2D: Two dimensional. When something only contains info on 2 axes (X,Y) or width and height.

3ds Max: CG software for modeling and animation.

*: A * on a script indicates a change was made on this section compared to its previous draft

.abc / alembic: A type of file format that contains data for CG files.

.bmp / bitmap: A type of file format for a digital image.

.csv / comma-separated values: A type of file format that contains data that can be imported/extracted from Shotgrid/Excel/Google Sheets to transfer and fill data cells or SG fields.

.DPX: Digital Picture Exchange; a type of file format usually uncompressed, high quality, and heavy.

.EXR: A type of image format, often a preferred render format as it’s HDR and smaller storage space.

.fbx / filmbox: A file format used by various Autodesk software.

.GIF: Graphics Interchange Format; a specific image format. Short clips used in chats are an example.

.jpg / .jpeg / JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group; A type of file format for images. Not typically used if an image, source, or texture requires alphas (transparency).

.json / JSON: A type of file format for coding used in conjunction with programming languages like Python to transmit or store data. It can be used to configure application/software settings and/or transfer data between different software.

.klf / Katana Look File: Contains look dev info / data (cache) of an asset in Katana to enable the program to interpret it to the desired look. Essentially, it is a file that contains the look dev blueprint (settings) of an asset.

.ma / Maya file: A file type exported from Maya or scene files.

.mov: A type of video file format.

.mpg / .mpeg: Moving Picture Experts Group; a type of image or video file format.

.obj / object: A file type used to be able to export and open a CG model between various software.

.psd: A Photoshop file.

.tiff / .tif: A type of image file format.

.usd: Universal Scene Description; A file type used to be able to export/import CG files between various software. Meant to enable changes to the file at different phases in the pipeline without disrupting the other departments or their work.

ACM: Association for Computing Machinery; An organization in the computing industry; see SIGGRAPH.

actuals: The length of time that it took a task to be completed in reality. Useful when comparing Bids vs Actuals to track variance in project performance.

ADR / automated dialogue replacement / additional dialogue replacement:
Usually brought up in editorial and refers to a re-recording of an audio.

aerial shot: Sometimes called bird’s eye view. When a shot is filmed from above like drones or helicopters.

After Effects: A video editing program usually used for motion graphics and 2D Comp.

agile: A way of managing projects that is different from the traditional/waterfall project management. The practice is most commonly used in software development, but is now being adapted to different areas of work. In contrast, it produces deliverables more iteratively and team structures and meetings are vastly different. It prioritizes the constant delivery of requests until a sprint or the time allotted to the task is exhausted as opposed to long term planning and scheduling.

alembic / .abc: A type of file format that contains data for CG files. (.abc)

alias: A code name or shortened name. Projects may have a full title, but could have an alias composed of 3-4 letters. This is helpful in organizing and naming files as it allows for shorter file names while still clearly denoting for which project the file is.

aliasing: A rendering error; it could look like flickering or jagged edges.

alpha channel / alphas: A setting or level in an image that controls the image’s transparency.

ambient light: Overall lighting in a set.

ambient noise: Overall sound in a scene.

anamorphic: Adjustment to a lens that results in a wider aspect ratio.

animatic: A video file of a series of shots cut together as a sequence or in full duration.

Animation Department: Takes Layout’s setup and adds details to shots by finalizing the acting, lip sync, cuts, and overall movement of CG elements.

Animation Principles: There are 12 animation principles that guide feedback and reviews for animation. These are: (1) squash and stretch, (2) anticipation / antic (3) staging, (4) straight ahead action / pose to pose, (5) follow through / overlapping action, (6) slow in and slow out, (7) arc, (8) secondary action, (9) timing, (10) exaggeration, (11) solid drawing, (12) appeal.

annot / annotate: Written revision notes directly on a frame of a shot or turntable as a reference for the artist.

anti-aliasing: A technique to reduce the rendering error of seeing jagged edges on an image or frame when high-res images are viewed at lower resolutions.

AO / ambient occlusion: A render pass containing the soft shadow on surfaces that appear when objects are physically close to each other.

AOVs: Arbitrary Output Variables; Enables artists to render shading network components into different images, thus allowing them to manipulate attributes even at a later time in the pipe (compositing).

aperture: An opening that controls how much light travels through a camera lens which affects an image’s quality like exposure or depth of field.

AR / augmented reality: When CG elements are integrated into a real world environment and interacted with in real-time.

Arnold: A rendering software used for photorealistic renders.

artifact: A rendering error on a frame or image.

Artist Management Department / AM: A department more commonly seen in film studios and less so in smaller/episodics studios. Artist Managers support a crew member’s career growth and serve as a liaison between the crew member and their manager or supervisor, offering guidance and performance feedback.

ArtStation: A website or platform for artists to share their portfolio.

ASCII / ASCII File: American Standard for Computer Information Interchange; A type of text file.

aspect ratio: The proportion of an image or frame written in the format: width:height

Aspera: An app for file transfers. Usually used for deliveries as it allows for large file sizes and is secure.

associate producer: Responsibilities vary per studio. Hierarchically, usually on par or above a Production Manager.

atmos / atmosphere: An element added in Comp to make a shot look smokey when rendered.

attribute / att: Part of software UIs; These are toggles or menu options that allow artists to control how an object or scene will appear when rendered.

audio mixing: Editing and adjusting the sound and audio tracks of a media file.

Autodesk: A company that owns multiple of the most commonly used software in the industry such as AutoCAD, Maya, 3DS Max, Shotgrid, Flame, Mudbox, etc.

autofill: A software feature that automatically completes a form or field.

Avid: A company that develops software/hardware for film, tv, & audio production. Mostly used by Edit.

B roll: Additional footage in a video or edit. Used to cut away from the main footage to give interest.

BAFTA: British Academy of Film and Television Arts; an awards ceremony for film and TV.

bake / bake in: To permanently apply a setting or effect in CG.

banding: A common render error in the colours of a frame or shot when gradients do not appear smoothly causing a distinct or harsh disruption on how the colours appear on screen.

beat: A key moment in the sequence.

beat boards: To sketch out the timing or key moments in a storyboard.

beauty pass: The final renders of shots or turntables are composed of multiple layers overlayed on top of each other to create a final look. A beauty pass is the layer that has the most detail and is closest to the final look.

beta release / beta testing: A software development term usually pertaining to a release of a product (ticket/tool) to a small group of people before officially releasing it to the rest of production or other projects.

bevel: A modeling term which means adding a slope on the edges of objects so it’s not so sharp.

