Film

History of film

Mechanisms for producing artificially created, two-dimensional images in motion were demonstrated as early as the 1860s, with devices such as the zoetrope and the praxinoscope. These machines were outgrowths of simple optical devices (such as magic lanterns), and would display sequences of still pictures at sufficient speed for the images on the pictures to appear to be moving, a phenomenon called persistence of vision. Naturally, the images needed to be carefully designed to achieve the desired effect — and the underlying principle became the basis for the development of film animation.

With the development of celluloid film for still photography, it became possible to directly capture objects in motion in real time. Early versions of the technology sometimes required the viewer to look into a special device to see the pictures. By the 1880s, the development of the motion picture camera allowed the individual component images to be captured and stored on a single reel, and led quickly to the development of a motion picture projector to shine light through the processed and printed film and magnify these "moving picture shows" onto a screen for an entire audience. These reels, so exhibited, came to be known as "motion pictures". Early motion pictures were static shots that showed an event or action with no editing or other cinematic techniques.

A shot from Georges Méliès' Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon) (1902), an early narrative film.

Motion pictures were purely visual art up to the late 1920s, but these innovative silent films had gained a hold on the public imagination. Around the turn of the 20th Century, films began developing a narrative structure. Films began stringing scenes together to tell narratives. The scenes were later broken up into multiple shots of varying sizes and angles. Other techniques such as camera movement were realized as effective ways to portray a story on film. Rather than leave the audience in silence, theater owners would hire a pianist or organist or a full orchestra to play music fitting the mood of the film at any given moment. By the early 1920s, most films came with a prepared list of sheet music for this purposes, with complete film scores being composed for major productions.

The rise of European cinema was interrupted by the breakout of World War I while the film industry in United States flourished with the rise of Hollywood. However in the 1920s, European filmmakers such as Sergei Eisenstein and F. W. Murnau continued to advance the medium. In the 1920s, new technology allowed filmmakers to attach to each film a soundtrack of speech, music and sound effects synchronized with the action on the screen. These sound films were initially distinguished by calling them "talking pictures", or talkies.

The next major step in the development of cinema was the introduction of color. While the addition of sound quickly eclipsed silent film and theater musicians, color was adopted more gradually. The public was relatively indifferent to color photography as opposed to black-and-white. But as color processes improved and became as affordable as black-and-white film, more and more movies were filmed in color after the end of World War II, as the industry in America came to view color an essential to attracting audiences in its competition with television, which remained a black-and-white medium until the mid-1960s. By the end of the 1960s, color had become the norm for film makers.

The 1950s, 1960s and 1970s saw changes in the production and style of film. New Hollywood, French New Wave and the rise of film school educated, independent filmmakers were all part of the changes the medium experienced in the latter half of the 20th Century. Digital technology has been the driving force in change throughout the 1990s and into the 21st Century.

Film theory

Film theory seeks to develop concise, systematic concepts that apply to the study of film/cinema as art. 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 psychoanalytical film theory, structuralist film theory, feminist film theory and others.

Film criticism

Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films. In general this can be divided into academic criticism by film scholars and journalistic film criticism that appears regularly in newspapers and other media.

Film critics working for newspapers, magazines, and broadcast media mainly review new releases. Normally they only see any given film once and have only a day or two to formulate opinions. Despite this, critics have an important impact of films, especially those of certain genres. Mass marketed action, horror, and comedy films tend not to be greatly affected by a critic's overall judgment of a film. The plot summary and description of a film that makes up the majority of any film review can still have an important impact on whether people decide to see a film. For prestige films such as most dramas, the influence of reviews is extremely important. Poor reviews will often doom a film to obscurity and financial loss.

The impact of reviewer on a film's box office performance is a matter of debate. Some claim that movie marketing is now so intense and well financed that reviewers cannot make an impact against it. However, the cataclysmic failure of some heavily-promoted movies that were harshly reviewed, as well as the unexpected success of critically praised independent movies indicates that extreme critical reactions can have considerable influence. Others note that positive film reviews have been shown to spark interest in little-known films. Conversely, there have been several films in which film companies have so little confidence that they refuse to give reviewers an advanced viewing to avoid widespread panning of the film. However, this usually backfires as reviewers are wise to the tactic and warn the public that the film may not be worth seeing and the films often do poorly as a result.

