how this fictional UK documentary mockumentary of Bush being assassinated can be shown.:rolleyes: This thing may bring a lot of nuts out of their shells...
  7. H

    Guess Movie: Simple Snap Challenge

    so what i am going to do is put the snap from some movie and you have to guess the name of the movie...i will keep on increasing the snaps until you guess it...so let's see who really is conscious while watching movies...here goes my first one...a very simple one!
  8. S

    Parallel worlds movie on Dr.Kaku's website

    I was watching the Parallel worlds movie on Dr.Kaku's website and I got to thinking. Just because it is utterly impossible to pinpoint the positions of atomic particles doesn't mean they flicker into and out of other dimensions. They could just move very rapidly Making them just look like...
  9. H

    Mission: Impossible - The Movie

    Mission: Impossible -- The Movie i am currently working on a summer assignment that involves me finding 2 examples of good and bad physics and back it up with concepts/laws. The movie i was given was Mission Impossible. The scenes i think have physics are when the helicopter is in the...
  10. JamesU

    Horrors of the Movie Theater: 2020 Edition

    I went to see pulse in theaters today, someo of the worst acting I have ever seen...The priginal was 100x better then again, most movies this year have sucked unimaginably...:frown: (date movie, scary movie 4, etc.) I have also recenty come across cheerleader ninjas, don't watch that...
  11. Cyrus

    News Why We Fight Movie: Must-Watch Eye-Opening Film

    I just finished watching the movie tonight. Man, all I can say is that you *MUST* go out and rent this movie and watch it. Amazing stuff! It will open your eyes to what eisenhower predicted in terms of the American Military Industrial complex. We are becoming the Romans, aye carmba! :bugeye:
  12. P

    Solving Video Movie Problem: Winamp Issues

    hey guys, Here is the problem...i downloaded a video in avi. format...I played it in winamp and it worked well...Then i transferred it to my laptop and tried to play it in winamp and all that happens is that i can hear the sound and see no video...whats happening? All other videos work...
  13. marlon

    Want to See Marlon's Short Movie?

    Hey guys, Since i all know i am going to be a "star actor" (please no laughing now). I give you this link of a movie in which i played. It is made by students from Sint Lukas in Bruxelles. Ok, the movie is very short and it is in Dutch but i think that the plot should be clear if you...
  14. V

    Innacurate movie physics project

    Hi, I am in 11th grade and am currently in my first year of physics. I need to use Coulomb's laws to prove that creating a repulsive force of 110833 Newtons would take an impossible amount of energy to generate...but its not really that simple, please read on. Our teacher recently assigned us...
  15. fargoth

    A nice flash movie called the wand

    a nice flash movie called "the wand" http://www.extremefunnyhumor.com/animation.php?id=86 i liked the second ending :biggrin:
  16. siddharth

    Favorite Movie Ending: "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Borrowing from Mk's thread, what's your favorite movie ending? I absolutely loved the climax of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly I especially like the music when Tuco searches the graveyard.
  17. J

    Movie about kid travelling at the speed of light

    Do you guys remember that movie about that kid that got onto an ailien spacecract and traveled through space near the speed of light and when he came back it was like 25 years later? What was then name of that movie?
  18. D

    Java Creating a Movie of My Java Animation: Flying Ball

    I have a java animation- a ball flying up and down. Please help me to turn it into a movie because I want to see how it is played in winmedia player
  19. N

    Is James L. Brooks Producing The Simpsons Movie?

    http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/thesimpsonsmovie/
  20. DaveC426913

    Decisons decisions - Friday night movie

    I am of two-minds about seeing V for Vendetta; I have some trepidation about it. I am pretty gun-shy about action/adventure/sci-fi movies these days; lately I'm finding a tendency toward Ritalin-soaked video games with the story depth to match (not that I've shied away from high-action...
  21. K

    Have You Ever Seen a Movie About Engineers?

