Film

The film is an art form that finds its expression in the production of moving images. In general, the images are projected by a projector in the dark on a screen or generated onto a screen. Nowadays, it is in the films of the cinema and television mostly color images, which are set to music and accompanied by music. The film is one of the topics of film theory and film theory. The technical, cultural and artistic development of this optical medium from its beginnings end of the 19th century to the present is shown in detail in film history.

Term

Originally meant by film (English movie, " cuticle " ), a thin layer (eg, an oil film ), or a thin film. With the invention of photography and the transition of the photographic plate to the flexible support of nitrocellulose for the photographic emulsion, the term was used for this film elastic photographs. Also called scenes of moving images on film such material, until finally the whole art form as film ( cinematography ) was called. Today also derivatives such as film, the film industry and film industry are common.

The original word for ' films ' but is Cinematography ( to Greek kinematic, motion, cf kinematics and chromatography, record '), the analog form to phonography, sound recording '. For this word as shortening the term cinema, movie theater ' ( play of light work of cinematic art ', this word is also a contemporary formation of the early years of the film to play ) developed.

, Films ' even goes beyond the concepts of film (art) or cinema in the modern sense and is commonly used for the recording of all moving image documents - often without film as a recording or playback medium. For feature films without film, the digital cinema camera is used for television and video in the private sector is now often filmed with a mobile phone or digital camera. In fact, today the majority of all recorded moving images and the resulting film works produced without film in the sense of the photographic medium. It has been said regarding this change in language use comes from the director George Lucas - "I will probably never ever shoot another film on film".

History

Social significance

In today's society the film is in essence to three meanings: first, as a mass medium for information and awareness-raising; secondly - because the production of professional films usually a considerable technical and financial resources means - an economic importance; and thirdly, as a genre with its own distinctive aspects.

Especially for the early history of the film, with mixed reactions as to whether the film is now regarded as a simple medium for entertainment or as a new art form. A film- theoretical work in 1928 reported:

" As we can see, that is involved in the film production professionals are separated into two large, almost hostile camps. The one seen in the film is nothing but a currently very passable means to make lucrative business, a commodity to be adapting to the wishes of intermediaries or consumers; the others look at the play of light as a new area for the creative design will, as a means of forming new and exploitation of life-forces, in short, as a new art. Cheaper way you have to accept both points of view, after all, one can observe the dichotomy between art and business creation and operation, collection and dispersal, plant and goods in the other branches of art. "

Film as a mass medium

The film can be viewed at all since the 20th century as one of the most important mass media, both in the form of cinema as well as in the form of television. He will thus become one of the most important elements of modern culture become ever. So fictional movie characters, film-like behaviors, clichés and stereotypes, but also the exploration of new pictorial perception and experience spaces in the age of mass distribution of the film have become an integral part of popular culture and characterize these decisive. Has always been the medium of film is connected with the culture of the masses, which are, it was surrendered willingly shared in the cinema or individually in the living room, from the beginning; the motion picture industry - described by critics as the " culture industry " - has responded early on this mass compatibility of the film and those known to employ them with corresponding "light" productions as " mass-produced " commercial. Nevertheless, room for cinematic experiments and artistic developments beyond the classic " narrative cinema " was also in Hollywood movies again and again, even if the experimental film in the strict sense only outside the established operation was possible.

Film as an art form

The film in its various expression types is contrary to human curiosity and the need for entertainment. For the spectator offer fictional entertainment films called movies, the opportunity to immerse themselves in an imaginary fantasy world where the rules of everyday life are turned upside down. Psychoanalytic film theories emphasize in particular the relationship of the film images with the images of the dream that give both the audience and the dreamer the opportunity to relax.

For those involved in the direct production of the film actors - especially the actors, the director, the scriptwriter or the cameraman, but also the cutter, the composer of film music and the other numerous helpers - the film is also a means of artistic expression and cultural activity. So are certain movies, especially the so-called " art films ", now established as an integral part of high culture and will be reviewed as other artistic works and art historical analyzes. Among the artistic forms of the film is one particular of the experimental film. Films with lower quality are often referred to as a B-movie or (film) dud.

In general, the film of the art form is assigned literature, as well as the related theater. Depending on the nature, purpose, content, or design aspects of film it can be assigned to one or more movie genres such as thriller, comedy, sci-fi, Horror, War Films, Love Stories, etc..

Numerous Film Festival ( Film Festival ) assigned worldwide mostly their annual film awards in film productions and filmmakers who to quality criteria, which are assessed by specially compiled juries, orient. The most famous and important film awards will be presented on the so-called "A- Festival".

