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Film

Definition: Film

Film

Noun

1. A form of entertainment that enacts a story by a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement; "they went to a movie every Saturday night"; "the film was shot on location".

2. A medium (art or business) that disseminates moving pictures: "theater pieces transferred to celluloid"; "this story would be good cinema"; "film coverange of sporting events".

3. A thin coating or layer; "the table was covered with a film of dust".

4. A thin sheet of (usually plastic and usually transparent) material used to wrap or cover things.

5. Photographic material consisting of a base of celluloid covered with a photographic emulsion; used to make negatives or transparencies.

Verb

1. Make a film or photograph of something; "take a scene"; "shoot a movie".

2. Record in film; "The coronation was filmed".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "film" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1595. (references)

 

Specialty Definition: Film

DomainDefinition

Chemical Industry

Unsupported, basically organic, non-fibrous, thin, flexible material of a thickness not exceeding 0. 010 inch. Source: European Union. (references)
 A dry, continuous layer of one or more coats of paint or printing ink. Source: European Union. (references)

Chemistry

A layer adjacent to the valve metal and in which the high potential drop is located when current flows in the direction of high impedance. Source: European Union. (references)

Fine Arts

Sensitized materials in the form of an emulsion coated on a flexible base - e. g. , celluloid or plastic. Source: European Union. (references)

Food & Agriculture

The growth of microorganisms which forms a continuous layer over the surface of a liquid. Source: European Union. (references)

Industry

A thin sheet of material. Source: European Union. (references)

Law

Cinematographic or audiovisual work or moving images, whether or not accompanied by sound. Source: European Union. (references)

Mining

A. A term used in flotation meaning a coating, layer, or thin membrane. b. A thin layer of a substance, at the most a few molecules thick, generally differing in properties from other layers in contact with i. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Specialty Definition: Academy Award for Best Picture

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

This Academy Award is given to the motion picture voted best each year by the Academy.

This page shows the winner first followed by the nominees for that year.

Each entry shows the title followed by the production company, and the producer. When the film was produced in a country other than the United States that is shown in parentheses after the production company.

The years shown are the production years, thus a reference to 1967 means the Oscars presented in 1968 for movies made in 1967.

This award was originally called Best Production.

Best Picture, Unique and Artistic Production also known as "Best Artistic Quality of Production" was only presented in the first year. Best Production The name of the award becomes Best Picture
See also : Academy Awards

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Academy Award for Best Picture."

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Clue (1985 movie)

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Clue is a 1985 U.S comedy film based on the boardgame Clue (a.k.a. Cluedo). The film uses the characters and murder mystery premise of the boardgame as the basis for a quickfire farce.

A failure at the box office, Clue found new life on home video and has become what is known as a cult film. This is particularly notable as Tim Curry, who starred as the butler, was also in another famous cult film: the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The movie is unusual in that it was made with three different endings, labeled A through C. The alternate endings played at different cinemass during its theatrical release. Critics hailed "Ending B" as the favorite and, therefore, this was the most popular ending in theaters. The consumer home video version includes all three endings, with silent film-style title cards interspersed between.

Though based on the Clue premise and featuring the game's characters and mansion, the film took several liberties. Writers Landis and Lynn added more characters (a butler, a cook) and added a maid separate from Mrs. White, who was pictured as a maid in the board games but in the film was the widow of a nuclear scientist. Also, the mansion's geography was changed, and three floors were added. Finally, the film was set in 1946 New England, while the actual board game was British originally.

Directed by Jonathan Lynn, written by John Landis and Jonathan Lynn. Featuring:

See also: Clue board game, Clue video game

External Link

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Dune (movie)

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Dune is a 1984 movie directed by David Lynch. It starred Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides and pop-star Sting as Feyd-Rautha.

Warning: Wikipedia contains spoilers.

The movie is an adaptation of the first part of a series of novels by Frank Herbert, with elements from the later parts. Lynch originally wanted to create a much longer movie; his first draft was five hours. As the production ran out of money and the producers wanted a format better suited for cinemas, much of the original footage was cut and replaced by narration.

