Word Bank Inventory: P
Paint Department
Often in the same department as roto (Roto/Paint).
Manually paints out unwanted sections of a shot (plate), like wires and harness on actors, frame by frame to help provide a cleaner plate for Comp.
paintover
A process where someone directly paints over top a frame to convey notes or revisions.
PAL
Phase Alternation by Line; A technical standard or format that editorial exports need to adhere to in order to be compatible with specific television settings. Affects the resolution and frame rate.
palette
A set of colours that are available to use..
pan
A camera move when the camera itself stays in place but rotates from left to right.
panel
In Storyboards, a shot is referred to as a panel.
parallax
A phenomenon that occurs when far away objects appear to move at different speeds as the camera pans from left to right. Often replicated in CG / VFX shots to mimic what happens in real life.
Sample:
Have you ever noticed while driving with a view of mountain ranges that one mountain appears farther to the left than the other? But as you continue driving, there comes a point where both mountains seem to align in the same position? This shift in perspective is called parallax.
particle / particle system
Used to generate and simulate a large amount or number of assets. One particle can be as small as a grain of sand, or can be used to animate a crowd of elephants depending on the instance. Particle systems are generally used for FX like smoke, water, sparkles, etc. and for more complex movements, like more detailed character movements, crowd sim is used instead.
pass / render pass
A full render of a turntable or shot is composed of multiple layers or render passes that will be overlayed on top of each other. A render pass is one of those layers.
performance review
An assessment of work and conduct over a given time.
perspective / persp
The angle or how we see the scene on screen or in camera
phonemes
Specific mouth shapes associated with specific sounds.
photorealism
Something that is photorealistic is a CG object or effect that appears as though it was captured in real life, appearing indistinguishable from a real object or scene.
pick-up / pickup / pick up
To reshoot or re-record a section of the script or scene.
picture lock
See locked cut
pipeline
(1) See Pipeline Department;
(2) The established way of working and the expected process of creating a deliverable.
Pipeline Department
( Responsibilities vary per studio. )
Develops tools and creates scripts to help production efficiency for all departments.
pitch
A proposal of a new idea, project, or show
pivot point
The exact point/location where an object will rotate from.
Sample: The pivot point of a clock’s arm would be the screw holding it together in the middle.
pixel
A single coloured point in an image or frame; multiple pixels make up a whole digital image.
pixelation
An error where sections of a frame appear to be rendering rogue pixels.
plate
The raw/unprocessed footage of a shot delivered to the team before any CG/VFX work is applied.
playback speed
A device’s rate of frames shown per second.
playblast
A type of viewing option in CG that allows the user to view the animated objects without having to wait for the scene to be rendered. Often will appear grey, and lacking Look Dev information.
plugin
An additional feature to an existing software that allows for extra tools or functionalities that were not available within the software out of the box.
point cloud
Data points in 3D space that contain info like coordinates, colour, etc. Different from vertices.
polygon / polys
Part of a 3D model and the shape/surface that you get when 3 or more edges come together and form a shape. The higher the polygon count, the more detailed a model will be, but also heavier to load or use in a scene.
popping
An error in a shot where there is a notable irregular movement or abrupt disruption to the flow of movement of an object.
portfolio
A collection of works or projects.
Post Department
( Responsibilities vary per studio. )
The last department in the pipeline. Responsible for adding the final elements before broadcast.
(e.g. sound effects, music, colour correction, QC requirements, etc.)
post-mortem
A formal meeting when closing a department/phase/project to gather lessons learned. Going over what went well, what didn’t, and what could be better next time.
post-production
Refers to departments that are in the later end of a pipeline or film production.
POV / point of view
When the camera is positioned from a character’s perspective to mimic what they see.
practical
Often used in VFX referring to the actual real life prop, character, or set. What you see on a plate before any CG/VFX work is applied.
practical effects
Visual effects done on set by ways of optical illusions or actual props/materials without or before applying post-production enhancements.
Pre-prod / pre-production
The early phases in the life cycle of a project. Depending on the pipeline or the studio, this could refer to departments such as Script, Art/Design, and Storyboard.
pre-roll
Frames at the start of an animation or simulation that is outside of what is in the final cut. This is done so that a simulation’s desired look/shape/form will be shown on the first frame of the shot when cut together in a sequence.
For example:
A typical simulation of a fountain will start from a point (emitter) and will start with nothing “spraying” out of it. In the next frames, particles will start coming out and gradually increase in volume to achieve a fountain-like look. If you want a shot to show the fountain already flowing, you would want a pre-roll to account for the frames NEEDED “to start up” the fountain, and then only cut in from the frame at which the fountain is already at its desired look.
precomp
Preliminary composite; A technique to help speed up Comp’s workflow, especially when a portion of the script or data in a scene is too heavy. Precomp is when an artist renders a portion of their script ahead of time and plugs that render into their working scene/file so that there is less data for the software to run when working, thus speeding up the process and workflow.
prescreen / pre-screen / pre-screening
To show the film to a specific audience before it’s released to the general public.
previs / previsualization
Using CG/VFX elements to roughly block out the actions, callouts, & camera work in a sequence.
procedural
A technique or tool that allows artists to create different output that is more automated, systemized, or created for free by a software, thus decreasing the required time to create the desired look if it had been approached traditionally.
Producer
A production role; usually the most involved in managing a project’s budget and resources.
Production Assistant
Sometimes “runner”; An entry level role in Production usually responsible for administrative tasks and day to day office maintenance. Varies per studio.
Production Coordinator
A Production role responsible in helping department crew members and facilitating production goals. They can be assigned to multiple departments depending on the size of the project. Usually directly reports to a Production Supervisor or Production Manager. Varies per studio.
Production Department
Facilitates effective communication throughout the project. Distributes internal and external information. Keeps the show on time, within scope, and within budget.
A support system for the crew.
Production Manager
A Production role responsible in helping department crew members and facilitating production goals. Typically assigned to only 1 project at a time depending on the size of the studio. Their main responsibility is to deliver the project/show to the agreed upon quality, on time and within scope while also supporting the production team and department supervisors. Usually directly reports to a producer. Varies per studio.
Production Supervisor
A Production role responsible in helping department crew members and facilitating production goals. They can be assigned to multiple departments depending on the size of the project. Additionally, they are responsible in mentoring Production Coordinators and Production Assistants in helping their growth within the Production Department. Usually directly reports to a Production Manager or Producer. Varies per studio.
profile view
The side view of an object.
ProRes
A type of video compression format.
proxy
A temporary object to help communicate scale or intended element that may not yet be available.
prune out
To remove something.
.psd
A Photoshop file.
PSE Test / Photo Sensitive Epilepsy Test
A QC test before broadcasting.
publish / publishes
For an artist or department to export out a specific file type that is required for the downstream department to start.
PUs / Pick Ups
When dialogues are changed from the initial recording of the actors, or new lines are added, pick ups are requested to re-record voice actors for the new required dialogue.
python
A type of programming/scripting language that is used in different software. Often used to create tools/renders/effects/outputs that are more efficiently generated through coding or via script.