It is argued that journalist film critics should only be known as film reviewers, and true film critics are those who take a more academic approach to films. This work is more often known as film theory or film studies. These film critics try to come to understand why film works, how it works, and what effects it has on people. Rather than write for newspaper or appear on television their articles are published in scholarly journals, or sometimes in up-market magazines. They also tend to be affiliated with colleges or universities.

The motion picture industry

The making and showing of motion pictures became a source of profit almost as soon the process was invented. Upon seeing how successful their new invention, and its product, was in their native France, the Lumières quickly set about touring the Continent to exhibit the first films privately to royalty and publicly to the masses. In each country, they would normally add new, local scenes to their catalogue and, quickly enough, found local entrepreneurs in the various countries of Europe to buy their equipment and photograph, export, import and screen additional product commercially. The Oberammergau Passion Play of 1898 was the first commercial motion picture ever produced. Other pictures soon followed, and motion pictures became a separate industry that overshadowed the vaudeville world. Dedicated theaters and companies formed specifically to produce and distribute films, while motion picture actors became major celebrities and commanded huge fees for their performances. Already by 1917, Charlie Chaplin had a contract that called for an annual salary of one million dollars.

In the United States today, much of the film industry is centered around Hollywood. Other regional centers exist in many parts of the world, and the Indian film industry (primarily centered around "Bollywood") annually produces the largest number of films in the world. Whether the ten thousand-plus features a year produced by the Valley porn industry should qualify for this title is the source of some debate. Though the expense involved in making movies has led cinema production to concentrate under the auspices of movie studios, recent advances in affordable film making equipment have allowed independent film productions to flourish.

Profit is a key force in the industry, due to the costly nature of filmmaking; yet many filmmakers strive to create works of lasting social significance. The Academy Awards (also known as The Oscars) are the most prominent film awards in the United States, providing recognition each year to films, ostensibly based on their artistic merits. Also, film quickly came to be used in education, in lieu of or in addition to lectures and texts.

Stages of filmmaking

The nature of the film determines the size and type of crew required during filmmaking. Many Hollywood adventure films need computer generated imagery (CGI), created by dozens of 3D modellers, animators, rotoscopers and compositors. However, a low-budget, independent film may be made with a skeleton crew, often paid very little. Filmmaking takes place all over the world using different technologies, styles of acting and genre, and is produced in a variety of economic contexts that range from state-sponsored documentary in China to profit-oriented movie making within the American studio system.

A typical Hollywood-style filmmaking Production cycle comprises five main stages:

1. Development
2. Preproduction
3. Production
4. Post-production
5. Distribution

This production cycle typically takes three years. The first year is taken up with development. The second year comprises preproduction and production. The third year, post-production and distribution.

Film crew

A film crew is a group of people hired by a film company for the purpose of producing a film or motion picture. Crew are distinguished from cast, the actors who appear in front of the camera or provide voices for characters in the film.

Independent filmmaking

Independent filmmaking takes place outside of the Hollywood, or other major studio systems. An independent film (or indie film) is a film initially produced without financing or distribution from a major movie studio. Creative, business, and technological reasons have all contributed to the growth of the indie film scene in the late 20th and early 21st century.

Creatively, it was becoming increasingly difficult to get studio backing for experimental films. Experimental elements in theme and style are inhibitors for the big studios.

On the business side, the costs of big-budget studio films also leads to conservative choices in cast and crew. The problem is exacerbated by the trend towards co-financing (over two-thirds of the films put out by Warner Bros. in 2000 were joint ventures, up from 10% in 1987). An unproven director is almost never given the opportunity to get his or her big break with the studios unless he or she has significant industry experience in film or television. They also rarely produce films with unknown actors, particularly in lead roles.

Until the advent of digital alternatives, the cost of professional film equipment and stock was also a hurdle to being able to produce, direct, or star in a traditional studio film. The cost of 35 mm film is outpacing inflation: in 2002 alone, film negative costs were up 23%, according to Variety. Film requires expensive lighting and post-production facilities.