Lynch uses a number of elements from his earlier movies, for example the figure of the Space Guild Navigator, who has a strong resemblance to the alien baby in Lynch's first movie, Eraserhead, which also appeared in The Elephant Man. Another element is the use of low, humming sounds which create unease in spectators when used over a longer period of time.

In financial terms, the movie was a disaster, but has a number of dedicated fans.

The film's chief flaw is its almost total lack of exposition; the audience is presented with a barrage of admittedly fascinating sounds and images, but unless they have read the book few of those sounds and images will make the slightest bit of sense to them.

Dune was recently remade as a three part miniseries for release on cable and rental video/DVD.

External link

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East of Eden (1955 movie)

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Based on the novel by John Steinbeck, East of Eden was directed by Elia Kazan. The film stars James Dean as Cal and Richard Davalos as his brother Aron in this retelling of the Cain and Abel story.

=Awards=

Academy Awards 1956

Academy Award for Best Actress: Winner Jo Van Fleet
Academy Award for Best Actor: Nominated James Dean
Academy Award for Directing: Nominated Elia Kazan
Academy Award for Best Writing, screenplay: Nominated Paul Osborn

BAFTA Awards 1956

Best Film from Any Source: Nominated
Best Foreign Actor: Nominated James Dean
Most Promising Newcomer: Nominated Jo Van Fleet

Cannes Film Festival 1955

Winner - Best Dramatic Film, Elias Kazan

Golden Globes 1956

Winner - Best Motion Picture Drama

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "East of Eden (1955 movie)."

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Film

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Initially, moving pictures meant only the movement that is perceived when a string of celluloid-recorded images are projected at a rate of about 16 or more frames per second (see persistence of vision). Today, motion pictures (or "movies") are an art form, as well as one of the most popular forms of entertainment.

A feature film is usually defined as being more than 60 minutes in length.

Opportunities to see a feature film include:

History of cinema

Originally moving picture film was shot at various speeds using hand-cranked cameras; then the speed for mechanized cameras and projectors was standardized at 16 frames per second, which was faster than much existing hand-cranked footage. A new standard speed, 24 frames per second, came with the introduction of sound. Improvements since the late 1800s include the mechanization of cameras, allowing them to record at a consistent speed, the invention of more sophisticated filmstocks and lenses, allowing directors to film in increasingly dim conditions, and the development of synch sound, allowing sound to be recorded at exactly the same speed as its corresponding video. Since the advent of many other media technologies, film may include a broad range of media — both linear and non-linear, dramatic and informational, motion and still (though progressive).

List of movie-related topics

Film people

Actors
Film crew
film criticism
Film directors
Screenwriter
Movie studio
Experimental filmmaker
Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince
Etienne-Jules Marey

Classification by chronology

List of 'years in film'
1960s movies
1970s movies
1980s movies
1990s movies
2000s movies

Classification by geographical location of production

External links, references, and resources

 simple:Cinema

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Film."

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Film (movie)

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Film is a film written by Samuel Beckett, his only screenplay. It was written in 1963, shot in 1964 with Buster Keaton in the central role, and first shown in public in 1965. The director for that version was Alan Schneider.

The version as shot differed from Beckett's original script in a number of ways. The work is studied by, and has been the subject of criticism from both film and theatre scholars, with the former tending to study the film as shot, the latter tending to study the script as written. Critical opinion is mixed, but it is generally held in higher regard by film scholars than it is by theatre or Beckett scholars.

What the viewer of Film sees is a man in a street (Keaton) being followed by the camera. The man only becomes aware he is being followed when the angle between himself and the camera exceeds a certain degree. When this happens, he shrinks away from the camera and the camera quickly adjusts so it cannot be perceived once more.

The man goes to a room, where there is a cat, a dog, a parrot and a goldfish. He takes the cat and dog out of the room, and covers the parrot cage and goldfish bowl with his coat. Likewise, a print on the wall of God staring at him is removed and torn up, and a mirror hanging on the wall is covered up. The impression given is of a man attempting to flee all perception.

