Film (Cinema) Perception

Tim J. Smith

Film (cinema) perception refers to the sensory and cognitive processes employed when viewing scenes, events, and narratives presented in edited moving images. Dynamic visual media such as film and television have increasingly become an integral part of our everyday lives. Understanding how our perceptual system deals with the differences between these mediated visual experiences and the real world helps us understand how perception works in both situations. This entry focuses on three of the many differences between film and reality: Film creates the illusion of motion through the rapid presentation of still images. Film creates the illusion of continuity across a cut. Film represents scenes and events across edited sequences of shots filmed at different places and times. Although this list is not exhaustive, these three differences are critical for understanding how we perceive film. This entry provides a brief overview of these differences and current theories about how they ...

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