A
film, also called a
movie,
motion picture or
photoplay, 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 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. The word "cinema", short for
cinematography, 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.