At the very end of the film, the man begins to sleep, and the camera exceeds the angle by which he can be perceived by the man, moving directly in front of him. The man wakes up, and for the first time sees his pursuer, who is revealed to be not some external force, but the man himself. A possible reading of this is that self-perception is inescapable. Thus, it is not surprising that the original script begins with George Berkeley's dictum, "esse est percipi," meaning, "to be is to be perceived."

In Beckett's original script, the two facets of the protagonist are represented by the letters E (the Eye) and O (the Object).

The film is silent, apart from a single "sssh!" near its beginning.

Keaton reportedly was unhappy with his role in the movie, as it differed from any movie he had taken part in previously.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Film (movie)."

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Film format

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Movie film formats

Amateur formats:

Professional formats:

Still photography film formats

Multiple image

Designation Type Year Size and comment
101 roll film 1895-1956 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"
102 roll film 1896-1933 1 1/2" x 2"
103 roll film 1896-1949 3 3/4" x 4 3/4"
104 roll film 1897-1949 4 3/4" x 3 3/4"
105 roll film 1897-1949 2 1/4" x 3 1/4", see 120 film
106 for roll holder 1898-1924 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"
107 for roll holder 1898-1924 3 1/4" x 4 1/4"
108 for roll holder 1898-1929 4 1/4" x 3 1/4"
109 for roll holder 1898-1924 4" x 5"
110 for roll holder 1898-1929 5" x 4"
110 Instamatic cartridge 1972-Present 13 x 17 mm, see 110 film
111 for roll holder 1898-Unknown 6 1/2" x 4 3/4"
112 for roll holder 1898-1924 7" x 5"
113 for roll holder 1898-Unknown 9 x 12 cm
114 for roll holder 1898-Unknown 12 x 9 cm
115 roll film 1898-1949 6 3/4" x 4 3/4"
116, A-116 roll film 1899-1984 2 1/2" x 4 1/4", A for Autographic
117 roll film 1900-1949 2 1/4" x 2 1/4", see 120 film
118, A-118 roll film 1900-1961 3 1/4" x 4 1/4"
119 roll film 1900-1940 4 1/4" x 3 1/4"
120, A-120 roll film 1901-Present See 120 film
121 roll film 1902-1941 1 5/8" x 2 1/2"
122, A-122 roll film 1903-1971 3 1/4" x 5 1/2", Postcard
123, A-123 roll film 1904-1949 4" x 5"
124 roll film 1905-1961 3 1/4" x 4 1/4"
125 roll film 1905-1949 3 1/4" x 5 1/2"
126, A-126 roll film 1906-1949 4 1/4" x 6 1/2"
126 Instamatic cartridge 1963-2000 26.5 x 26.5 mm, see 126 film
127, A-127 roll film 1912-1995 See 127 film
128 roll film 1912-1941 1 1/2" x 2 1/4"
129 roll film 1912-1951 1 7/8" x 3"
130, A-130 roll film 1916-1961 2 7/8" x 4 7/8"
135 cartridge 1934-Present See 135 film
220 roll film 1965-Present See 120 film
235 loading spool 1934-Unknown 24 x 36 mm, see 135 film
240 APS cartridge 1996-Present See APS film
335 loading spool 1952-Unknown 24 x 23 mm, see 135 film
435 loading spool 1934-Unknown 24 x 36 mm, see 135 film
616 roll film 1931-1984 2 1/2" x 4 1/4" or 2 1/2" x 2 1/8"
620 roll film 1931-1995 See 120 film
645 format only 6 x 4.5 cm, see 120 film
828 roll film 1935-1985 28 x 40 mm, 35mm wide Bantam, 8 exp.
35 roll film 1916-1933 1 1/4" x 1 3/4", 35mm wide
HR, VR disc cartridge 1982-1998 See disc film
Minox roll film 1938-Present 8 x 11 mm, 9.2 mm wide, 15 and 36 exp.
Karat cartridge 1936-Unknown Early Agfa cartridge for 35 mm film
Rapid cartridge 1964-1990s Agfa cartridge for 35 mm film, 12 exp
SL cartridge 1958-1990 Orwo Schnell-Lade Kassette for 35 mm film
K 16 cartridge 1987-Unknown Orwo, 16 mm wide, 20 exp

Unless otherwise noted, all formats were introduced by Kodak, who began allocating the number series in 1913. Before that, films were just identified by the name of the cameras they were intended for.

