How does persistence of vision affect the viewing experience of motion pictures?

Persistence of vision is a phenomenon where the human eye retains an image for a fraction of a second after it has disappeared. This effect is crucial in the viewing experience of motion pictures because it allows a series of still images presented in rapid succession to be perceived as continuous motion. When frames of a film are projected quickly enough, the brain combines them, leading to the smooth perception of movement.

If the frames were shown too slowly or if the images were not combined effectively, the viewer would see abrupt changes from one frame to the next, resulting in a jerky or stuttering motion, which detracts from the immersive experience of cinema. By leveraging persistence of vision, filmmakers can create the illusion of a fluid narrative, engaging the audience effectively as they perceive the sequence of images as a cohesive motion picture rather than a collection of disjointed still images.