Movies work because of a biological phenomenon known as "flicker fusion." This is the ability of the human eye and brain to perceive rapidly changing individual still pictures as one continuous motion, creating the illusion of movement.
I knew about this trick of the eye of course, being old enough to have seen early films and what were rudimentary forms of projectors, but Dusty, your article made me appreciate so much more than I have the miraculous pairing of the eye and the screen that you so charmingly referred to as The Grand Illusion (I'm old enough to remember that as well.) By the way, it was my daughter, Eden, who explained to me why "the television adds ten pounds." While she was starring on a soap opera, she learned that the distance between your own two eyes, viewing slightly double versions of the actor, creates a slightly wider look. A kind of natural bifocal - but I think newer cameras may compensate for this. Gotta go look that up. Thanks again, Dusty.
I knew about this trick of the eye of course, being old enough to have seen early films and what were rudimentary forms of projectors, but Dusty, your article made me appreciate so much more than I have the miraculous pairing of the eye and the screen that you so charmingly referred to as The Grand Illusion (I'm old enough to remember that as well.) By the way, it was my daughter, Eden, who explained to me why "the television adds ten pounds." While she was starring on a soap opera, she learned that the distance between your own two eyes, viewing slightly double versions of the actor, creates a slightly wider look. A kind of natural bifocal - but I think newer cameras may compensate for this. Gotta go look that up. Thanks again, Dusty.