For roll holder means film for cartridge roll holders, allowing roll film to be used with cameras designed to use glass plates.

The primary reason there were so many different negative formats in the early days was that prints were made by contact, without use of an enlarger. The film format would thus be exactly the same as the size of the print -- so if you wanted large prints, you would have to use a large camera and corresponding film format.

Single image

Size (in inches) Type
2 x 3 sheet film
3 x 4 sheet film
4 x 5 sheet film
5 x 7 sheet film
8 x 10 sheet film
11 x 14 sheet film
16 x 20 sheet film

Instant image

Designation Type
SX-70 Polaroid flat film cartridge with integrated battery
Type 88 Polaroid flat film cartridge
Type 100 Polaroid flat film cartridge

See also

References

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Film format."

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Film production

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Film production stages include (very broadly)

Pre-production:

Post-production: Distribution / marketing

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Film production."

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Film technique

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Special effects (FX): Editing: Frame: Shots: Other: See also film, motion picture terminology, film crew, List of video topics

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Film technique."

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Film theory

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Film theory seeks to develop concise, systematic concepts that apply to film and video. Classical film theory provides a structural framework to address classical issues of techniques, narrativity, diegesis, cinematic codes, "the image", genre, subjectivity, and authorship. More recent analysis has given rise to psychoanalytic film theory, structuralist film theory, feminist film theory, and theories of documentary, new media, third cinema, and new queer cinema, to name just a few. See also film criticism.

For specific theories of film, see:

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Frankenstein (1931)

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Frankenstein is a 1931 horror film based on the work by Mary Shelley. The film tells the story of a scientist named Dr. Henry (Victor in the novel) Frankenstein whose work takes him into the dark side of life after death. It stars Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles and Boris Karloff (billed only with a question mark in the opening credits).

The movie was adapted by John L. Balderston, Francis Edward Faragoh, Garrett Fort, Robert Florey (uncredited) and John Russell (uncredited) from the Shelly novel and the play by Peggy Webling. It was directed by James Whale and has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Frankenstein was followed by the 1935 sequel Bride of Frankenstein.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Frankenstein (1931)."

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Hexer

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Hexer (Wiedzmin) Geralt, a character created by Andrzej Sapkowski. Hexers are professional monster killers who receive special training and preparation. They are mutants with supernatural abilities, without feelings (they instead have hexer code which tells them what is good and what is wrong), who can't have children. Geralt is one of the best hexers, however he is becoming an outcast among his own kind because he has feelings.

External link

Hexer is the name of first short story of Andrzej Sapkowski, published in 1986.

This is also name of the movie, which was probably the most anticipated one in Poland during the last ten years, with director Marek Brodzki, scenario written by Michal Szczerbic, and Michal Zebrowski playing Geralt the Hexer. The movie was a total disaster, however the creators refused to admit that fact.

External link

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Horror film

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

A horror film is a film dominated by elements of horror. This film genre incorporates a number of sub-genres and repeated themes, such as slasher themes, vampire themes, zombie themes, demonic possession, alien mind control, evil children, cannibalism, werewolves, animals attacking humans, haunted houses, etc. The horror film genre is often associated with low budgets and exploitation, but major studios and well-respected directors have made intermittent forays into the genre. Some horror films exhibit a substantial amount of cross-over with other genres, particularly science fiction.

Certain stories and themes have proven popular and have inspired many sequels, remakes, and copycats. See Frankenstein, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, werewolves, and zombies.