    I saw movies with mathematicians, physicists, biologists... but i never saw a movie depicting engineers.This movie actually actually tries to show engineers in a positive light. I can t remember the last time there was a movie like this. Most often, engineers are depicted in the backgroud.
  22. jimmy p

    Surviving the Fall: The Physics of Cliffhanger's Epic Ending

    I'm not sure if a similar question has been asked before but here goes. I was watching Cliffhanger the other night, and right at the end, the John Lithgow character plummets to his doom on top of helicopter. This sparked a discussion with my housemate as to whether he could survive the fall...
  23. C

    What's Everyone's Favorite Movie?

    So what is everybody's favorite movie?
  24. JamesU

    My Movie Challenge: 7 Films I've Seen

    I suck at it. I have 7 so far http://www.funwithmovies.com/
  25. Ivan Seeking

    Roving Mars: IMAX movie coming soon

    Sounds like a must see. The first movie about and staring real Martians! :biggrin: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/rovingmars/
  26. Greg Bernhardt

    What are the Top Ten Movie Classics Pre-1975?

    I've been hooked on AMC the last few days and wondered what everyones top ten movie classics are (pre '75)? Roman Holiday Dr. Strangelove Julius Caesar Sunset Boulevard 12 Angry Men Casablanca High Noon Seven Samurai Chinatown Sullivan's Travels
  27. Pengwuino

    How did the army soldiers wake up and attack after the gas attack in Goldfinger?

    Well I am watching it on AMC right now and something puzzled me (I guess i looked away). How did all the army people all of a sudden wake up after the gas attack and attack them knowing exactly what the bad dude's plan was?
  28. Pengwuino

    Munich: Awesome movie or was it? I dunno

    I'm kinda confused on how I'm suppose to feel about this movie! What makes a good movie? I left wondering what happened to like... 5 of the characters in the movie... there was this huge web of lies and connections and inter-related interests... and none of them really were explored! So is a...
  29. Pengwuino

    Anyone going to see Munich? (movie)

    It looks pretty neat! I'm already hearing people say its inaccurate as hell but oh well! Now the problem is... who the heck can I take to this movie? I mean its pretty much about a bunch of assassinations and i can't figure out any girl who would think "wooo assassinations and middle east...
  30. S

    Back to the future - the movie

    sorry, I don't think I'm posting this thread in the right section, but then I'm not sure which section this thread belongs to I would really like to discuss the movie "Back to the Future (1985)" coz I just saw it ... btw something I couldn't understand was the significance of 88 miles...
  31. Astronuc

    Movie - Joe Satriani and G3 LIVE IN TOKYO - THEATRE SCREENING ONE NIGHT ONLY OCT 25

    Not a live performance :frown: ALL LOCATIONS ARE ON SALE NOW: New York (Farmingdale) - Farmingdale Multiplex in Long Island http://www.movietickets.com/pre_purchase.asp?house_id=1095&movie_id=51759&showdate=7 Los Angeles - Universal CityWalk Theatres...
  32. I

    Is 'Proof' a Must-See Movie for Math Enthusiasts?

    http://imdb.com/title/tt0377107/ Anybody seen that? It's one of the few movies out there with the word "math" in it
  33. Lisa!

    Which movie or movie character reminds you of someone in your life?

    I think all of you remember honestrosewater's thread. Now I want to know hwich movie or movie character(even actor or actress) reminds you of each other? Danger: The Hustler yomamma: Home alone arildno: Serpico Greg: Harry Potter (can't say :blushing: ) : Gone with the wind Mr Wolram...
  34. J

    Did the movie Pi really have a government conspiracy involving brain implants?

    Has anyone ever seen this movie? It really is not all that great, and in one scene the main character, which is a mathmatician, is describing the number phi and the logarithmic spiral, but for some reason he calls it theta instead of phi. I don't know if that is completely incorrect, or if...
  35. Q

    Have You Seen 'The Movie Proof'? Is It About a Physicist?

