16 Terms to Help You Effectively Communicate with an Animation Team

Creating a custom animated video can be confusing and intimidating at first; however, knowing a few key terms can create an animation process that is both smoother and more effective.

Here are 16 terms you should know before creating your next custom animated video.

Scriptwriting

  • This is the process of creating a written script for animated content. You outline the dialogue, actions, visual descriptions, and overall flow of the story to create an effective message for your audience.

Character Development

  • This is a stage in the production where you create and design the characters based on your script. Some characters may be designated as your Main or Hero Characters, while others can be considered Side or Background Characters.

Storyboarding

  • A Storyboard is a visual representation of the story’s beats, moments, arcs, or overall flow. The story is shown in sequential order with some or all of the elements on the screen.

 

Motion Graphics

  • The use of illustration, media elements and visual effects create movement and motion throughout a video.

Text-Based Animation

  • This type of animation focuses on utilizing text for a majority of the piece to drive the overall tone and messaging.

 

Rigging

  • The process of creating a digital skeleton or armature for a 3D character (a rig). Rigging allows animators to move the object, character, creature, etc that has been set up through this process.

 

FPS

  • FPS stands for for frames per second, which refers to the number of images displayed in one second of animation. The most common frame rates include 12, 24, 30, or 60 fps.

Keyframe

  • A specific point in the animation which is used to set the position, rotation, or other properties of an object, element, or character.

 

Rotoscoping

  • The process of tracing over live-action footage to create animation. This process also extracts a person or object from live-action footage.

Color Grading

  • A stage in many live-action shoots, this process of adjusting and manipulating the colors in the animation to achieve a desired look and feel.

Compositing

  • Often in reference to live-action animation, this process combines multiple elements, such as live-action footage, photoshopped backgrounds, and 3D animated elements, into one final video, usually by matching the live-action footage camera movement to a digital camera with the exact same motion

Motion Capture (Mo-Cap)

  • The process of recording the movement of real actors and using that data to animate characters in the animation.

Render

  • The process of creating a final video export from an animation data file.

 

Voice-over (VO)

  • The process of recording a voice to accompany the animated visuals. A voiceover artist can be hired to provide dialogue and acting to a character or narrate on top of animated content.

Sound Design

  • A stage in the process of creating and editing sound effects and/or music used in the animation.

Lip-Sync

  • The process of animating a character's mouth to match the dialogue in the animation.

 

Knowing these terms and the processes behind them will help you communicate effectively with your creative teams and ensure that your custom animated video is a success.

Ready to put those terms to use? Meet with the OP team today to get started on your animated video!

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