States in which a film-making has formed, consider him generally as an expression of their cultural identity. The " film policy " of a country therefore often is to develop the national film production and their performance - to secure and promote - in international competition.

Film as an economic factor

The film industry covers all areas of the film from the film production, production to its distribution, marketing, duplication and utilization ( movie rental). Since the production of films is financially costly, always raises the question of film financing. While in the United States, especially in the large studio facilities of Hollywood, the films are financed with their international sales, European film productions are almost always dependent on subsidies. The reasons for this are, among others, in the small-scale European film industry, while one can speak in the United States by a true film industry. In particular, "Hollywood" is synonymous with the American film industry, because here are all great and important film studios.

A major factor in judging the success of a film are the admissions in the cinemas and subsequently the sales figures of dissemination media such as DVDs and merchandising products (games, toys, etc.). Due to more diverse recreational opportunities and the introduction of television in the mid 20th century, the number of admissions and thus also the number of cinemas has declined worldwide in varying degrees to the 1990s.

In 2005, the worldwide feature film production increased compared to 2004 by 7.8 percent to 4603 movies. Most of the films were manufactured in India, the 2005 with 1041 films for the first time the total production in the EU -25 countries ( 1035 ) exceeded (see: Bollywood). The second largest film emissions, the United States of America ( 699 films). This is followed by Nigeria and Nollywood (500 ), Japan ( 356 ), China ( 260 ) and France (240).

Film Production

The art of film requires the interaction of various creative and artistic skills, including in the areas of drama, acting, photography ( lighting design, Kadrage or picture, film editing and sound art ). The persons significantly involved in a film are called rod. Due to the high cost of a movie ever economic issues are considered in general. In Europe, feature films are usually dependent on film promotions.

The phases of a typical film production are:

Technical Requirements

Movies consist of static frames ( photographs). The cinematic effect, the illusion of movement, the observer has when individual images are shown in rapid succession. From a frequency of about fifteen frames per second they are perceived on the basis of the interaction of stroboscopic effect and image persistence ( persistence of vision ) on the retina of the human eye no longer as individual images, but as a cinematic movement that visually resembles a real movement. Today, as in the cinema for decades are typically 24 frames per second are shown, but many filmmakers and technicians require to use significantly more frames per second in order to come closer to reality. Competing media that use moving images, such as computer games or television use for this reason, 50, 60 or more frames per second.

The art of film occurs in three major manifestations: Here's one for the classic film work, with the aid of photographic process individual images of events in rapid succession on sensors (see Digital Cinema Camera ) or film (see film camera ) scans.

Finally, the animation would be, in particular: the animated film and the recent development in the computer animated film, in which no real tasks are filmed as a whole, but the images are produced individually by drawing, stop-motion and digital animation. The recent sub-genre to this are the machinima, created by means of computer games, animated films.

These images are projected onto a screen in darkened room by projectors, where the impression of lively scene arises.

Since the last decade of the twentieth century seem due to the rapid development of digital systems to blur these technically related differences, particularly in commercial productions. Here, a trend of increasing digitization of the entire production chain is observed: Real images are first starting digitized by photographic film or already taken up directly with high resolution digital cameras. In order for the production of motion pictures is fully digital, being supplemented in particular by artificially generated images or image parts. The performance happens increasingly digital, this reduces wear and degradation, which are inevitable in film- based Performance, omitted.

Film theory

The film theory is the theoretical understanding of the film. Since film can be seen as an art, as a medium or as a commodity, there is accordingly aesthetic, communication theory, media studies and media theory and economic theories film. Can also be distinguished theories, which emphasize more on the filmmakers on the one hand and reception theories on the other hand, dealing with the effect of the film on the audience. The latter are, among others, in the center of the so-called research on media effects and media psychology. The central tool for theoretical investigation of individual films is the film analysis.

Institutions and organizations

Numerous institutions deal with the global science film whose preservation for the future and promoting quality film-making in the present. A long term particularly important role is played by the film archives that are devoted to the collection and order of the films produced in the world and built up to a greater extent, particularly since the interwar period.

Different types of film organizations deal with other aspects of the film, about the marketing and promotion of national productions. From the actors to the producers, there is a variety of interests and professional associations worldwide.

At European level, the European Film Promotion, an association of film organizations from 28 European countries, in addition to the EU funding program Media and Eurimages the most important State candidates and marketer of European cinema in the world.

Quotes

" The possibility that art can be made with the movie camera is [ ... ] to thank differences between film image and reality. "

"Of the variety of pages quoting, (scientists ) came to the conclusion that it is as a social phenomenon is the film a kind of microcosm through which to - albeit stylized, distorted and arranged - can find a picture of a culture, namely that of themselves, whose product he is. "