The motion picture is one of the most popular forms of art and entertainment throughout the world. It is also a major source of information. Every week, millions of people go to the movies. Many millions more watch movies that are broadcast on television or are played back on a videotape player.

But movies are much more than just entertainment. The motion picture is a major art form, as are, for example, painting and drama. Artists express themselves by using paint and dramatists by using words. Filmmakers express their ideas through a motion-picture camera. By using the camera in different ways, the filmmaker can express different points of view.

In addition to their artistic and entertainment values, movies are also widely used in education, especially as teaching aids. Teachers use such films in classes on geography, history, mathematics, and the physical and social sciences.

Television stations use motion pictures to inform as well as to entertain their viewers. TV stations frequently present documentaries. A documentary is a nonfiction movie that tries to present factual information in a dramatic and entertaining way. Documentaries deal with a variety of subjects, such as environmental pollution and the history of presidential elections. Made-for-TV movies may deal with sensitive social issues within the framework of a regular entertainment movie.

Excerpt from the "Motion picture" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999