But the advent of consumer camcorders in 1985, and more importantly, the arrival of high-resolution digital video in the early 1990s, have lowered the technology barrier to movie production significantly. Both production and post-production costs have been significantly lowered; today, the hardware and software for post-production can be installed in a commodity-based personal computer. Technologies such as DVDs, IEEE 1394 connections and non-linear editing system pro-level software like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, and consumer level software such as Final Cut Express and iMovie make movie-making relatively inexpensive.

Since the introduction of DV technology, the means of production have become more democratized. Filmmakers can conceivably shoot and edit a movie, create and edit the sound and music, and mix the final cut on a home computer. However, while the means of production may be democratized, financing, distribution, and marketing remain difficult to accomplish outside the traditional system. Most independent filmmakers rely on film festivals to get their films noticed and sold for distribution.

Animation

Animation is the technique in which each frame of a film is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model unit (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result with a special animation camera. When the frames are strung together and the resulting film is viewed at a speed of 16 or more frames per second, there is an illusion of continuous movement (due to the persistence of vision). Generating such a film is very labour intensive and tedious, though the development of computer animation has greatly sped up the process.

Graphics file formats like GIF, MNG, SVG and Flash allow animation to be viewed on a computer or over the Internet.

Because animation is very time-consuming and often very expensive to produce, the majority of animation for TV and movies comes from professional animation studios. However, the field of independent animation has existed at least since the 1950s, with animation being produced by independent studios (and sometimes by a single person). Several independent animation producers have gone on to enter the professional animation industry.

Limited animation is a way of increasing production and decreasing costs of animation by using "short cuts" in the animation process. This method was pioneered by UPA and popularized (some say exploited) by Hanna-Barbera, and adapted by other studios as cartoons moved from movie theaters to television.

Film venues

When it is initially produced, a film is normally shown to audiences in a movie theater or cinema. The first theater designed exclusively for cinema opened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1905. Thousands of such theaters were built or converted from existing facilities within a few years. In the United States, these theaters came to be known as nickelodeons, because admission typically cost a nickel (five cents).

Typically, one film is the featured presentation (or feature film). There were "double features"; typically, a high quality "A picture" rented by an independent theater for a lump sum, and a "B picture" of lower quality rented for a percentage of the gross receipts. Today, the bulk of the material shown before the feature film (those in theaters) consists of previews for upcoming movies and paid advertisements (also known as trailers or "The Twenty").

Originally, all films were made to be shown in movie theaters. The development of television has allowed films to be broadcast to larger audiences, usually after the film is no longer being shown in theaters. Recording technology has also enabled consumers to rent or buy copies of films on video tape or DVD (and the older formats of laserdisc, VCD and SelectaVision — see also videodisc), and Internet downloads may be available and have started to become revenue sources for the film companies. Some films are now made specifically for these other venues, being released as made-for-TV movies or direct-to-video movies. These are often considered to be of inferior quality compared to theatrical releases. And indeed, some films that are rejected by their own studios upon completion are dumped into these markets.

The movie theater pays an average of about 55% of its ticket sales to the movie studio, as film rental fees. The actual percentage starts with a number higher than that, and decreases as the duration of a film's showing continues, as an incentive to theaters to keep movies in the theater longer. However, today's barrage of highly marketed movies ensures that most movies are shown in first-run theaters for less than 8 weeks. There are a few movies every year that defy this rule, often limited-release movies that start in only a few theaters and actually grow their theater count through good word-of-mouth and reviews. According to a 2000 study by ABN AMRO, about 26% of Hollywood movie studios' worldwide income came from box office ticket sales; 46% came from VHS and DVD sales to consumers; and 28% came from television (broadcast, cable, and pay-per-view).

Development of film technology

Film stock consists of a transparent celluloid, polyester, or acetate base coated with an emulsion containing light-sensitive chemicals. Cellulose nitrate was the first type of film base used to record motion pictures, but due to its flammability was eventually replaced by safer materials. Stock widths and the film format for images on the reel have had a rich history, though most large commercial films are still shot on (and distributed to theaters) as 35 mm prints.

