← Animation Glossary

Props

Props in animation are objects that characters use or interact with during the story. They help make scenes more realistic and interesting by adding details like toys, tools, or even magical items.

Please note that Props is not directly applicable to Brush Ninja.

In animation, props are more than just objects. They are tools that make characters and scenes come alive. Props can be everyday items like furniture or special things like futuristic gadgets. They help tell the story, show character traits, and make the animation more interesting.

When animators include props, they do it for a reason. Props give clues about characters. For example, clothes or accessories can tell us about a character’s personality or feelings. Tools or jewelry can show what a character does or what’s important to them.

Props also help create the world of the animation. By choosing and placing props carefully, animators can make viewers feel like they’re in a different time or place. The details of the props make the world seem real and draw viewers into the story.

Besides storytelling, props serve practical purposes. They give characters things to interact with, making their movements look more natural. Whether it’s using a sword in a fight or picking up objects from a desk, props make actions feel real.

Overall, paying attention to props in animation is important. They add depth to characters, make the story richer, and transport viewers to exciting new worlds. So next time you watch an animated movie or show, notice the props - they add a whole new layer to the story.

Animation Terms

2

2D Animation

3

3D Animation

A

Alpha Channel

Ambient sound

Animation

Anti-Aliasing

Anticipation

Aspect Ratio

B

Bezier Curve

Bitmap

Blue Screen

Bone Animation

Bounce

Broadcast Standards

C

Camera Angle

Camera Shake

Casting

Cel Animation

Character Animation

Character Design Sheets

Cinematic lighting

Claymation

Clean-up

Close-up

Color Correction

Color Grading

Compositing

Composition

Concept Art

Continuity editing

Cross-cutting

Cut

Cutout nimation

D

Depth of Field

Dialogue

Dissolve

Distributed Rendering

Dolby Atmos

Dope Sheet

Dutch Angle

E

Easing

Emitter

Exaggeration

Eyedropper

F

Foley

Follow through

Forward Kinematics

Frame Rate

Frame

Framing

Freeze Frame

G

Ghosting

GIF File Format

Golden Ratio

Graph Editor

H

High key lighting

Hue and Saturation

I

Inertia

Infographic Animation

Inverse Kinematics

J

Joint

JPEG File Format

Jump cut

K

Keyframe Interpolation

Keyframe

Kinetic typography

L

Layers

Lens distortion

Level of Detail

Lighting

Line of action

Lip syncing

Low key lighting

M

Match cut

Matte painting

Montage

Morphing

Motion blur

Motion capture

Motion graphics

Motion path

Motion trail

Mouth shapes

MP3 File Format

MP4 File Format

N

Network rendering

Non-linear editing

O

Occlusion culling

Onion skinning

Overlapping action

P

Pan

Parallel rendering

Particle system

Persistance of Vision

Phonemes

Playback speed

Plot

PNG File Format

Pose-to-pose animation

Props

Puppet animation

R

Render farm

Rendering

Resolution

Rigging

Rotoscoping

Rule of thirds

Run cycle

S

Safe zone

Scene

Score

Screenplay

Script

Shot

Silhouette

Skeletal animation

Slow Motion

Smears

Sound Design

Sound effects

Soundtrack

Special Effects

Split screen

Squash and Stretch

Staging

Stop Motion Animation

Storyboard

Straight-ahead Animation

T

Time Remapping

Timeline

Timing

Title Card

Title Sequence

Tracking shot

Tweening

V

Vector graphics

Visemes

Voice acting

Voice-over Narration

W

Walk cycle

WebM File Format

Weighting

Wide shot

Z

Z-depth

Zoom

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