Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as — in metonymy — 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.

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NPR Topics: Arts & Entertainment

'Peanuts' Animator Bill Melendez Dies
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:00:00 -0400
Bill Melendez, the animator who gave life to Snoopy, Charlie Brown and other Peanuts characters on the small and big screens died Tuesday. He was 91. Melendez animated TV specials such as A Charlie Brown Christmas and was the voice of Snoopy.
In 'Spore,' Players Create Civilizations From Cells
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:18:00 -0400
The creator of The Sims has a new game out. In Spore, players create their own worlds — starting from creatures the size of a cell, and evolving until an entire civilization springs up.
Russian Literary Boom Linked To Authoritarianism
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:15:00 -0400
Literary critics feared that after the Soviet collapse, the easy availability of popular romance novels and thrillers would seduce Russian readers away from deeper works. Now they attribute a literary revival to the country's new authoritarianism.

NYT > Arts

The TV Watch: Fancy-Schmancy Kids, Now Much Schmancier
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:51:47 -0000
The new incarnation of “Beverly Hills 90210” debuted on Tuesday, and as with other popular teen dramas, the conceit isn’t fish out of water so much as fish moving into an even bigger swimming pool.
Wanted: A Healthy Cash Infusion for Italy’s Starved Cultural Institutions
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:18:33 -0000
Italy’s new conservative government has slashed arts budgets for the next three years.
A Comic’s Second Life, Despite a Deadly Overdose
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:09:33 -0000
Mitch Hedberg’s final album, “Do You Believe in Gosh?,” offers a chance to hear a comedian whom fans have been missing for more than three years.

Arts & Culture

Joan Acocella: A festival for everyone.
Joan Acocella Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 -0000
For anyone who doesn’t know about it by now, the Fall for Dance Festival is a two-week series that takes place every September, at City Center, and has a notable entry fee: ten dollars a seat, every seat. City Center was once a Shriners auditorium. After our municipality bought . . .
Goings on About Town: Movies
Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 -0000
OPENING AUGUST EVENING A drama, directed by Chris Eska, about several generations of Latino migrant workers in Texas. Opening Sept. 5. (Village East Cinemas.) BANGKOK DANGEROUS Reviewed this week in The Current Cinema. Opening Sept. 5. (In wide release.) EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE ITALIAN Jason Todd Ipson directed this romantic . . .
Goings on About Town: Art
Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 -0000
MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES METROPOLITAN MUSEUM Fifth Ave. at 82nd St. (212-535-7710)--“J. M. W. Turner.” Through Sept. 21. | “Landscapes Clear and Radiant: The Art of Wang Hui (1632-1717).” Opens Sept. 9. | “Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe.” Through Sept. 21. | “Jeff Koons . . .

Christian Science Monitor | Arts & Entertainment

Faking it, artfully
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:00:00 -0500
A Brooklyn museum lifts the curtain on its fake Coptic sculptures and wins praise.
Goodbye Raffi, hello hipster!
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:00:00 -0500
Kid's music gets a rock 'n' roll makeover that soothes adults.
Six Picks: Recommendations from the Monitor staff
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:00:00 -0500
A new CD of foot-stomping gospel, a DVD of classic fairy tales with an irreverent twist, a Spanish author's latest love story, and more.

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