Originally moving picture film was shot and projected at various speeds using hand-cranked cameras and projectors; though 16 frames per second is generally cited as a standard silent speed, research indicates most films were shot between 16-23 fps and projected from 18 fps on up (often reels included instructions on how fast each scene should be shown) [1]. When sound film was introduced in the late 1920s, a constant speed was required for the sound head. 24 frames per second was chosen because it was the slowest (and thus cheapest) speed which allowed for sufficient sound quality. Improvements since the late 19th century include the mechanization of cameras — allowing them to record at a consistent speed, quiet camera design — allowing sound recorded on-set to be usable without requiring large "blimps" to encase the camera, the invention of more sophisticated filmstocks and lenses, allowing directors to film in increasingly dim conditions, and the development of synchronized sound, allowing sound to be recorded at exactly the same speed as its corresponding action. The soundtrack can be recorded separately from shooting the film, but for live-action pictures many parts of the soundtrack are usually recorded simultaneously.

As a medium, film is not limited to motion pictures, since the technology developed as the basis for photography. It can be used to present a progressive sequence of still images in the form of a slideshow. Film has also been incorporated into multimedia presentations, and often has importance as primary historical documentation. However, historic films have problems in terms of preservation and storage, and the motion picture industry is exploring many alternatives. Most movies on cellulose nitrate base have been copied onto modern safety films. Some studios save color films through the use of separation masters — three B&W negatives each exposed through red, green, or blue filters (essentially a reverse of the Technicolor process). Digital methods have also been used to restore films, although their continued obsolescence cycle makes them (as of 2006) a poor choice for long-term preservation. Film preservation of decaying film stock is a matter of concern to both film historians and archivists, and to companies interested in preserving their existing products in order to make them available to future generations (and thereby increase revenue). Preservation is generally a higher-concern for nitrate and single-strip color films, due to their high decay rates; black and white films on safety bases and color films preserved on Technicolor imbibition prints tend to keep up much better, assuming proper handling and storage.

Some films in recent decades have been recorded using analog video technology similar to that used in television production. Modern digital video cameras and digital projectors are gaining ground as well. These approaches are extremely beneficial to moviemakers, especially because footage can be evaluated and edited without waiting for the film stock to be processed. Yet the migration is gradual, and as of 2005 most major motion pictures are still recorded on film.

Endurance of films

Films have been around for more than a century, however this is not long when one considers it in relation to other arts like painting and sculpture. Many believe that film will be a long enduring art form because motion pictures appeal to diverse human emotions.

Apart from societal norms and cultural changes, there are still close resemblances between theatrical plays throughout the ages and films of today. Romantic motion pictures about a girl loving a guy but not being able to be together for some reason, movies about a hero who fights against all odds a more powerful fiendish enemy, comedies about everyday life, etc. all involve plots with common threads that existed in books, plays and other venues.

The reason motion pictures endure is because people still want escapism, adventure, inspiration, humor and to be moved emotionally. Civilization develops and changes, at least in surface features, and so calls for a constant renewal of artistic means to channel these desires. Films provide them in an accessible and powerful way.

