Film

Film refers to moving images that tell stories or convey information through a sequence shot and projection. Traditionally created on photographic film stock, much of modern cinema is produced with digital cameras and projected digitally, but the term film remains widely used. Film is both a technical medium and an artistic form, encompassing production, distribution, exhibition, and critical study.

Production spans pre-production, principal photography, and post-production. It involves writing, casting, design, filming, editing, sound, music, and visual effects. Films are distributed through theaters, television, streaming services, and physical media. Technical formats vary, including 35mm and large-format film stock in the past, with digital cinema cameras and projectors now dominant; some productions are released in multiple formats and aspect ratios.

The medium began in the late 19th century with experiments by the Lumière brothers, Edison, and contemporaries. Early films were short and silent, but narrative cinema developed rapidly through pioneers such as Georges Méliès and D. W. Griffith. The introduction of synchronized sound in the late 1920s and the rise of color processes such as Technicolor transformed storytelling. Since the late 20th century, digital capture and editing, as well as online distribution, have reshaped production and exhibition, while traditional theaters continue to host films alongside streaming platforms.

Film encompasses a wide range of genres, styles, and national cinemas. It is studied in film schools and by scholars under film theory and criticism. Preservation and restoration of film heritage are important activities, supported by archives, festivals, and cultural institutions, which help maintain the medium’s historical record and ongoing cultural relevance.