• For example: Take a look at your desk. On the edges, you’ll notice that it’s designed so that the edges (where the tabletop ends) is smoothened out. The edges of the desk are beveled.

BG / MG / FG
background / mid-ground / foreground

• background : what we see in the far back or behind the character/object in focus

• mid ground : in between the front and back

• foreground : area closest to the camera

bids: The assumed length of time to complete a task.

bin: A container; Digitally this could be a folder or directory or part of the software where media file(s) are stored.

bitmap / .bmp : A type of file format for a digital image.

blend shape : Saved out pose or look or shape of a 3D object. It usually comes with controls that enables the artist to shift from one shape to the other in a smooth transition.

Blender : An open source CG software. It’s free to download!

blocking : Staging and rough animation pass to get director approval on the general action in the shot. This prevents wasting time perfecting something in the wrong direction.

bloom: An effect; makes the shot look like it’s overly exposed.

blooper: Behind the scene footage or funny mistakes/renders in the making of the project.

blooper reel: A compilation of bloopers.

blue screen: Blue cloth/background to ease in keying, which helps extract the non-blue objects off of a plate or footage. Covering unwanted areas blue makes it easier for artists to isolate the desired parts of the footage or image and seamlessly integrate a different plate, background, or CG pass.

blue spill: The bit of blue colour or bounce light reflected on an object in the shot because of the blue screens surrounding them at the time of filming or as seen in the raw plate.

blur / motion blur: A smear effect applied on objects moving rapidly to emulate the same phenomenon in real life.

bokeh: An effect making out of focus objects/light appear as blurry circles

boolean: In modeling, this is the ability to combine geos together, or to “punch a hole” onto another geo using the shape of another geo, or create a new model by calculating where 2 geos overlap.

boom / jib: A camera move (up or down movement)

bounce light: The type of light that is reflected off of the surrounding objects in a scene.

• Sample: Holding a red balloon near your face can make your skin appear more red because of the bounce light coming from the red balloon.

BS & P / Broadcast Standards and Practices: Policies that all productions must follow before it is allowed to air.

bug: A problem in the software

bump:

• (1) In assets, this refers to the dents or unsmoothened surface of an object. Often used in Look Dev to create the illusion of adding detail without the need of further adjusting the object in Modeling.

• (2) In production, it is to respond to an existing thread to remind the recipients to respond.

burn in:

• (1) Details about the current shot such as frame numbers, shot duration, author, description, etc. Customizable to every pipeline and will be different per production/studio.

• (2) Exposure to light

• (3) In VFX, a note requiring the artist to place an element overtop an existing element or plate.

• For example:
  Applying a TV screen burn in by adding an infographic over top of a TV monitor seen in the shot. Or, a custom touchscreen interface on a practical screen or prop.

buzzing: A common note in lighting or comp; a render error when unintended pixels on a frame get picked up and get affected throughout the shot causing distortion in areas and making the sections look like it’s shaking or buzzing.

cache: A type of file containing the precise location of the vertices that make up a CG object allowing files to be passed from one department to another. Caches enable various software to read and load the same data despite using different software.

cadence: The rhythm or timing that activities or meetings are repeated in a regular pattern.

• e.g.) An ideal cadence for Dailies is everyday.

call sheet: On set, a document listing the cast and crew's schedule and other details for the day like who should be present, who will be filmed, which scenes to be filmed and where.

callout / call out: To draw attention to, to expand with further details/reference, or to request.

camera angle: The position of the camera to show a desired perspective when the subject is seen in shot.

camera clipping: Usually an error when the CG camera is placed in the middle of an object’s surface. This causes certain portions of CG assets to look spliced or invisible.

camera movement: The movement of the camera in a shot or the “POV” you see on screen.

camera pop: A shot error when the camera’s movement becomes suddenly irregular.

camera shake: Camera movement that simulates the effect of a handheld camera shake, commonly used when objects fly past the lens or during intense actions like explosions.

casting:

• (1) A production term meaning to assign talent to a specific task.

• (2) In CG, to emit or produce. See shadow casting as an example.

caustics: A special effect to imitate how a body of water reflects light back on surfaces.

caveat: A side note, usually attached to a delivery, to indicate the team’s warning/heads up/expression of limitations regarding a deliverable. Often used to mitigate the volume of notes by letting the receiver know of the already known revisions/feedback.

CBB / Could Be Better: Often used for notes that do not need to be addressed immediately.

CC / colour correct: Adjustment of colour usually at the end of the pipeline. It could be a change in white balance, exposure, saturation and or contrast.

CDL / Color Decision List: Contains the correct color info needed by DI.

cel animation: Refers to the look or the process of early animation when objects in a shot are hand painted on cellulose acetate sheets, with one or more sheets per frame, and then played back like a flipbook.

CG / CGI: Computer Generated Imagery anything on screen that is not practical or “real.” This could be FX (like CG fireworks, or CG water splash) or even assets (like a 3D character or set). It could also be PARTS of a practical, (like a CG needle on a prop syringe).

CG Supervisor / Computer Graphics Supervisor: Responsibilities can differ by studio, but the role typically serves as the main "go-to person" on the project, making technical decisions on workflow, tools, workarounds, and problem-solving. They possess broad knowledge across multiple disciplines and departments, making them a valuable resource for a deeper understanding of the pipeline.

change order: A project management term referring to any addition or modification to the original contract signed between parties.

channel: Attributes that can be isolated as a separate layer or setting to enable an artist to control and alter how something will look after it’s rendered.

character line up: A frame or turntable displaying multiple characters posed in the same way and arranged in a line. This is an essential tool to review their cohesion aesthetically as well as to gauge the overall scale/proportion of characters compared to each other.

cheat: A workaround to achieve a desired look without following the usual processes.

chroma key: A process that lets the artist extract the subjects off of a blue or green screen. See “keying.”

chromatic aberration: A type of artifact like a color shift seen in shot due to how light passes through a lens.

chrome ball: See “HDRI ball”

Cinema 4D / C4D: A 3D software for modeling, animations, motion graphics, and simulations.

cinematographer: The person who is responsible for pitching camera work, lighting, and composition to a director. They bring the director’s vision to life through their decisions in camera angles/movements, lighting direction, and shot layout/composition.

Cinesync: A software often used in reviews or dailies.