References

• Paul Read. A Short History of Cinema Film Post-Production (1896 - 2006), in English; in: Joachim Polzer (editor). Zur Geschichte des Filmkopierwerks. (On Film Lab History). Weltwunder der Kinematographie. Beiträge zu einer Kulturgeschichte der Filmtechnik. Volume 8.2006. April 2006. 336 pages. (available through amazon.de) -- ISBN 3-934535-26-7
• Nowell-Smith, Geoffrey (ed.). The Oxford History of World Cinema. Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN 0198742428
• Hagener, Malte, and Töteberg, Michael. Film: An International Bibliography. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2002. ISBN 3-476-01523-8
• Vogel, Amos. Film As a Subversive Art. Weidenfeld & Nichols, 1974.
• The Oxford History of World Cinema, Oxford University Press, 1999; Geoffrey Nowell-Smith, ed.
• Glorious Technicolor: The Movies' Magic Rainbow, Fred E. Basten. AS Barnes & Company, 1980
• Reel Women. Pioneers of the Cinema. 1896 to the Present by Ally Acker, London: B.T.Batsford 1991
• Reel Racism. Confronting Hollywood's Construction of Afro-American Culture, Vincent F. Rocchio, Westview Press 2000
• New Hollywood Cinema: An Introduction, Geoff King . Columbia University Press, 2002.
• Notes on Film Noir Paul Schrader. Film Comment. '84?
• Celluloid Mavericks: A History of American Independent Film by Greg Merritt; Thunder's Mouth Press 2001
• Africa shoots back. Alternative perspectives in sub-saharan francophone african film by Melissa Thackway, Indiana University Press 2003
• Glorious Technicolor; directed by Peter Jones. Based on the book (above); written by Basten & Jones. Documentary, (1998).
• Francesco Casetti, Theories of Cinema, 1945-1990, Paperback Edition, University of Texas Press 1999
• The Oxford Guide to Film Studies, Oxford University Press 1998
• Walters Faber, Helen Walters, Algrant (Ed.), Animation Unlimited: Innovative Short Films Since 1940, HarperCollins Publishers 2004
• Trish Ledoux, Doug Ranney, Fred Patten (Ed.), Complete Anime Guide: Japanese Animation Film Directory and Resource Guide, Tiger Mountain Press 1997
• Steven Spielberg in The making of Jurassic Park

Links

• The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) - Information on current and historical films and cast listings.
• Wikia has a wiki about: The Film Guide
• Open Directory Project: Movies
• Rotten Tomatoes Film reviews
• All Movie Guide - Information on films: actors, directors, biographies, reviews, cast and production credits, box office sales, and other movie data.
• Film Site - Reviews of classic films

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

The 100 Greatest Movie Performances of All Time

The American film magazine Premiere, created a list of The 100 Greatest Movie Performances of All Time made up of some of the most memorable performances from films.