History and milestones

The horror genre is nearly as old as film itself. The first "monster movies" were silent shorts created by film pioneer Georges Melies in the late 1890s. The earliest horror-themed feature films were created by German filmmakers in the early 1900s; the most enduring of these is probably F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu 1922, the first vampire-themed feature. Early Hollywood dramas dabbled in horror themes including versions of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Monster (1925) (both starring Lon Chaney, the first American horror-film movie star).

It was in the early 1930s that American movie studios, particularly Universal Studios, created the modern horror film genre, bringing to the screen a series of successful gothic-steeped features including Dracula, Frankenstein (both 1931), and The Mummy (1932) (all of which spawned numerous sequels). These films, while designed to thrill, also incorporated more serious elements, and were influenced by the Freudian concepts that were gaining currency at the time. Actors, notably Boris Karloff, began to build careers around the genre.

In the nuclear-charged atmosphere of the 1950s the tone of horror films shifted away from the gothic and towards the modern. A seemingly endless parade of low-budget productions featured humanity overcoming threats from Outside: alien invasions, and deadly mutations to people, plants, and insects. During this time the horror and sci-fi genres were often interchangable. These films provided ample opportunity for audience exploitation, with gimmicks such as 3-D and "Percepto" (producer William Castle's electric-shock technique used for 1957's The Tingler) drawing audiences in week after week for bigger and better scares. The better horror films of this period, including Howard Hawks' The Thing From Another World (1951) and Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers managed to channel the paranoia of the Cold War into atmospheric creepiness without resorting to exploitation. Filmmakers would continue to merge elements of science fiction and horror, notably in Ridley Scott's Alien (1979).

The late 1950s and early 1960s saw the rise of studios centered specifically around horror, notably British production company Hammer Films, which specialized in bloody remakes of classic horror stories, often starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, and American International Pictures (AIP), which made a series of Edgar Allan Poe themed films starring Vincent Price. These sometimes-controversial productions paved the way for more explicit violence in both horror and mainstream films.

Later in the 1960s the genre moved towards non-supernatural psychological horror, with thrillers such as Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) using all-too-human monsters rather than supernatural ones to scare the audience. Psychological horror films would continue to appear sporadically with 1991's The Silence of the Lambs a later highlight of the subgenre.

In the late 1960s and 1970s a public fascination with the occult fed and was fed by a series of serious, supernatural-themed, often explicitly gory horror movies. Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby (1968) was a critical and popular success and laid the groundwork for the seminal horror film The Exorcist (1973) (directed by William Friedkin and written by William Peter Blatty, who also wrote the novel). Far from exploitation, these films incorporated subtext and symbolism, and had production values equal to any serious film of the time. The Exorcist spawned numerous sequels and imitators, notably The Omen (1976).

The genre fractured somewhat in the late 1970s, with mainstream Hollywood focusing on disaster movies such as The Towering Inferno and blockbuster thrillers such as Jaws while independent filmmakers upped the ante with disturbing and explicit gore-fests such as Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). In 1978, the prototypical slasher movie, John Carpenter's Halloween, debuted to great popular success. An effective and atmospheric shocker, Halloween introduced the teens-threatened-by-superhuman-evil theme that would be copied in dozens of lesser, increasingly violent movies throughout the 1980s including the long-running Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street series, as well as several, often far-flung, sequels to Halloween itself.

With nowhere left to go in the realm of explicit violence, horror movies turned to self-mocking irony and outright parody in the 1990s. Wes Craven's Scream movies featured teenagers who were fully aware of and often made reference the history of horror movies, and mixed ironic humor with the shocks. Sam Raimi's Evil Dead films both parodied and advanced the zombie genre. Of popular recent horror films, only 1999's surprise independent hit The Blair Witch Project attempted straight-ahead scares, and then in the ironic context of a mock documentary.

Early horror entries in the 2000s have been a mixed bag of teen exploitation (such as the Final Destination movies) and more serious attempts at mainstream horror, notably the horror-suspense films of M. Night Shyamalan and Gore Verbinski's remake of the Japanese horror film Ringu, The Ring.

