MAC 415- Film Documentary

Main Content 3.1 Definition of film/motion picture Film is an art with a long-standing history. It could be defined as a record of an image upon a sensitive material called cellulose through the action of light (Kogah, 1999). It is a medium of mass communication whose main components of production technology are the camera and editing equipment; the film projector being the main reception technology, (Anunike, 2005). To Uwakwe (2010), the film comprises individual frames that when shown in rapid succession give the viewer the illusion of motion. According to Bittner (1989), the motion picture is a medium of mass communication which has touched every segment of society, has touched and dealt with every subject and has reached every audience. And because some filmmakers combine entertainment with instruction, films make the learning process more pleasurable. It could therefore be described as an art as well as a business which makes those who create it take pride in their creations. It is a significant medium of communication of ideas designed to entertain as well as inform its audiences (Biagi, 2002). Films are the illusion of motion which could be used to teach people about history, science, arts, human behaviour, culture, health and many other aspects of life.