1.  Peter O'Toole Lawrence of Arabia T.E. Lawrence 1962
2.  Marlon Brando On the Waterfront Terry Malloy 1954
3.  Meryl Streep Sophie's Choice Sophie Zawistowska 1982
4.  Al Pacino Dog Day Afternoon Sonny Wortzik 1975
5.  Bette Davis All About Eve Margo Channing 1950
6.  James Cagney Yankee Doodle Dandy George M. Cohan 1942
7.  Dustin Hoffman Midnight Cowboy "Ratso" Rizzo 1969
8.  James Stewart It's a Wonderful Life George Bailey 1946
9.  Gene Wilder Young Frankenstein Dr. Frederick Frankenstein 1974
10. Robert De Niro Raging Bull Jake La Motta 1980
11. Daniel Day-Lewis My Left Foot Christy Brown 1989
12. Jack Nicholson The Last Detail "Badass" Buddusky 1973
13. Katharine Hepburn The Lion in Winter Eleanor of Aquitaine 1968
14. Robert Duvall Tender Mercies Mac Sledge 1983
15. Tom Hanks Big Josh Baskin 1988
16. Cary Grant Notorious T.R. Devlin 1946
17. Denzel Washington Malcolm X Malcolm X 1992
18. Emily Watson Breaking the Waves Bess McNeill 1996
19. Paul Newman The Verdict Frank Galvin 1982
20. Al Pacino The Godfather Part II Michael Corleone 1974
21. Giulietta Masina Nights of Cabiria Cabiria 1957
22. Johnny Depp Edward Scissorhands Edward Scissorhands 1990
23. Russell Crowe The Insider Jeffrey Wigand 1999
24. Humphrey Bogart The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Fred C. Dobbs 1948
25. Greta Garbo Ninotchka Ninotchka 1939
26. Maria Falconetti The Passion of Joan of Arc Joan of Arc 1928
27. Marlon Brando Last Tango in Paris Paul 1972
28. Rosalind Russell His Girl Friday Hildy Johnson 1940
29. Peter Sellers Being There Chance the Gardener 1979
30. James Stewart Vertigo John Ferguson 1958
31. Jamie Foxx Ray Ray Charles 2004
32. Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany's Holly Golightly 1961
33. Dustin Hoffman Tootsie Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels 1982
34. Buster Keaton The General Johnny Gray 1927
35. Philip Seymour Hoffman Capote Truman Capote 2005
36. Faye Dunaway Chinatown Evelyn Cross Mulwray 1974
37. Gene Hackman The Conversation Harry Caul 1974
38. Carole Lombard To Be or Not to Be Maria Tura 1942
39. Laurence Olivier Richard III Richard III 1955
40. Nicole Kidman To Die For Suzanne Stone Maretto 1995
41. Samuel L. Jackson Pulp Fiction Jules Winnfield 1994
42. Robert De Niro Taxi Driver Travis Bickle 1976
43. James Dean Rebel Without a Cause Jim Stark 1955
44. Charlie Chaplin City Lights A Tramp 1931
45. Reese Witherspoon Election Tracy Flick 1999
46. Tom Hanks Cast Away Chuck Noland 2000
47. Jack Nicholson One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Randle Patrick McMurphy 1975
48. Bill Murray Groundhog Day Phil Connors 1993
49. Liv Ullmann Persona Elisabet Vogler 1966
50. Humphrey Bogart The Maltese Falcon Sam Spade 1941
51. Henry Fonda The Grapes of Wrath Tom Joad 1940
52. Emma Thompson The Remains of the Day Miss Kenton 1993
53. Daniel Day-Lewis Gangs of New York Bill Cutting 2002
54. Katharine Hepburn The Philadelphia Story Tracy Lord 1940
55. Sidney Poitier In the Heat of the Night Virgil Tibbs 1967
56. Jodie Foster The Accused Sarah Tobias 1988
57. Max Von Sydow Pelle the Conqueror Lasse Karlsson 1987
58. Sigourney Weaver Aliens Ellen Ripley 1986
59. Catherine Deneuve Belle de Jour Séverine Sérizy 1967
60. Diane Keaton Annie Hall Annie Hall 1977
61. Ralph Fiennes Schindler's List Amon Goeth 1993
62. Gary Oldman Sid & Nancy Sid Vicious 1986
63. Gena Rowlands A Woman Under the Influence Mabel Longhetti 1974
64. Paul Newman The Hustler Fast Eddie Felson 1961
65. Jack Lemmon Some Like It Hot Jerry/Daphne 1959
66. Holly Hunter Broadcast News Jane Craig 1987
67. Spencer Tracy Inherit the Wind Henry Drummond 1960
68. Cary Grant Bringing Up Baby Dr. David Huxley 1938
69. Gloria Swanson Sunset Boulevard Norma Desmond 1950
70. Anthony Hopkins The Silence of the Lambs Hannibal Lecter 1991
71. Meryl Streep Silkwood Karen Silkwood 19
72. Judy Garland A Star Is Born Esther Blodgett aka Vicki Lester 1954
73. John Travolta Saturday Night Fever Tony Manero 1977
74. Madeline Kahn Blazing Saddles Lili von Shtupp 1974
75. Julie Christie Darling Diana Scott 1965
76. Burt Lancaster Sweet Smell of Success J.J. Hunsecker 1957
77. Morgan Freeman Street Smart Leo Smalls Jr. aka Fast Black 1987
78. Toshiro Mifune Yojimbo Sanjuro Kuwabatake 1961
79. Johnny Depp Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Captain Jack Sparrow 2003
80. Jeanne Moreau Jules and Jim Catherine 1962
81. Kate Winslet Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Clementine Kruczynski 2004
82. George C. Scott Patton General George S. Patton, Jr. 1970
83. Hilary Swank Boys Don't Cry Brandon Teena 1999
84. Anjelica Huston The Grifters Lilly Dillon 1990
85. Jessica Lange Frances Frances Farmer 1982
86. Robert Walker Strangers on a Train Bruno Anthony 1951
87. John Wayne The Searchers Ethan Edwards 1956
88. Christopher Walken The Deer Hunter Nick Chevotarevich 1978
89. Gong Li Farewell My Concubine Juxian 1993
90. Jeff Bridges The Big Lebowski Jeffrey Lebowski 1998
91. Jane Fonda Klute Bree Daniels 1971
92. Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry Harry Callahan 1971
93. Joan Crawford Mildred Pierce Mildred Pierce Beragon 1945
94. Peter Lorre M Hans Beckert 1931
95. Angela Bassett What's Love Got to Do With It Tina Turner 1993
96. Judy Holliday Born Yesterday Billie Dawn 1950
97. Ben Kingsley Sexy Beast Don Logan 2001
98. Barbara Stanwyck Double Indemnity Phyllis Dietrichson 1944
99. Steve Martin The Jerk Navin Johnson 1979
100.Malcolm McDowell A Clockwork Orange Alex DeLarge 1971

Links

• The 100 Greatest Movie Performances of All Time at Premiere.com

Film advertising materials

Film advertising materials

Animation

This animation moves at 10 frames per second.