Lists

Notable horror film directors include:

Notable horror film actors include:

Notable horror films include:

See also horror fiction.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Horror film."

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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott, Julian Glover and John Rhys-Davies. The third installment of the Indiana Jones movies.

When Dr. Henry Jones, Sr. (played by Sean Connery) vanishes while pursuing a life-long search for the Holy Grail, Indiana must retrace his father's steps in the hopes of rescuing him -- and the Grail -- from the clutches of the Nazi military machine.

Lucasfilm Games released a graphical adventure game based on the film.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

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List of gay movies

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Movies that deal with gay issues, feature important gay characters, and/or have homosexuality or a homosexual relationship as an important plot device (in alphabetical order):

1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

1

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

See also

External link

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M A S H

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

M*A*S*H is a 1970 satirical American black comedy film directed by Robert Altman, based on the novel written by Richard Hooker. Nominally about an outfit of medical personnel stationed at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, the film stars Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould. M*A*S*H went on to inspire a M*A*S*H television series

M*A*S*H, unlike many war films had an anti-war message, but delivers it with a light touch—shown through moderate anarchy, bizarre conversation, and the boredom, stress, and resentment of the drafted physicians. The film's critics disliked the film's limits on war carnage in favor of camp existence, and also for a certain callous attitude, notably in the treatment of the characters played by Robert Duvall and Sally Kellerman.

The film is episodic, with considerable changes in tone and marked by Altman's trademark style of overlapping conversations or sounds and unusual use of zoom. In the director's commentary on the DVD release of this film, Altman claims that this was the first movie to dare use the word "fuck" (spoken during the football game near the end of the film). This is perhaps untrue, however, as the movies I'll Never Forget What's His Name and Ulysses (both released in 1967) each claim to be the first to utter the famous profanity.

The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

The film won the 1970 Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at the Cannes Film Festival.

The M*A*S*H features the song "Suicide is Painless", with music by Johnny Mandel and lyrics by Mike Altman, the director's brother. The television show used an instrumental version as its theme tune.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "M A S H."

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Musical film

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

A musical film belongs to a film genre that features songs, sung by the actors, interwoven into the narrative. The songs are usually used to advance the plot or develop the film's characters. A sub-genre of the musical is the musical comedy, which includes a strong element of humour as well as the usual music, dancing and storyline.

The musical is responsible for the transition from silent film to sound film in the development of the motion picture. The popularity of movies grew rapidly during the golden days of the silent film era, but the concept of "talking pictures" was considered a risky investment by the major Hollywood studios, until the Warner Bros studio took the leap and produced The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson. Jolson's song "Mammy" in the picture forever changed the medium of film, and it jolted Hollywood into the era of sound.

As Hollywood adapted to sound films, musicals were an important part of Hollywood's movie output, ranking alongside action movies (Westerns), dramas, and comedies. Musical stars such as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were among the most popular and highly respected personalities in Hollywood, and many regular actors gladly participated in musicals as a way to break away from their typical typecast roles. For instance, James Cagney had originally risen to fame on the stage as a singer and dancer, and he was highly talented; but his repeated casting in "tough guy" roles and gangster movies gave him few chances to display these talents. Cagney's Oscar-winning role in Yankee Doodle Dandy allowed him to sing and dance, and he considered it to be one of his finest moments.

Many comedies (and a few dramas) included their own musical numbers. The Marx Brothers' movies included a musical number in nearly every film, allowing the Marx Brothers themselves to highlight their own musical talents.