Cintiq: Hardware for artists and is a product of Wacom. It functions like a tablet and touchscreen in one and enables the user to draw on screen as the screen itself is the surface on which a pen is used.

claymation: A type of stop-motion animation using clay or putty.

clean plate: Another version of a shot’s plate but without the specific objects or characters. It will have the same exact camera movement as the main plate because it is the same plate/element but with specific objects or characters painted out.

• Sample: If a plate is a footage of a “flying” actor who is hooked on wires and harness to help lift him up in a shot, a clean plate would be a version of that same footage with the wires and harness painted out to make it appear as if he’s flying naturally.

• Additional CG/VFX may be applied to the shot, but clean plates are usually requested to help smoothen/quicken the integration. It’s faster to apply extra elements to a “cleaned up” plate with unwanted objects already painted out.

clip: A cut out or shorter piece of a longer footage.

clipping: An error where sections of a footage/audio file are distorted or cut off.

clipping plane: In 3D, it is a flat invisible plane that can show the interior of an object if it intersects with it.

clone: To make a copy of.

cloud: A type of resource that enables users to store data remotely on servers via internet instead of saving the files in a physical/local drive or computer. Usually hosted by a third party company.

cloud rendering: To outsource rendering needs into the cloud, accessing a much higher number of “render machines” and therefore resulting in faster render times or turnaround time when rendering.

codec: Short for “compressor-decompressor”; Different codecs are used to compress/decompress media files with a large format or file size with little loss to its quality. Useful in storage management, data transfers, and archiving. Example of common codecs are ProRes, H.264, AVI, RAW.

collision: When 2 objects or elements touch/intersect and/or react as a result of the interaction.

color management: To control and maintain the levels of colour throughout the production.

color timer / color grader / colorist: Role responsible for managing colour continuity between shots and sequences.

colour correct / cc / colour grading: To adjust the colours in shot by altering its levels or qualities towards a desired look. See DI.

colour key / colour script: A visual guide of the intended look of shots or sequences to convey the desired mood or lighting.

colour space: Colour is displayed in different intensities / hues depending on the hardware or software used. Due to this, colour space is often needed to be consistent between viewers during reviews to ensure that all are viewing the same thing.

composite: When various layers of effects or images are combined into one frame or image.

Compositing Department: Combines all layers (elements) from upstream departments like plates, CG, FX, and other digital assets. Adds the final touches or adjustments to shots before delivery. Like “Photoshopping” but on a video.

compositor / comp artist: Someone who specializes in compositing.

compression: To reduce the file size of a media file.

concept art: First step in asset design. Usually quick in turnaround time and not as polished. The goal is to confirm if the design is on the right track as the director/art director is envisioning before spending too much time on it. Usually also comes with multiple alternative designs/concepts in one sheet.

conform: An editorial task of replacing a previous footage with the latest and higher quality version of the shot/sequence. Helps in being able to list the changes made in the latest cut.

contact issue: An animation error when objects meant to be attached or connected are not actually touching.

• Sample: If a character is holding a book, but the book is slightly floating and not actually touching the character’s hand. (Unless of course they’re magical) ;)

contact shadow: The dark spot/shadow that another object casts onto another object when both are touching.

contingency: An amount of time or budget set aside to be used when needed in response to potential risks.

continuity: Keeping the actions and usage of assets consistent and logical with the progression of the story.

contrast: A common note in reviews to denote the difference between 2 variables.

CP / Consumer Product: A department responsible for goods or products to be purchased by clients / customers / viewers.

crane: An equipment on set with a camera on one end and a counterweight on the other and allows for a smoother repositioning of the camera even through moving shots.

crashing: An error when objects penetrate the surface of another object.

• Sample: If a CG character is holding a CG doorknob, but you see the palm and fingers go through the doorknob, the hand is crashing on the doorknob

crawling: A rendering error when edges appear unstable or out of sync with the rest of the shot.

creative call: Direction or instruction that affects the look, action, or story in a frame/shot/edit/cut.

Creature Dev Department: A technical department that simulates hair, cloth, and anatomy.

crew: Staff or team members.

crop / cropped / cropping: To cut out a section of an image along the frame’s edges.

cross dissolve / cross fade: A transition between 2 shots blending A shot (preceding shot) into the B shot (proceeding shot).

• This can also be applied on audio clips.

Crowd Department: Generates assets and simulates animation of multiple BG characters.

crowd sim / simulation: To generate and manipulate a large number of similar CG objects without having to individually animate/tweak each model one asset at a time. Helps with efficiency in production.

.csv / comma-separated values: A type of file format that contains data that can be imported/extracted from Shotgrid/Excel/Google Sheets to transfer and fill data cells or SG fields.

CU / close up: When the camera is up close to an object or character.

curve editor: Part of a UI used to create and control curves. See spline.

cut: A video file of multiple shots stitched together.

cut in / cut out: A shot’s first and last frame that is in the cut.

cutaway: To abruptly stop the current shot/sequence to show a different shot to provide additional context/angle/perspective.

cyc / cyclorama: Often associated with skydomes, it is the image on the dome or BG geo used to imitate a desired background without being required to model an actual set.

cycle: A repeatable or looped animation.

dailies: A regular meeting to review artist submissions and to provide feedback.

DaVinci Resolve: A video/audio editing software.

day for night: A VFX process of making a live action footage that is filmed during daytime look like nighttime.

decal: A detail added to the surface of objects; like a sticker.

deep comp / deep compositing: A more complex level of comp. While Comp work is usually 2D, deep comp uses a depth channel usually from 3D renders –but not always, to gain more control of elements in a shot’s z space. By having z space info/reference, it gives artists more flexibility in up-resing the quality of shots and other elements; making them look less 2D. Helpful in adjusting the camera focus without sending it back upstream, adding atmospheric haze, and layering elements.

deep focus: When both the foreground and background are in focus.

definition of done / DoD: A project management term that formalizes the team and client’s agreed upon requirement(s) or criteria for a deliverable/process/project to be considered complete. This is especially important to establish to avoid misunderstandings, scope creep, or gold plating.

deliverable: An output or product.

delivery: To pass something to a client, vendor, or another department for review or usage.

denoise: Graininess of shots.

depth channel / z channel: Elements in a shot that has z-depth data (think front to back in relation to the camera and vice versa) to help provide control of depth perception when seen in shot.

depth of field / DoF: The range of distance in a scene that appears in focus from the object nearest to the camera to the furthest. Controlling the depth of field lets you decide which will be in focus within that range.

desaturation / desat: To lose colour. Saturation at 0 will mean the image or shot is gray; it’ll have no colour at all.

