The language of film

Film works because of an illusion. When still images are shown in rapid succession, typically 24 frames per second in cinema, our eyes and brains perceive smooth motion.

In 1895 the Lumière brothers held one of the first public screenings of projected films in Paris, showing short scenes such as workers leaving a factory. Soon Georges Méliès used camera tricks for fantastical stories like A Trip to the Moon of 1902. Films were silent, accompanied by live music, until synchronised sound arrived with The Jazz Singer in 1927.

• Extreme long shot: shows a vast setting, often to establish where a scene takes place.
• Long shot: shows a full figure within its surroundings.
• Medium shot: shows a person from about the waist up, common in conversations.
• Close-up: fills the frame with a face or object, emphasising emotion or detail.
• Point-of-view shot: shows what a character sees.

Camera angle affects how we see a character. A low angle, looking up, can make a person appear powerful or threatening. A high angle, looking down, can make someone seem small or vulnerable. A tilted Dutch angle suggests unease or disorder.

Moving the camera adds meaning too. Panning turns the camera horizontally, tracking or dolly shots move it through space, and handheld camerawork creates immediacy and tension. A long unbroken take, as in many films by directors such as Alfonso Cuarón, can immerse viewers in real time.

Editing joins shots together, and it is where film's most distinctive storytelling happens. Continuity editing, developed in early Hollywood, keeps space and time clear so viewers barely notice the cuts. The shot-reverse-shot pattern, alternating between two speakers, is a common example.

Soviet filmmakers of the 1920s, including Sergei Eisenstein, explored montage, arguing that meaning comes from the collision of shots. The Kuleshov effect, from experiments by Lev Kuleshov, showed that the same neutral face could seem hungry, sad or loving depending on the shot placed next to it. Crosscutting between two scenes, such as a chase and a threatened victim, builds suspense.

Sound includes dialogue, sound effects and music. Diegetic sound comes from within the story's world, like a radio in a room, while non-diegetic sound, such as a film score, is heard only by the audience. A well-known musical motif, like the two alternating notes in Jaws, can create dread before anything appears on screen.

Lighting and colour set tone. Film noir of the 1940s used harsh shadows to create a morally murky mood, while bright, saturated colour can feel joyful or artificial. Colour grading in modern films can tint a whole story, such as warm tones for memories and cold blues for isolation.

Hollywood dominated global film for much of the twentieth century, but cinema has always been international. Italian, French and Japanese filmmakers such as Federico Fellini, Jean-Luc Godard and Akira Kurosawa influenced directors everywhere, and India's film industries produce more films each year than any other country.

Nigerian cinema, often called Nollywood, and South Korean cinema have gained large international audiences in recent decades. Digital cameras, streaming services and online platforms have lowered the cost of making and distributing films, bringing more voices to the screen.