3D animation - Is any form of animation that is not limited to a bi-dimensional atmosphere. Animation with puppets or modeling clay is 3D animation . However, the term 3D became used more to describe a type of animation done on computer. In 3D animation done on computer, the animator has at his disposal an entire virtual studio, where he can create characters, detail their appearance,light them and film as if it were the real world, however without many of the physical limitations of the real world. With 3D animation a level of quality can be achieved where is not possible to define what is animation from what is real. However, 3D has its disadvantages in the fact that everything has to be created from practically nothing, meaning that with some scenes, due to their complexity and detail, it can take weeks for them to be completed.

Animated particles - Software Resource used to generate smoke, fire, fragments, bubbles, stars, etc., through mathematical formulas.

Animatronics - uses Robots as actors. Seen principally in terror or science fiction films like Gremlins.

Composite images - The union of images from several different sources into one scene, such as a 3D animated character into a real life scene, or a car captured in Cromakey on a sky consisting of a bank of images. Once composed, adjustments are made to the color, brightness, shading and focal field, among others, so that the different image layers fit together perfectly. This is what defines the finish of the film.

Cromakey - A technique where a subject is filmed on a monochrome background, usually blue or green (also called bluescreen and greenscreen) so that later this background can be substituted by other scenery that could be an animation, a matte painting or scenery from another source, it is as if you turned off one of the colors of the camera. This technique needs special illumination.

Cut-out animation - A style of animation where the characters are drawn, colored, cut out and then animated frame by frame. This technique of animation is limited, but when done well, it can produce interesting aesthetic results as seen in the TV series South Park.

Film grain - Looks like dust in movement formed by the particles of silver nitrate that compose cinematic films. They become more visible as the gauge of the film (35mm, 16mm, 8mm, etc.) becomes smaller. However, it is still not possible to eliminate them completely, so when making a composite of a 3D animation with a captured scene ( real life), often we need " to dirty " the animation by increasing its grain structure so that it fits better with the real scene.

Frames per second (FPS) - Or " pictures per second " is the amount of images or drawings shown in one second of projection time in order to create the illusion of movement. In the movies it is usually 24FPS and on the TV it is 30FPS (American and Brazilian standards). In cartoons it is possible in some cases to use 15FPS, photographing each drawing twice in order to match it to the format of TV, however this type of animation doesn't have very smooth or detailed movements.

Matte Painting - Paintings of scenery used in many films to create unreal or fantastic scenes that might otherwise be simply too expensive to produce, they are an extension of the scenery.

Morph - Transformation of objects, people or animals done on the computer.

Motion blur - Effect used to blur an image giving a heightened sensation of movement. It is one of the ways of " dirtying " an animation to give it a greater feeling of realism.

Motion control - Computer operated Crane system where cameras, objects or miniatures can be installed. Used for the filming of scenes with multiple exposures because it allows movements to be pre-programmed and repeated a countless amount of times with absolute precision. First used in the film Stars Wars in 1977, today it is the principal piece of equipment used in the effects scenes of many current movies.

Motion tracking - Resource of digital post-production that allows you to inlay one image onto another at certain points during its movement, for instance, to place a fire in a person's hand while he or she is walking. Today it is possible with the resources of motion tracking not only to record the movement, but also the scale and rotation of an object, allowing you to make composites that simulate a three-dimensional environment.

Multiplane Cameras - System that makes it possible for several paintings or drawings to be placed on glass and moved in different directions, as well as being able to alter the distance of each one in relation to camera, allowing the characters to simulate walking through the scenery. Technique introduced by the Disney studios in 1937 and used until today. However, now with the aid of the computer.

Off-line edition - Is the first edition of a film, where the scenes are organized together so that they tell the story to the public, it serves as a reference for the subsequent production of special effects and audio production.

On-line edition - Is the final packaging of the film, where all the adjustments have been made and scenes that have had any type of effects, color correction or animation are in place and the final audio is added ready for the film to be screened.

Rendering - Is when the computer processes the information of textures, illumination, effects and movement, generating an image or final animation. This process varies a lot according to the volume of information that has to be worked through the computer and could take from as little as a few seconds to as long as several weeks to get the final result.

Rotoscope - Filming or recording of an element for use as a reference for an animation.

Shaders - Are by and large instructions applied to the wireframe in animation software to define the aspects of an element. They can be defined either by mathematical forms, created textures or painted. A good shader should possess controls for color, brightness, transparency, rugosity, reflection, and luminosity, among others.

Stop motion - Also known as forward animation, it is the technique used to give life to objects frame by frame. With stop motion and its evolution go motion, it is possible to give life to anything from puppets to a murderous pair of scissors made from modeling clay to animation with unconventional materials such as sand. Before the advent of the computer this was one of the principal tools for the production of special effects.

Storyboard - A series of drawings that illustrate a scene and could contain, dialogue and other technical specifications. It is the basic planning of the sequence of effects, of an animation or a film.

Time lapse - Technique where the filming speed of the camera is reduced drastically and maintained in a fixed position for a long period of time in order to record such phenomena as the growth of a plant, the movement of the clouds in the sky or the construction of a building.

Wire removal - Process of removing cables, supports and rattletraps that have been used for the accomplishment of some effect on the filming set, or any other undesirable object in a scene.

Wireframe - Basic structure with which all objects, scenery and characters are made within the software of 3D animation.