opsign

noun

1. Particularly in Gilles Deleuze's cinematic philosophy, a pure optical image that exists independently of any immediate action or narrative progression. Deleuze introduced this concept to describe moments in cinema where the visual element stands alone, detached from the traditional cause-and-effect structure of storytelling.

   “Opsigns and sonsigns are direct presentation of time.”

   “By presenting purely optical and sound situations in which no action is involved, opsigns and sonsigns place time at the centre of the cinematic image.”

   “Thus, instead of what Deleuze had described as perception-images, affection-images, action-images, and mental images (all types of movement-image), there are now “opsigns” and “sonsigns” which resist movement-image differentiation.”