The musical in film was a natural development from the stage musical. Typically the biggest difference between the movie musical and the musical theater is the use of lavish background scenery which would be impractical in a theater. Many musical films, e.g. Oklahoma and The Sound of Music, are straightforward adaptations or restagings of successful stage productions. Others, e.g. Moulin Rouge, were specifically written for the screen, and some, such as Singin' in the Rain, have made a reverse transition from their original screen version to a successful stage format at a much later date. The trend in modern film-making is not to make a "musical" as such, but to use a lot of background music by popular rock or pop bands in the hopes of selling the soundtrack album to fans. There are exceptions to this rule, and films about actors, dancers or singers have been made as successful modern-style musicals, with the music as an intrinsic part of the storyline. The other exception to the rule is children's animated movies. These almost always include traditional musical numbers, and some of them (eg Beauty and the Beast) have later become full live stage productions.

Famous film musicals include:

Live action:

Animated musicals (mostly by Disney):

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My Left Foot (film)

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

My Left Foot, by Christy Brown, is a 1989 autobiographical film which tells the story of Christy Brown, an Irishman born with cerebral palsy, who can only move his left foot. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker, Alison Whelan, Kirsten Sheridan, Declan Croghan, Eanna MacLiam, Marie Conmee and Cyril Cusack.

The movie was adapted by Shane Connaughton and Jim Sheridan from the book by Christy Brown. It was directed by Sheridan.

It won Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Brenda Fricker). It was nominated for Best Director, Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "My Left Foot (film)."

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Photographic film

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Photographic film is a sheet of plastic (polyester or celluloid) coated with an emulsion containing a light-sensitive chemical such as silver nitrate. Other modern light-sensitive layers consist of silver halide salts with variable crystal size that determine the sensitivity of the film. When the emulsion is subjected to controlled exposure to light (or other forms of electromagnetic radiation such as X-rays), it forms a latent image. Chemical processes can then be applied to the film to create a visible image; This process is called film developing.

Depending on the type of film being exposed, the image produced is either positive polarity (direct view) or negative polarity (must be printed to positive polarity for proper viewing). Positive film produces slides or transparencies, which can be viewed directly, scanned, or projected. Many professional photographers favour slide film, which is scanned before being published in magazines or brochures. Slides can be inspected for sharpness using a high-powered magnifying glass, known as a Lupe, and do not need to be printed to see the actual image produced.

Film speed describes a films sensitivity to light. Fast films are very receptive to light, slow films are not. Films are commonly given ISO (International Standards Organisation) rating on the following scale:

ISO 25, ISO 50, ISO 100, IS0 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO 3200

ISO 25 film is very "slow", so requires much more time to produce a well-exposed image than ISO 800 film. ISO 800, 1600 and 3200 film is thus better suited to dim weather conditions, and action shots. The benefit of slow film is that it usually has finer grain than fast film. Professional photographers usually seek fine grain, and therefore require a tripod to expose an image on slow film and keep the camera still for the duration of the shot.

Instant (Polaroid) photography uses a special type of camera and film that automates and integrates developing and printing, without the need of further equipment or chemicals. This process is carried out photo-by-photo, as opposed to the regular system, where the exposure of a whole film is finished before developing.

Black-and-white photographic film uses one layer of silver, whereas colour film uses a three-layer dye-based structure.

Because photographic film was ubiquitous in the production of motion pictures, or movies, these are also known as films.

The first transparent photographic film was made by Eastman Kodak in 1885. Roll film, allowing several images without opening the camera, was introduced by Kodak in 1895. See also film formats. Prior to this, glass photographic plates were required, which were far more expensive and cumbersome, albeit also of better quality.

Companies that manufacture photographic film:

See also: Timeline of photography technology

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Photographic film."

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Roll film

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

The roll film was invented by Eastman Kodak, and was the prime factor in making photography available for the common man.

In producing roll film, photographic film is rolled onto a single wood, metal or plastic bobbin with a protective outer backing paper.

Due to the backing paper being non-translucent, the photographer may load the film into the camera in subdued daylight. As images are taken, exposed film is rolled over to an identical but initially empty receiving bobbin. For cameras with simple advance mechanisms, most roll film formats have frame number markings printed on the backing paper, visible through a red window at the rear of the camera. When all images are exposed, the film is not rewound. Instead, the now empty bobbin is moved ready to become the receiver of the next roll of film.

See also: film format

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation