motion picture
motion picture — noun
1. a story told through recorded images and sound, which you watch in a cinema or o
a story told through recorded images and sound, which you watch in a cinema or on a screen at home; a film.
The director's latest motion picture tells the true story of a young pianist from Shanghai.
attributive use: latest motion picture
Amara invited her classmates over to watch a classic motion picture from the 1950s.
The local cinema is showing an old motion picture that was carefully restored in high definition.
Kenji's favourite motion picture as a child was about a friendly dragon living in a mountain castle.
This year the award for best motion picture went to a documentary about ocean conservation.
文法句型
the + motion picture
a + motion picture
用法筆記
Formal equivalent of 'movie' or 'film'. Common in official contexts such as award ceremonies, academic writing, and government classification (e.g. 'motion picture rating'). Avoid in casual conversation.
常見錯誤
2. a sequence of static frames displayed in rapid succession, which the human eye p
a sequence of static frames displayed in rapid succession, which the human eye perceives as uninterrupted motion.
A motion picture works by projecting twenty-four still frames per second onto a large screen.
technical definition: frames per second
The professor explained that every motion picture depends on a phenomenon called persistence of vision.
Before digital cameras existed, a motion picture was recorded onto a long strip of plastic film coated with chemicals.
Hassan built a small device that created a simple motion picture using drawings on a spinning wheel.
- moving image
broader term that also covers digital animation and video
- film strip
specifically refers to the physical celluloid
- cinematography
refers to the art and technique, not the mechanism itself
文法句型
a + motion picture
motion picture + of something
用法筆記
Describes the physical or technical mechanism of moving images rather than the story or product. Most often found in textbooks, encyclopedia entries, and explanations of how film technology works.
常見錯誤
3. the art form or creative medium of storytelling, performance, and expression thr
the art form or creative medium of storytelling, performance, and expression through film — an uncountable concept that refers to the medium as a whole, not to a single movie.
Diego wrote his university thesis on how the motion picture changed the way people tell stories.
Ryo used flashbacks in her documentary to show her grandmother's childhood in Osaka alongside present-day interviews.
Fatima argues that no other art form reaches as many people around the world as the motion picture does.
Museums now collect motion picture scripts, costumes, and props as cultural treasures worth preserving.
The library added a new section on motion picture history, covering everything from silent films to modern 3D movies.
- cinema
similar meaning as an art form; more common in academic and British contexts
- film
used interchangeably for the medium, but also refers to the physical material
- the screen
metonymic term, often used in criticism
文法句型
the + motion picture + as [noun]
the + motion picture
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (MOVIE): sense 1 refers to a single countable film (e.g. 'a motion picture'), while sense 3 treats the motion picture as a general art form or medium (e.g. 'the motion picture as a cultural force').
4. the commercial activity and all the companies, workers, and organisations involv
the commercial activity and all the companies, workers, and organisations involved in making, distributing, and showing films.
Wei decided to pursue a career in the motion picture industry after graduating from film school in Taipei.
collocation: motion picture industry
The motion picture business in India produces more films each year than any other country.
Anita's father worked in the motion picture business as a sound engineer for more than thirty years.
New streaming services have completely changed how the motion picture industry distributes its products to audiences.
The city attracted thousands of workers when a large motion picture studio opened there in the 1920s.
- film industry
the most common synonym for this sense
- movie business
slightly less formal
- Hollywood
metonym for the American film industry specifically
文法句型
the + motion picture + industry
the + motion picture + business
用法筆記
Frequently combines with 'industry', 'business', 'studio', or 'production' to form compound nouns. Unlike sense 1, this sense is uncountable and always takes a definite article: 'the motion picture industry' not 'a motion picture industry'.