Design Bible: A compilation of references and notes that sets the Look of Show.

Design Department: Sets how assets appear based on the functionality needed, the script, CG limitations, and Look of Show.

destructive: Used to describe workflows or actions that result in redoing of work and / or upending of previously established workflows.

DI / Digital Intermediate Department: Responsible for the final look adjustment of shots to ensure that the colours and other elements will be shown the way they are meant to, at the right settings/levels, when viewed on the consumer’s screen/device(s). Common tasks include QC and colour correction.

dials / dialogue: Voice actor(s)’ recorded lines.

diffusion: Softening of how light or shadow hit a surface.

digidouble / digi double: A 3D model of an actor or object. It’s meant to appear as close to the live action version as possible (minus the clean up like wire removals) but created in CG to allow for enhancements or other actions that may not have been possible or as smooth to enact in real life.

• Sample: A character getting punched so hard, they smash through multiple walls. It’s often easier, cleaner, and faster to do this in CG than in live action.

digital artist: Often the generic term for any artist at any department.

director: Generally is the person who has the vision and final call on shots and acting/performance.

displacement: Much like bump, it is a technique in Look Dev to give the illusion of adding details on the surface of an object, like sculptural details) without requiring additional model or sculpt work.

distortion: Usually an error where there appears to be some warping on the shot.

dither: An optical illusion that makes it seem like there are more colours on an image than actuality.

ditty: A short song that a character sings.

DMP / Digital Matte Painting Department: Paints skies or background sets to save asset time if the BG or set can be painted convincingly to appear real or CG. In other cases, where the camera is static, DMP can also paint in elements for Comp to save on cost and time in creating them in Assets/FX/CG.

DoD / definition of done: See “definition of done”

DoF / Depth of Field: Pertains to the distance between the object closest to the camera and the object farthest from the camera. Often used to convey distance.

• Sample: To show that the mountains are much farther away than the character in front of the camera, Depth of Field is adjusted and results in the mountains looking blurry in the background because it is much farther away.

Dolby: A company that develops sound and visual technology for film, TV, music, and gaming.

dolly: A camera movement when the camera moves towards the front or back.

dome light: Half of a sphere used as a light source and scaled up big enough to illuminate a whole CG set.

double beat: To repeat. When a section of the script seems to recur or happen again. Sometimes a flag for redundancy or it could be intentional for emphasis.

double exposure: When 2 images are overlaid on top of each other.

double framing: Duplicating every frame in a shot to give an illusion of slow motion (action taking longer).

double geo: An error when an asset is mistakenly duplicated in the same shot or scene.

DP / Director of Photography: Main cinematographer and responsible for camera work, lighting, and shot composition –What we’ll see and how we'll see it on camera.

.DPX / Digital Picture Exchange: A type of file format usually uncompressed, high quality, and heavy.

drop: In scheduling, a drop is a batch of pre-determined deliverables at specific milestones throughout the course of a project.

dropped frame: When a frame in a shot seemed to have disappeared. Often a blank or black frame.

dub / dubbing: To replace the audio/dialogue of an existing shot/film. Like a voice over, but the new audio is different from the original/previous version. Like translating an episode in a different language.

dutch angle: Tilted camera position.

ECU / extreme close up: An exaggerated camera placement where the camera is very close to the subject.

edge: The line in between 2 vertices.

edge loop: A series of connected edges that trace the surface of a 3D object. Important for modeling, rigging, and animation as it is impacted during weighting and skinning.

edge matte: A type of layer/matte that only contains the outline of an object or objects in frame.

Editorial Department: Cuts together the shots, sequences, and audio received from Storyboards, Layout, Animation, and Compositing. They work closely with directors to lock timing and transitions. They ingest shots at the start of the pipeline and export final cuts at the end.

EDL / Edit Decision List: Data for editors to know specific instructions for shots / sequences such as timecodes, shot names, cut orders, frame count, etc. Every time the cut is updated, the EDL is also updated.

element: A layer or item added in Compositing to add detail to the shot.

emitters: In FX, emitters are the specific points from which particles will be generated.

encoder: Equipment or device that converts info gathered from footage into digital data.

entity: Items in Shotgrid that gets tracked/scheduled. For example, assets, sequences, shots, etc.

EOD / End of Day: Chat speak for the time at the end of the said work day.

EOM / End of Message: Chat speak to indicate that no further message is attached past that point.

epic: A software or product development term used to indicate that something that is a large chunk of work has also been broken down into smaller tasks.

• For example, a pipeline ticket could be called an EPIC if it has subsidiary tickets that, if completed, contributes to the completion of the bigger (epic) ticket.

establishing shot: Usually a shot showcasing a set in its full glory, to provide context of where the following shots will be taking place.

Excel / Microsoft Excel: A project management software for spreadsheets, data entry, analysis, and projection. Often used in production for Shotgrid info exports and imports, scheduling, resourcing, and budgets.

export: To render an output file from a software.

exposure: The amount of light in a shot.

.EXR: A type of image format, often a preferred render format as it’s HDR and smaller storage space.

extrude / extrusion: To push/pull out a vertex, edge, face, or geo in modelling; extending a piece of the model/geo.

eye level shot: When the camera is placed at the character’s…eye level.

F-stop: Used to measure a camera’s aperture size (the amount of light entering).

faceting: An error when CG objects lose the smoothness on their surface and appear to be at a lower quality than intended.

fade: A transition between 2 shots blending A shot (preceding shot) into the B shot (proceeding shot), but different from a cross dissolve because one of the shots in a fade is just a solid black/white frame rather than an image.

fade in: A transition/effect applied at the beginning of a shot/audio that gives an effect of gradually transitioning from black/white screen to the actual shot. Or, from a muted audio to not.

fade out: A transition/effect applied at the end of a shot/audio that gives an effect of gradually transitioning out of the shot and into a black/white screen. Or, from the audible audio to silence.

farm: See render farm

fast tracking: To speed up the submission or completion of a deliverable.

• Also a project management term meaning to compress a schedule by performing tasks (normally done in sequence) in parallel with each other. This technique is high in risk due to its high possibility of rework down the line.

.fbx / filmbox: A file format used by various Autodesk software.

feather / feathering: To soften the selection or around an object’s edges.

feature / feature film: The main movie in a screening.