This animation moves at 2 frames per second. At this rate, the individual frames should be discernible.

12 frames per second is the typical rate for an animated cartoon.

Animation is the optical illusion of motion created by the consecutive display of images of static elements. In film and video production, this refers to techniques by which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually. These frames may be generated by computers, or by photographing a drawn or painted image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model unit (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result with a special animation camera. When the frames are strung together and the resulting film is viewed, there is an illusion of continuous movement due to the phenomenon known as persistence of vision. Generating such a film tends to be very labour intensive and tedious, though the development of computer animation has greatly sped up the process.

Graphics file formats like GIF, MNG, SVG and Flash (SWF) allow animation to be viewed on a computer or over the Internet.

The bouncing ball animation (at right) consists of these 6 frames.

Reading

• Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, Disney animation: The Illusion Of Life, Abbeville 1981
• Walters Faber, Helen Walters, Algrant (Ed.), Animation Unlimited: Innovative Short Films Since 1940, HarperCollins Publishers 2004
• Trish Ledoux, Doug Ranney, Fred Patten (Ed.), Complete Anime Guide: Japanese Animation Film Directory and Resource Guide, Tiger Mountain Press 1997
• The Animator's Survival Kit, Richard Williams
• Animation Script to Screen, Shamus Culhane
• The Animation Book, Kit Laybourne
• CG101: A Computer Graphics Industry Reference. Terrence Masson Unique and personal histories of early computer animation production, plus a comprehensive foundation of the industry for all reading levels.

Links

• Animation Directory at the Open Directory Project
• Animating Under the Camera
• Experimental Animation Techniques
• Drawn Under-Camera Style Animation
• Keyframe - the Animation Resource
• Animation Nation - a forum for professional American animators
• Chronology of Animation
• Zagreb Film
• Don Markenstein's Toonopedia
• Hints and tips for the animation hobbyist
• Animation World Network
• 28 Principles of Animation
• Animationmeat.com - Notes Model Sheets and Reference material by Professional Animators
• Media & Techniques in Animation
• PowerPoint Heaven - The Power to Animate Contains tutorials on creating animations for PowerPoint Presentations.
• Best Download Cartoons

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Film awards

This is a list of groups, organizations and festivals that recognize achievements in cinema, usually by awarding various prizes. The awards sometimes also have popular unofficial names (such as the 'Oscar' for Hollywood's Academy Awards), which are mentioned if applicable. Many awards are simply identified by the name of the group presenting the award.

Awards have been divided into three major categories: critics' awards, voted on (usually annually) by a group of critics; festival awards, awards presented to the best film shown in a particular film festival; and industry awards, which are selected by professionals working in some branch of the movie industry.

Significant Critics' awards

Australia

• Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA)

Canada

• Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA)
• Vancouver Film Critics Circle (VFCC)

France

• French Union of Film Critics
• Louis Delluc Prize

Internet

• Cinemarati Awards
  Online Film Critics Society
  Online Motion Picture Academy
  Skander Halim Memorial Movie Survey
  Italian Online Movie Awards

United Kingdom

• Evening Standard British Film Awards
  London Film Critics Circle

Germany

Fipresci - The international federation of film critics

United States

American Film Institute Awards

(AFI)

• Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC)
• Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA)
• Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA)
• Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA)
• Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA)
• Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC)
• Golden Raspberry Awards (a.k.a. the Razzies)
• Iowa Film Critics (IFC)
• Kansas City Film Critics Circle (KCFCC)
• Las Vegas Film Critics Society (LVFCS)
• Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA)
• National Society of Film Critics (NSFC)
• National Board of Review (NBR)
• New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC)
• Phoenix Film Critics Society (PFCS)
• San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS)
• San Francisco Film Critics Circle (SFFCC)
• Santa Fe Film Critics Circle
• Seattle Film Critics (SFC)
• Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA)
• St. Louis Film Critics
• Washington Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA)

Significant Festival awards

(This is not intended to be a complete list of film festivals, but to showcase the distinctively named awards given at some festivals.)

