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filmmaking
Filmmakers use the same basic tools and techniques to produce most types of movies, from full-length features (which are the major motion-picture format), to short films, documentaries (which present and interpret factual material), and educational films. All motion pictures are based on an illusion of motion made possible by a phenomenon called persistence of vision. -
the film
The film on which images are made is a base strip of either cellulose acetate (a synthetic, plant-based material) or, more recently, Mylar or other polyester. The film base is coated with a light-sensitive mixture called an emulsion that retains images. This emulsion is a gelatin containing tiny undissolved crystals of silver halide. Film used to produce movies in color is coated with multiple layers of emulsion that are sensitive to different colors of the spectrum. -
the brain
The brain holds onto a visual impression for 1/16 to 1/10 of a second after the eye has stopped looking at an illuminated image. When a series of pictures of an object is presented in rapid succession with the position of the object slightly altered in each picture, the brain links the different pictures into one continuous image, creating the illusion that the object is moving. -
finished movie
In a finished movie, all sound is provided by a soundtrack that is part of the film. The sound track runs the length of the film on one side, parallel to the photographed images. But motion-picture sound is not originally recorded on the film with the images. The sound technician, or recording, records the dialogue and other sound produced during filming on quarter-inch magnetic tape, just like that used in the music recording industry. -
chief parts
The chief parts of the projector are the picture head and the sound head. The film is fed continuously into the projector from its reel in the upper magazine. At regularly spaced start-and-stop intervals, a device (either a mechanical claw or an intermittent sprocket) draws the film past the lens of the picture head. As each frame comes into position behind the lens, it is held still for an instant. -
essence
In essence, a film subject is no different from the subject of any other storytelling art. It may, for example, focus on past, present, or future events, feature a group of people or an individual, or portray social conditions or the influence of an idea. Subjects may be treated romantically or analytically, realistically or as fantasy, or in any number of other ways. -
the director
The director is traditionally the person who has creative control over the production of a film. Directors translate the material in the script into a motion picture. They guide the composition of shots, the lighting of scenes, and the film’s overall pace and rhythm. The director is the one person who must have a complete view of the film project. The director works with and shapes the contributions of virtually everyone involved, to give the final film a consistent look and meaning.