FG / foreground:

• background : what we see in the far back or behind the character/object in focus

• mid ground : in between the front and back

• foreground : area closest to the camera

fill lights: Softer or additional lights in a scene to help bring up the details that are in the shadow or not lit as well by the key light.

filter:

• (1) In data entry, to apply specific conditions to eliminate unwanted data and narrow the selection;

• (2) A layer of effect applied to an image or footage.

final: Complete or approved.

Final Cut:

• (1) A video/audio editing software;

• (2) The completed version of the edit.

FK / Forward Kinematics: See IK (Inverse Kinematics) vs FK (Forward Kinematics)

flag: To call attention to.

flashing / flickering: A rendering error in shots where a portion or a frame flips on / off.

flip: To flip vertically so that what was right side up is now upside down. Not to be confused with flop.

floating: An animation error when objects appear to hover on top of the ground; there is no contact with the ground plane is.

flop: To flop horizontally so that what was facing the right side is now facing the left side. Not to be confused with flip.

Flow Production Tracking / FPTR: See Shotgun / Shotgrid

FML frames / First Middle Last frames: 3 frames out of a full frame range: the first frame, middle frame, and last frame. Often used to render out a shot for a quick test/review without having to wait for the total amount of time it will take to render a shot in its full frame range. (Less frames mean less time rendering on the farm.)

focal length: Length of the lens and the distance between the lens and the subject in the image; Magnification of a lens will depend on the length of the lens.

focus: Camera adjustment to control how clear something is in a shot.

focus testing: An activity set up to test how well a certain product is received by a specific group of people.

foley: Creating and recording of sound effects usually using various practical materials or props. Sound effects are recreated to match what we see on screen because it’s often difficult to capture these sounds when filming. For example, the rustling of clothes.

footage: A clip or video.

forced perspective: To exaggerate or emphasize the perception of depth.

forecasting: A project management term meaning to predict or estimate a project scenario based on the current info available. Usually used in resource and/or schedule planning and management.

format: Requirements of a file or component to enable it to be used properly and/or efficiently.

fps / frames per second / frame rate: The number of images (frames) that play on screen within one second. Most common frame rate is 24fps, ergo, most shots play at 24 frames per second.

frame: A shot or turntable is composed of multiple individual still images stitched together and played really fast to create the illusion of movement. A frame is what we call one of these still images, ergo, a shot is composed of a series of frames played through very quickly.

frame range: The selection of frames that will be rendered.

freeze frame / frozen frame: A shot or turntable is composed of multiple individual still images stitched together and played really fast to create the illusion of movement. A frame is what we call one of these still images, ergo, a shot is composed of a series of frames played through very quickly.

• A frozen frame is a rendering error where a frame or multiple frames are repeated consecutively, which results in the overall image looking frozen.

Fresnel Effect: A phenomenon when the reflection of light and how it looks changes depending on the angle at which the eye sees it.

frustum / camera frustum: In 3D, it’s the cone projecting from a camera representing the space that will be visible on screen from that camera. Anything inside it will be visible in the render when that camera is rendered.

functionality: Refers to how an asset is intended to be used based on the script/story requirements and what the pipeline allows. Cross-departmental agreement on an asset’s functionality is important to ensure that an asset can be modeled, rigged, animated, and rendered to match boards’ and design’s intent.

FX Department: Responsible for adding special effects to shots. Sometimes, if a callout is too complex to animate manually, FX provides simulations to assist Animation.

gag: A comedic beat in the sequence or shot.

gain / gaining up or down: To adjust the overall brightness of an image or frame without affecting its darkest/brightest pixel.

gamma: A setting on an image itself, or the monitor it’s viewed in. This setting adjusts the contrast of the image by affecting the darkest and/or brightest pixels in the image. The adjustment affects the amount of detail that can be seen on a frame as there could be more details in the image that might be obscured when it’s too bright or too dark. Different from “gaining up/down.”

Gantt Chart: A project management tool for scheduling. It visualizes the start and end date of tasks via bars representing each task on one axis and the dates/timeframe on one axis. It was invented by Henry Laurence Gantt in the 1900s.

garbage matte: A rough matte to remove specific areas on an image or footage; a loose roto.

Gaussian Blur / Filter: A specific type or method of getting a soft blur.

generative AI: When AI creates “new” data after analyzing and recreating a library of existing data. It generates a somewhat revised version of its input based on the patterns learned.

geo: A CG model or object.

ghost hours:Working extra hours or more than the regular time, without claiming it for pay or logging it.

ghosting: Usually a render error when something is not layered properly or when a rogue roto is visible.

.GIF / Graphics Interchange Format: A specific image format. Short clips used in chats are an example.

gimbal:

• (1) On set, it’s an attachment to a camera or object that helps stabilize it as it moves in shot.

• (2) In CG, this often refers to a rig or a control that affects an object’s rotation around its XYZ axis.

global illumination: Indirect lighting in a scene to replicate the behaviour of light in a natural lighting.

global page: The default shared pages in Shotgrid that can be accessed and viewed by anyone added to the project. (e.g. assets page, shots page, playlists page)

• Any changes to its default settings and filters will affect everyone’s default view of the page.

• So, be careful with the Save Page button when using these pages to avoid accidentally overwriting the intended default view.

Gnomon: School offering programs and courses in CG, VFX, and games.

gobo: A technique to simulate far away objects (like clouds), usually off screen, to appear as if casting shadows on a surface.

god rays: An element added to a shot to show a ray of strong light like sun rays.

GPU / Graphics Processing Unit: Part of the computer that helps in the rendering of media files. A higher GPU generally means better performance and faster output as graphics are processed faster.

grading: A post production task to adjust the colour of an image or scener. Sometimes called color timing.

grain / grainy / graininess: A quality seen on a shot so that it appears to have an overall granular / rough texture overlay. Like a retro filter.

grayscale / gray scale: When an image is void of colour or completely desaturated. Sometimes spelled greyscale.

green screen: Green cloth/background to ease in keying, which helps extract the non-green objects off of a plate or footage. Covering unwanted areas with green makes it easier for artists to isolate the desired parts of the footage or image and seamlessly integrate a different plate, background, or CG pass.

green spill: The bit of green colour or bounce light reflected on an object in the shot because of the green screens surrounding them at the time of filming or as seen in the raw plate.

• Sample: Seeing some green around the edges of an actor who has blonde hair.

greenlight / greenlit: Approved to begin work or production.

