Dictionary

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This dictionary is intended to list words and their meanings that are found in the anime industry.

Animatic - A sequence of key images edited together to create a preliminary version of an animation.

Animated Pilot - In animation, an animated pilot is a test episode or short preview of an animated series.

Atmospheric Perspective - Also known as "aerial perspective", it is a technique used in art to create the illusion of depth and distance. It involves depicting distant objects as paler, less detailed, and often bluer than those that are closer to the viewer.

Breakdown - In animation, it is the initial position between two keys. It defines how a character moves from one pose to another.

Beat Sheet - In animation, a beat sheet is a list of short, bulleted descriptions about each scene in a story.

Compositing - In animation, it refers to the process of combining visual elements from separate sources into a single image.

Composition - In art, it refers to the arrangement of visual elements.

Cross-hatching - An artistic technique used to add shadow and dimension. It involves two layers of hatching at right angles to create a mesh-like pattern.

Drawing Gum - A peelable rubber solution used to keep areas color free when using ink, watercolor, or gouache.

Director - In film, a director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects. They are responsible for production design and all creative aspects of filmmaking in collaboration with the producer.

Deliverable - In a project, deliverables are quantifiable goods or services that need to be provided at various steps of a project as well as at the end of a project.

FPS - FPS is a common abbreviation for Frames Per Second. FPS is the number of frames recorded or drawn withing a second.

Genga - Also known as "key animation". Genga are drawings that depict key poses.

Hatching - A shading technique that uses thin parallel lines to create tone, shadow, or texture. There are various types of hatching.

Inbetweening - Also known as "tweening", it is a process in animation that involves creating intermediate frames, called inbetweens, between two keyframes.

Non-Repro Blue - Also known as "non-photo" blue, this is a particular shade of blue that was not detected by scanners and copy machines. Modern scanners and comic machines will pick up the blue today; however, it is still used as it shows less and can be removed more easily by changing the contrast or channel of the software.

Producer - A producer is responsible for overseeing the production of animated films, series, tv shows, commercials, etc.

Plot Twist - An unexpected occurrence or turn of events in a story that completely changes the direction or outcome of the plot.

Rough Layout - Also known simply as a "rough", it is the stage between storyboards and animation. It serves as a blueprint for the final animation.

Shot List - A document used in film and video production that provides a breakdown of the shots needed per scene.

Sprite Sheet - A single image file that contains multiple smaller images (sprites). These sprites can be used to create animations by cycling through different sprites in the sheet (like a flipbook)

Speed Lines - Also known as "motion lines", they are the lines that appear behind a moving object or person. They are intended to make it appear as if the object or person are moving quickly.

Tie-Down - In animation, a tie-down refers to the process of ensuring that every detail from the rough animation is on model, with no volume distortion. It involves selecting extremes from the rough pass and reassigning their timing and placement through the timing chart.