Claim: Brave is a recorded work.

A film , also called a movie , motion picture , theatrical film , or photoplay , is a series of still images which , when shown on a screen , creates the illusion of moving images due to the phi phenomenon . This optical illusion causes the audience to perceive continuous motion between separate objects viewed rapidly in succession . The process of filmmaking is both an art and an industry . A film is created by photographing actual scenes with a motion picture camera ; by photographing drawings or miniature models using traditional animation techniques ; by means of CGI and computer animation ; or by a combination of some or all of these techniques and other visual effects .   The word `` cinema '' , short for cinematography , is often used to refer to the industry of films and filmmaking or to the art of filmmaking itself . The contemporary definition of cinema is the art of simulating experiences to communicate ideas , stories , perceptions , feelings , beauty or atmosphere by the means of recorded or programmed moving images along with other sensory stimulations .   Films were originally recorded onto plastic film through a photochemical process and then shown through a movie projector onto a large screen . The adoption of CGI-based special effects led to the use of digital intermediates . Most contemporary films are now fully digital through the entire process of production , distribution , and exhibition from start to finish . Films recorded in a photochemical form traditionally included an analogous optical soundtrack , which is a graphic recording of the spoken words , music and other sounds that accompany the images . It runs along a portion of the film exclusively reserved for it and is not projected .   Films are cultural artifacts created by specific cultures . They reflect those cultures , and , in turn , affect them . Film is considered to be an important art form , a source of popular entertainment , and a powerful medium for educating -- or indoctrinating -- citizens . The visual basis of film gives it a universal power of communication . Some films have become popular worldwide attractions by using dubbing or subtitles to translate the dialog into the language of the viewer . Some have criticized the film industry 's glorification of violence and its potentially negative treatment of women .   The individual images that make up a film are called frames . During projection of traditional films , a rotating shutter causes intervals of darkness as each frame , in turn , is moved into position to be projected , but the viewer does not notice the interruptions because of an effect known as persistence of vision , whereby the eye retains a visual image for a fraction of a second after the source has been removed . The perception of motion is due to a psychological effect called phi phenomenon .   The name `` film '' originates from the fact that photographic film -LRB- also called film stock -RRB- has historically been the medium for recording and displaying motion pictures . Many other terms exist for an individual motion picture , including picture , picture show , moving picture , photoplay , and flick . The most common term in the United States is movie , while in Europe film is preferred . Terms for the field , in general , include the big screen , the silver screen , the movies , and cinema ; the latter is commonly used in scholarly texts and critical essays , especially by European writers . In early years , the word sheet was sometimes used instead of screen .