Groom Department: Responsible for the CG process of generating realistic hair or fur on an object.

GUI / UI / Graphic User Interface: What a user sees on screen to be able to use an app. Think buttons, windows, icons, menus, etc.

hair tubes: Geo in Modeling that constructs guides for Groom so that hair/fur can be generated to follow a specific shape. Edge loops also play an important role in creating hair guides.

handles / frame handles: The frames at the beginning and end of a shot that are NOT in the cut once the shot is stitched together into a sequence of shots. Frame handles allow for editors and directors to make minor adjustments as they see fit when editing.

• NOTE: It is important for Shot Production to know the show’s frame handles as all shot departments will work within this parameter. Knowing the frame handles is also helpful for artists and supervisors to conserve shot work and render time.

hard-surface modeling: Pertains to modeling inorganic objects like machines, buildings, vehicles, props or items that did not occur or get created by Nature etc.

Harding Test / Photo Sensitive Epilepsy test: A QC test before broadcasting to determine if any shot could be sensitive to some viewers and/or if there are any color or details to be adjusted to pass specific vision tests.

HD / high definition: A much detailed resolution of a video resulting to higher quality even when viewed in bigger screens due to a higher pixel count. Commonly 1280 x 720 (HD) or 1920 x 1080 (Full HD).

HDMI (cable/port) / High-Definition Media Interface: Cable to connect a device that outputs video and audio.

HDR / High Dynamic Range: Allows for more details to be visible on an image even in the shadows or highlights.

HDRI ball / VFX ball: On set, it’s a chrome ball used to capture (by reflection) the range of lighting and details for a scene. In post, the image captured is used to create HDRI maps.

HDRI map / High Dynamic Range Image: An element used on asset renders so that when rendered with its look dev, materials react to light based on how they would react when placed in an actual set.

hero character / hero asset: The main characters or assets that are featured more than others. Usually requires a lot more detail or functionality than other surrounding props or assets.

HoD: Head of Department

hold: Repeating the same frame continuously, making a frame seem longer/frozen (because the same exact image is being shown given the allotted time).

on hold: Status used when no further work is to be done pending confirmation or approval.

hold out matte: A layer (matte) used to prevent a BG element being completely covered by a FG element.

hook up: Term used to describe how smoothly the preceding shot transitions to its proceeding shot. Often considers continuity notes.

hot: A common review note when what’s on screen is too bright, warm, or blown out.

Houdini: A software most commonly used but not limited to FX.

HUD / Heads Up Display: A screen or overlay that shows additional details pertaining to what is being viewed on screen or the subject of what’s on screen.

• Samples:

  - The speed or digital odometers on the car's navigation screen.

  - The health and mana bars of your character in a game.

  - The AR or VR objects on top of real life footage captured by a camera.

hue / hue shift: A setting that affects how a colour appears.

IIRC: Chat speak for “if I remember correctly”

IK (Inverse Kinematics) vs FK ( Forward Kinematics): 2 types of rigging; depending on the functionality needed, Animation will require one or the other from Rigging.

• FK: Needed if user preference is to move each joint manually.

• IK: Needed if user preference is for the software to auto-calculate how proceeding joints will rotate or move depending on how a joint preceding them are rotated (manually/auto). Like a chain.

import: To open, bring in or load a file into a software.

in-betweening: To figure out the expected animation or poses “in between” two keyframes. Sometimes called “tweening.”

insert shot: Close up shot of something in the shot. Used to show further detail or to highlight an action.

instance / instancing: A copy of an asset without creating a new model file. It uses a source model to be able to appear and render as the original model but it does not require the same memory space as all the data on how the model will look will be saved under the source model (original). Often used for foliage.

interactive lighting: When the lighting of a scene changes in real time as actions within the scene or the setting/lighting setup is adjusted.

intern / internship: A temporary role to provide exposure to the pipeline, practice, and education.

iso / isometric:

• (1) ISO, International Organization for Standardization; A camera setting that represents the camera’s sensitivity to light or the light conditions in the image.

• (2) isometric; Usually used in design or concept art to showcase an asset in its proper proportions and dimensions at a 3/4 view.

IT: Information Technology

IT Department: Responsibilities vary per studio, but usually involved in the hardware and software needs of staff.

J-Cut: In the edit, this is when the audio from the next shot starts before it actually plays on screen.

jib: On set, it’s a crane usually used to smoothly move the camera vertically or diagonally.

jitter / jittering: Shaking or rapid movement of an object or the camera. Can sometimes be considered a QC note or an error in shot if the movement is not intentional.

.jpg / .jpeg / JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group; A type of file format for images. Not typically used if an image, source, or texture requires alphas (transparency).

.json / JSON: A type of file format for coding used in conjunction with programming languages like Python to transmit or store data. It can be used to configure application/software settings and/or transfer data between different software.

jump cut: In edit, this is when a shot is abruptly “cut” or stopped short to transition to another shot.

.klf / Katana Look File: Contains look dev info / data (cache) of an asset in Katana to enable the program to interpret it to the desired look. Essentially, it is a file that contains the look dev blueprint (settings) of an asset.

Katana: A software by Foundry commonly used in Look Dev and Lighting Departments in conjunction with Houdini, Maya, and Nuke.

key frame: A specific point/frame in the whole animation that represents a significant pose, change, action, or position of a character or object. There will be multiple keyframes in a full animation because each significant change in movement will need a key frame for its starting pose and a separate key frame for its ending pose. To smoothen the animation further, additional keyframes may be added in between the initial keyframes to add more control on how the in-between frames will play out.

key light: The main light source in a shot. Defines the overall lighting setup in a scene.

key shot: A selected shot in a scene meant to represent the majority of the qualities needed in surrounding shots. Key shots are often called out and then worked on ahead of its surrounding shots for early feedback and approvals on the desired look for the scene and all of its shots. This way, the team is able to receive notes and course correct earlier and more efficiently rather than working through numerous shots only to find out that it’s not what the director is envisioning.

keying: The process of extracting specific areas of a footage or plate from a green/blue screen.

L-Cut: In the edit, this is when the audio of the current shot continues into the next shot even though visually, we’ve moved on to a different shot.

latency: A delay or lag that can cause syncing issues.

lattice: Often used in assets when modifying an area of the model at multiple vertices at a time; changes feather out more gradually as opposed to the stark change that happens when moving a specific edge/face/vertex.

