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How does a motion-picture camera record a series of still images on film?

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Diagram showing the negative-positive photographic process: a scene is captured on film in a camera, developed into a negative, projected onto paper with an enlarger, and developed again to produce a positive print. — technology of photography Figure 1: Sequence of negative–positive process, from the photographing of the original scene to enlarged print (see text).

A motion-picture camera records a series of still images by utilizing a motor-driven transport system that moves film intermittently through the camera body.12

The process functions through the following mechanical sequence:

Feeding: Unexposed film is pulled from a supply magazine by sprocket-driven gears that grip the film's perforations.13
Positioning: A mechanical claw (or sometimes a pin-registering mechanism) pulls the film into the exposure chamber and locks it momentarily in place behind the shutter at the film gate.134
Exposure: While the film is held stationary, the rotary shutter opens to allow light from the lens to expose a single frame.13
Advancement: The shutter closes to block light while the claw performs an automatic pulldown movement, advancing the film to the next unexposed section.13

This cycle repeats—typically at a standard rate of 24 frames per second—creating a succession of individual still photographs that, when projected, produce the illusion of motion.13