← Animation Glossary

Line of action

The "Line of Action" is a guide that animators use to show the direction and movement of the thing they are animating. So, if a character is running, the line of action would show the path their body is following, helping the animator create a smooth and dynamic animation.

Animation is a complex and intricate art form that requires careful attention to detail and a deep understanding of human movement. One of the key concepts that animators rely on is a line of action, which is an imaginary line that runs through the main axis of a character’s body.

The line of action serves as a guide for animators, helping them to create movement that is consistent and believable. By following this line, animators can ensure that all other movements are built around the character’s spine, giving them a sense of weight and balance.

In addition to providing a foundation for movement, the line of action can also be used to convey a character’s emotional state and personality. For instance, if a character is feeling sad or defeated, their line of action might be slumped and drooping. On the other hand, if a character is confident and energetic, their line might be more upright and dynamic.

By focusing on the line of action, animators can create performances that are more convincing and engaging for viewers. This is because movement that follows a clear line of action looks more natural and fluid, drawing viewers into the story and helping them to connect with the characters on an emotional level.

One way that animators use the line of action in practice is by sketching out rough poses before creating final animations. By starting with simple stick figures or basic shapes, they can experiment with different lines of action to see how they affect the overall movement of the character. This process allows animators to refine their designs and create more appealing performances.

Another important aspect of working with the line of action is understanding how it relates to other elements of animation such as timing, spacing, and weight. Animators must carefully consider these factors when creating movement so that it looks convincing and realistic.

The line of action is an essential concept in animation that helps animators create believable movement for their characters. By following this imaginary spine, they can create performances that convey emotion, personality, and weight, drawing viewers into the story and creating a more engaging experience.

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

Icon for Brush Ninja: Online Animation Maker Brush Ninja Online Animation Maker
Icon for Paint Ninja: Draw and Paint Online Paint Ninja Draw and Paint Online
Icon for Code Ninja: Make Art with Code Code Ninja Make Art with Code
Icon for Emoji Art: Make Emoji Art Emoji Art Make Emoji Art
Icon for Photo Collage: Make Photo Collages Photo Collage Make Photo Collages
Icon for Comic Maker: Make Comics Comic Maker Make Comics