Law of Diminishing Returns: When the benefits gained from a process, person, etc. eventually decreases in value over time despite continuing the investment on the said process, person, etc.

• e.g.) Assigning 2 texture artists to complete an asset bid for 10 days could fast track the work to be completed in 1 week instead of 2 (this is the benefit). Assigning 5 artists COULD shrink it to 2 days, but it’s likely that the tasks assigned will require more than 8h due to the nature of the processes involved. So, even though more artists are assigned, the asset may still be completed LONGER than 2 days. Further, assigning 10 artists to the asset will NOT mean it can be completed in 1 day. Not to mention highly unlikely to find, and likely to be more costly.

Layout Department: Sets up the camera and staging of shots based on the storyboards and assets. Sometimes responsible for set dressing.

Leica camera: A brand of camera; one of the earliest used in the industry.

lens flare: An effect on screen where bright spots or lines are overlaid in shot to mimic the light reflecting on the camera lens.

LIDAR: Light Imaging Detection and Ranging; a way of mapping out an area by means of how much light is reflected off of the surface. Sort of like a heat map.

Lighting Department: Controls the final look of assets and scenes when rendered by setting up light sources and adjusting how light interacts with an object and its materials.

lighting rig / light rig: A specific set up of lights to be able to achieve the same lighting look in multiple scenes.

Linux: A type of operating system.

lip sync: To animate mouth shapes to match the audio as close to its sound and timing as possible.

live action: Footage that has real life actors or objects filmed on camera and on set.

lo-res: low resolution; a version of an asset or shot in lesser quality. Often used to shorten render times.

location scouting: To look for places to shoot a film or footage.

locked cut: When the edit is approved and no further timing or duration changes to any shot is expected.

LOD / Level of Detail: Refers to the complexity of a CG asset. The higher the level, the higher the quality (more visual detail), but the longer the render time as well.

logline: A brief summary of the story. Usually just a couple of sentences.

long shot: Sometimes wide shot; When the camera is placed in a way that the shot captures the main object/character from afar and also captures the surrounding environment.

Look Dev Department: Responsible for the adjustment of an object’s texture, shading, surfacing and lighting to control how an object renders before it is passed to Comp.

low angle shot: Camera position where it’s placed lower than the subject so that the perspective the viewer sees is looking up to the subject.

luma-keying: A type of keying (see “keying”) or matte-extraction that uses the image’s luminance instead.

luminance: Referring to an image’s brightness.

LUT / Lookup Tables: A predetermined colour filter applied on shots. A client approved colour space to ensure that the images will appear as intended when viewed in different devices.

.ma / Maya file: A file type exported from Maya or scene files.

machine learning / ML: When AI uses the available data to make future task decisions/next steps/predictions without being commanded or programmed for each task. It will run the initial instructions, then it will keep analyzing the results, identify patterns, and reconfigure to improve performance.

macro: A group of functions/settings packaged in one to help with efficiency when using a software.

Mantra: A rendering tool in Houdini.

map / texture map: A flat image that serves as a visual guide that allows the artist to control exactly where textures or details will appear on the surface of a 3D object.

Mari: A software for painting textures or generating procedural textures..

marketing: A department in charge of organizing deliverables to spread consumer awareness of the product.

Marvelous Designer: A CG software used to model and simulate cloth.

mask: To select and isolate a specific area of a frame.

master shot / mastershot: A continuous shot of a scene used to establish the environment, characters, and their actions and later used as a reference when shots are broken out.

Matchmove / matchmoving: Tracking and reproducing the camera movements of a live action footage (or plate) to ensure that CG objects render from the same perspective.

Matchmove Department: Tracks and reproduces the camera movements of a live action footage (or plate) to ensure that the CG objects render from the same perspective.

matte channel: Sometimes “alpha channel;” Contains the transparency/opacity info of a layer/image.

matte line: A rendering error when an unwanted artifact/outline becomes visible in the frame due to a matte.

matte painting: See DMP; output image/file from the matte painting department.

matte pass: A render pass containing the scene/object’s alpha channel.

Maya: Most commonly used software in CG and VFX.

merge: To combine as one.

mesh: A 3D object or model composed of faces, edges, and vertices.

metadata: Digital information that provides details of a shot, more specifically, the camera used in the shot, such as resolution, codec, frame rate, focal length, camera brand and model, date and time, etc.

methodology: The processes required to achieve a specific goal or result.

mirroring: A technique used to copy the exact half of an object to the other side in order to ensure symmetry.

.mov: A type of video file format.

MoCap / motion capture: Recording an actor’s acting by tracking the movements of specific points/markers on their body and then directly mirroring it on a CG asset by translating the captured movements into locations/path movements of the CG asset’s corresponding points in 3D space.

Modeling Department: Transforms assets from their 2D design into 3D objects that Layout, Animation, and Compositing can use in their shots.

monochrome: To use a single hue on an image/footage and the only variation in colours is in their brightness.

montage: A series of shots played one after another often to convey a passage of time.

motion blur: An effect seen in shots so that portions of objects appear blurred when moving quickly.

motion graphics: Animated image or graphics. Usually a clip or shot, and not necessarily photorealistic.

motion tracking: To trace or track the movement of objects in a shot. This info helps enable other functions or tools.

.mpg / .mpeg: Moving Picture Experts Group; a type of image or video file format.

MS Project / Microsoft Project: A project management software that is much more complex than MS Office.

naming convention: Agreed upon standardized format of naming files or project components.

negative space: The empty space around and between the objects in frame.

node: A component of some software. Each node contains specific tools or effects that can be applied to an asset or shot if the node is linked or connected to that asset/shot. The effect will be disabled when the node is unlinked. Multiple nodes can be linked together to create a desired final look.

noise: Often used in shots to describe the graininess we see after the render.

NTSC / National Television System Committee: A technical standard or format that editorial exports need to adhere to in order to be compatible with specific television settings. (i.e. resolution, frame rate)

Nuke: Most commonly used software in Compositing.

NURBs / Non-Uniform Rational B-spline: A type of 3D model, opposite to polygonal models, that is much smoother or curved. Also Frances’ favourite word in CG

.obj / object: A file type used to be able to export and open a CG model between various software.

occlusion: When something blocks another object’s visibility.

on hold: Status used when no further work is to be done pending confirmation or approval.

onion skin: Onion skinning is a technique that enables you to see multiple preceding/proceeding frames on a single frame by overlaying them on the current frame and adjusting each frame’s transparency.