Canada

• Montreal World Film Festival
  • Grand Prix des Ameriques (best picture)

Czech Republic

• Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
  • Crystal Globe (best picture)

France

• Cannes Film Festival
  
  • Palme d'Or (best picture)
  • Grand Prize (best picture runner up)
  • Camera d'Or (best first picture)

Germany

• Berlin International Film Festival
  
  • Golden Bear (best picture)
  • Silver Bear (jury grand prize, director, actor and actress)

Greece

• Thessaloniki International Film Festival
  • Golden Alexander (best picture)

Italy

• Venice International Film Festival
  
  • Golden Lion (best picture)
  • Coppa Volpi (best actor and actress)

Norway

• Norwegian International Film Festival
  • Amanda (various categories)

Russia

• Moscow International Film Festival
  • Saint George Slaying the Dragon

Spain

• San Sebastian Film Festival
  • Golden Shell (best picture)

Sweden

• Stockholm International Film Festival
  • Bronze Horse (best picture)

Switzerland

• Locarno International Film Festival
  
  • Golden Leopard (best picture)
  • Silver Leopard (best picture)
  • Bronze Leopard (best actor and actress)

United Kingdom

• Dinard British Film Festival
  • Golden Hitchcock (best picture)
• London Film Festival
  • British Film Institute Sutherland Trophy (best picture)

United States

• Chicago International Film Festival
  
  • Gold Hugo (best picture)
  • Silver Hugo (picture runner-up, actor, actress, director and cinematography)
• Sundance Film Festival
  
  • Grand Jury Prize
  • Audience Award
• Hawaii International Film Festival
  • Golden Maile (best picture)
• Seattle International Film Festival
  • Golden Space Needle (best picture)

Industry awards

Australia

• Australian Film Institute Awards

Canada

• Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television
  
  • Genie Awards
    Gemini Awards
    Prix Gemeaux

Europe

• European Film Academy
  • European Film Awards (formerly the Felix)

France

• Cesar Awards
• Lumieres de Paris Awards

Germany

• German Film Awards
• German Screen Awards

Hong Kong

• Hong Kong Film Awards
  Golden Bauhinia Awards

International

• International Documentary Association Awards
  World Soundtrack Awards
  World Stunt Awards

Ireland

• Irish Film and Television Academy Awards

Israel

• Israeli Film and Television Academy Awards

Italy

• David di Donatello Awards
• Nastro d'Argento Awards

Japan

• Japanese Academy Awards

Mexico

• Ariel Awards

Russia

• Nika Award
  Golden Eagle Award

South Korea

• Grand Bell Awards

Spain

• Goya Awards

Sweden

• Guldbagga Awards

Switzerland

• Swiss Film Awards

Taiwan

• Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards

United Kingdom

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
  • British Academy Film Awards
• British Independent Film Awards

United States

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
  • Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars
• Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
  • Saturn Award
• American Choreography Awards
  American Cinema Editors Golden Reels
  American Society of Cinematographers
  Art Directors Guild
  ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) Film and Television Awards
  AVN (Adult Video News) Awards
  BMI Film Music Awards
  Casting Society of America
  Cinema Audio Society
  Costume Designers Guild
  Directors Guild of America Awards
  EDI Reel Awards
  Golden Trailers
• Hollywood Foreign Press Association
  • Golden Globe Awards
• Hollywood Makeup and Hairstylist Guild
  Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards
  Hollywood Reporter YoungStar
  Independent Spirit Awards
• International Animated Film Society / ASIFA-Hollywood
  • Annie Awards
• International Press Academy
  • Satellite Awards
• Motion Picture Sound Editors
  NAACP Image Awards
  Producers Guild of America Awards
  Publicists Guild of America Aw