Each image printed on a ribbon is a frame.
Frames are the images that, in a film , follow one another . The sequence of the frames, before the viewer's eyes, provides a sensation of movement .
Printed image
On a celluloid tape, which is projected using a cinematograph, each frame is an image printed through a chemical process . When these frames pass through the projector at a certain frequency, measured in images per second, the visual effect is produced that makes them perceived in continuity, as if they were a unit .
The number of frames per second ( FPS ) varies depending on the system. In analog cinema, films are usually developed with 24 FPS , while in digital cinema it is common to exceed 30 FPS . The size of the frames also depends on the technology .
From photography to cinema
If we focus on the field of photography , frames are the impressions that are captured on the film when light enters the camera, a process regulated by the shutter. When the film is developed, the frames are projected onto paper.
In the case of cinema , the frames are projected at a certain frequency ( 24 FPS , 30 FPS , etc.): because the succession is very fast, the human brain does not perceive the frames as separate images. On the contrary, it mixes them and the illusion of movement is produced.
Many frames projected at high speed, in short, make up a cinematographic film . He who sees it does not recognize separate images, but rather his brain combines them, which makes them seem to follow one another in continuity.
in video games
The world of video games is the most profitable of the 21st century, to the point that cinema and television went from considering it a hobby for children to using it as a source of inspiration to create content. But despite the relationships that may exist between these two worlds, there is a main difference: the way in which information is processed. While for movies and television programs the frames are nothing more than captures made previously, which must be played at high speed, video games must process these frames in real time before sending them to the screen, for which a power of very different processing and tools.
The frames per second of a movie are established during editing , and do not vary at the time of playback (except for potential device errors or skips caused by disc damage, for example). On the other hand, in the case of video games there is the added element of interactivity: each user controls them in a unique way, at their own pace, with a greater or lesser understanding of the rules, and may discover problems in the execution that they developers themselves have not contemplated.
Frames per second in video games are used as a quality parameter.
In the video game market, the term frame , and the acronym FPS , is of great importance since it is related to the quality of the device (console, graphics card, laptop, etc.) and the skill of the developers to optimize their creations. The number that companies and players aspire to is 60, which guarantees a degree of fluidity that is very pleasant for the brain, but today ambition and technological advances allow us to go above 120, and even 200. frames per second.
On the other hand, it is important to note that stability is in many cases preferable to a high frame rate: certain games maintain 30 FPS without jumps and are perceived as more fluid than others that touch 60 FPS unstablely. Therefore, developers must take into account their possibilities and choose the option that offers the best results depending on the genre, the speed at which the action develops , and the preferences of their particular audience.