Frame (film) - Definition and Overview

In film, video production, animation, and related fields, a frame is one of the many still images which compose the complete moving picture. Historically, these were recorded on a long strip of photographic film, and each image looked rather like a framed picture when examined individually, hence the name.

When the moving picture is displayed, each frame is flashed on a screen for a short time (nowadays, usually 1/24th or 1/30th of a second) and then immediately replaced by the next one. Persistence of vision blends the frames together, producing the illusion of a moving image.