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Resolution

Resolution in animation refers to the level of detail or clarity in the final image. It is the number of pixels that make up a picture. The higher the resolution, the more detailed and sharper the image will appear.

One of the most important aspects of animation is resolution, which refers to the number of pixels that make up an image or video frame. In this article, we will take a closer look at resolution in animation and how it impacts the final product.

Resolution is typically expressed as the number of horizontal pixels multiplied by the number of vertical pixels. For example, 1920x1080 or 1280x720 are common animation resolutions. The higher the resolution, the more detail and clarity there will be in the image or video frame. However, higher resolutions also require more computing power and storage space to render and store.

When buying a new television or computer you will often see the resolution listed as part of the specifications - commonly referred to as HD or 4K. 4K is a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels, which is four times the resolution of HD (1920x1080 pixels). As of 2023 8K is the highest resolution available, with 7680x4320 pixels.

When creating animations, it is crucial to choose a suitable resolution based on the intended use of the animation. For large-scale projection or printing, a high-resolution animation will be necessary to ensure that the final product is clear and detailed. On the other hand, for online use or mobile devices, a lower resolution may be sufficient as smaller screens generally do not require as much detail.

If you are uploading content to Youtube (or other video sharing websites) then it’s best to use the highest possible video resolution. Youtube will automatically scale the video down to lower resolutions for viewers with slower internet connections or smaller screens.

Another factor to consider when choosing a resolution for animation is frame rate. Frame rate refers to the number of frames per second (fps) that make up an animation. A higher frame rate can result in smoother and more fluid animations but also requires more processing power and storage space. The standard frame rate for most animations is 24 fps, but some animations may require higher frame rates for specific effects.

In addition to choosing a suitable resolution and frame rate for an animation, it is also important to optimize other elements such as color depth and compression. Color depth refers to the number of colors that can be displayed in an image or video frame. Higher color depths can result in more vibrant and accurate colors but also require more storage space. Compression techniques can be used to reduce file size without sacrificing too much quality.

Resolution is a critical aspect of animation that can greatly impact the final product. It is essential to choose a suitable resolution based on the intended use of the animation and to optimize other elements such as frame rate, color depth, and compression. With careful consideration and planning, animators can create high-quality animations that meet the needs and expectations of their audience.

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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