    Has anyone seen it? Is it good? I heard it was about a physicst or something.
  36. S

    Independant Film Maker talks about Movie Piracy

    http://www.undergroundfilm.org/films/detail.tcl?wid=1017942 :biggrin: :tongue: :approve: :tongue2: :rofl:
  37. A

    How do Nuclear Submarines work in the James Bond movie

    I was watching a movie the other day, 007: The World is Not Enough In the movie a well known terrorist, Renard, stole weapons grade plutonium. He sent 6 Kilos to waste on Elektra's pipeline, and the other 6 Kilos he is going to use in a Nuclear submarines reactor. I just wanted to know, what...
  38. Pengwuino

    Worst movie physics/common sense

    Ok let's have some fun here :D What do you consider the #1 bad physics/common sense movie. Which movie demonstrates the absolute worst ideas about physics or that absolutely insults its viewers by how improbable various sequences are? Independance day is absolutely #1 for me. Right off the...
  39. T

    What If the South Had Won the Civil War?

    Movie trailers... First, I would not recommend these to someone still on a 56k modem... For the first trailer we have a movie that I think the math people here will enjoy.. http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/proof.html And here is something that is pretty interesting...what would...
  40. S

    Open Water Movie: Was that a Camera?

    Movie " Open Water" I saw movie "Open Water" about american couple and how they were stranded at sea while diving, great movie anyway. but i have a question : was that yellow thing attached to his diving gear a underwater camera ? if yes then they should use camera flash light to signal...
  41. P

    Best Movie Scenes: The Classics

    lets talk the best movie scenes of all time. here's a few of my favorites: -The Sandlot: the scene where the kid with the glasses trys to put the moves of the lifeguard. -Ferris Buelers day off: The scene at the end of the movie where cameron's dad's sweet car is up on the jacks, and he...
  42. marlon

    Greatest movie characters ever

    Just wondering which actors played the very best movie characters and why... Mine are ofcourse Brando as Don Vito Corleone, but that will be the same for many of us, so let us not go too deep into that. However, apart from that, i found the Antonio Salieri character, played by F Murray...
  43. V

    Can James Bond realistically catch a falling plane on a motorcycle in Goldeneye?

    Near the beginning of the movie there is a scene when Bond drives a motorcycle off a runway at the end of a cliff chasing a pilot-less plane that has fallen a second or two earlier. From there, he proceeds to fall as he closes the gap between himself and the plane, manages to get inside the and...
  44. zoobyshoe

    What's the inside scoop on the upcoming Physics Forums movie?

    Here's the inside scoop on the backroom wheeling and dealing going on as we speak concerning Robert Altman's upcoming project, Physics Forums: For reasons that should be obvious to anyone who has seen Contact, Ivan Seeking will be played by Jodie Foster. The lovely, mischievous Math Is Hard...
  45. H

    Smithsonian to Screen a Movie That Makes a Case Against Evolution

    http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/28/national/28smithsonian.html Sell-outs. :grumpy: I can't believe this.
  46. N

    Can a House Survive a 747 Engine Falling From 35,000 Feet?

    After watching Donnie Darko I was curious about a scene where a 747 Jet Engine (just the engine) falls out of the sky and onto the corner of a rather large suburban house. In the movie the house was intact (minus some damage to the side it landed on). Assuming something like this happened in...
  47. Ivan Seeking

    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; the movie

    http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/thehitchhikersguidetothegalaxy.html
  48. D

    I'm wondering about a movie.

    On t.v, I saw part of a movie, or what looked to be a movie. Anyway, there was a tribe of North Americans living in an idyllic atmosphere. They communicated with a series of clicks, and they were uninfluenced by technology; furthermore, they were unaware of the metropolis several miles away...
  49. P

    Meet the Fockers: Movie Review and Critique

    Okay, I'm doing a movie review, and I need some helpful critiquing on how to perfect it. Thanks for any help you can provide. Thanks ***************************************************** Before you even buy your ticket for Meet the Fockers, you know you are in for a lot of “focker” puns...
  50. Gokul43201

    Explore the Uproar Around Shark Tale: Spielberg's Mafia-Themed Animated Movie

    Anyone seen the Spielberg/Dreamworks animated movie, Shark Tale ? It's causing a bit of an uproar. The plot involves parodies of several pop culture staples - Jaws, The Godfather, etc. It's a mafia themed movie, set in the world of saltwater fish - the story of what happens when the son...
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