OOO / Out of Office: Chat speak for being out of the office or time off.

opaque: To be solid and without any transparency.

organic modelling: Opposite of hard-surface modelling. To model things that exist in nature like foliage & animals.

origin: Often, but not always, the default location where objects are created in a 3D software. Like the spawn point in a game. (XYZ Coordinates are: 0,0,0)

ortho / orthographic view: A type of setting in a CG camera that allows 3D objects to appear in 2D space or 2D view.

OS / off screen: When an object is assumed to be present in the scene / scenario, but is not actually seen. Often used to save asset / shot work.

• Sample: “An explosion happens off screen,” would mean that during the shot, we may hear a sound FX of an explosion to convey that something exploded, but we do not visually see it and there is no need to create FX or CG debris.

OT / overtime: Working extra hours more than regular hours in a work day.

OTF / on the farm: When a layer or shot is still rendering.

OTS / over the shoulder: A term in cinematography where the camera is placed just behind the shoulder of a character in the foreground.

outliner: In most CG software, an outliner is the section/window in the UI that lists all the objects (cameras, lights, assets, etc.) that have been imported into the current scene regardless of whether the objects are hidden or not. Objects within the outliner can also be grouped for ease of use and organization.

overallocation: A project management term to describe a situation when a resource (team member) is assigned work that exceeds their capacity within a specific length of time.

• Sample: Assigning an artist a number of tasks totaling 2 weeks’ worth of work, and is scheduled to deliver in 1 week. The artist is overallocated and it would be best to spread out the task(s) or adjust the schedule.

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. 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: 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.

QC / Quality Control: A check point to ensure that all technical requirements are met before passing to downstream.

QT / Quicktime: A video file format. Uses the extension .mov or .qt

quota: The amount of work completed at a given time.

R & D / RnD / Research and Development: Usually a department or a team responsible for exploring, creating and testing new ideas, projects, processes, tools, or workflow before rolled out in production.

rack focus: A camera movement or technique where the focus of the lens changes during one continuous shot.

range (in Excel): All the cells within the selection.

range of motion: An exploration of different poses or movement of an object.

ray tracing: A type of rendering that mimics the light’s natural behaviour; used for photorealistic renders.

Re: : Used at the start of an email’s/document’s subject line to indicate “in the matter of” or “in reference to” the outlined subject.

real time: To view the rendered version of a scene in “live” as you navigate through the scene/UI, without needing to send it to a render farm or load an image sequence to play and view.

Rebelway: An online VFX school.

rec709: A type of colour space. In my experience, often mentioned when reviewing in RV.

redo: To rework or revisit a task/deliverable.

reels / demo reels: A series of shots that showcase an artist’s past work.

ref / reference: An image or footage that is meant as a baseline or inspiration for a task.

reflection pass: A type of render pass that only contains the image’s reflection. Separated on its own to allow artists better control later in the pipe when integrating it in shot.

refraction / reflection: Attributes that are adjusted in Look Dev to control how light reacts on an object’s material and or surface.

reframe: To adjust the objects or the camera position.

render / rendering: To export the individual frames that make up a turntable or shot.

render farm: A resource dedicated to rendering. The size of the available farm determines how many renders a facility is able to output at a given time.

• Analogy: A shot is composed of multiple individual images (called frames) played rapidly to simulate movement. Think of each frame like a piece of paper being printed. The more printers you have and how fast they are, will determine how many frames or pages you can produce at a given time. The less you have, the slower you can produce.

render queue: A list of jobs, passes, or files waiting to be processed on the farm.

render wrangler: Someone who helps maintain and prioritize the jobs and allocation on the render farm.

RenderMan: A CG rendering software.

resolution: The frame’s/image’s number of pixels in 1 row horizontally and in 1 column vertically. The higher the resolution, the higher detail. This is different from aspect ratio, which describes the image.

resource leveling: A project management term meaning to balance the resource availability (and avoid overallocation) and capacity by adjusting the schedule, assigned tasks, or number of resources available.

respeed: To alter the previous or default frame rate.

retopo / retopology: CG models are composed of polygonal shapes connected together by vertices and lines/edges. Sort of like paper crafting. Retopology is adjusting the makeup of a model’s wireframe or linework in order to optimize it for a specific need. This results in a lower-poly (less polygons) mesh making the model lighter to load in software and faster to work with.

reverse shot: When the camera is placed on the opposite perspective of the previous shot.

RGB: A colour system; Colours are in the spectrum of combining the red, green, and blue.

Rigging Department: Adds control to a model so that artists can move a 3D object.

rim light: A type of light placed behind an object or character thus creating a thin light around the edges of the object/character when seen through the perspective of the camera. This helps them pop.

ROI:

• (1) Return of Investment; the amount of what can be gained in exchange for the cost spent.

• (2) Region of Interest; where we should be looking.

roll: A camera move where the camera itself stays in place but tilts left / right.

RoM / Range of Motion: A range of motion test or RoM is a series of movement/animation to stress test a particular rig. This helps determine any further modeling or rigging changes needed to an asset or to set limitations on how far an asset can be pushed.

rotoscope / rotoscoping: Sometimes shortened to “roto” or “rotoing.” Masking out specific objects in a scene frame by frame, to split the elements of a shot into separate layers.

• Sample: Separating the FG, the actors, and the BG

• This enables Comp to weave in different effects or CG into the shot (like an explosion/smoke/CG cape) while maintaining a correct DoF.

rough cut: A draft or early version of an edit or boards.

RSMB / ReelSmart Motion Blur: A plugin that helps speed up the time it takes to manually track and apply motion blur.

Rule of Thirds: If an image is to be split into 3 (horizontally/vertically/both), Rule of Thirds is a type of composition where the most interesting subject is placed on the spot where the dividing lines meet.

runner: Sometimes “Production Assistant”; An entry level role in Production usually responsible for administrative tasks and day to day office maintenance. Varies per studio.

runtime: The total length of time of a sequence, episode, scene, or film.

RV: A common software used in reviews / dailies.

s / a: Chat speak for “same as above”

S & P / Safety and Protocol: Policies followed to ensure that assets and animation follow the protocols set regarding safety.

sampling: To gather information from a pixel or pixels.

saturation: The intensity of a colour’s vibrance.

scale / scaling: To change the overall size.

scan line: A horizontal row of pixels.

scene: A series of consecutive shots happening in the same set and timeframe/time of day.

scope: The project’s deliverables and the work required to produce them.

scope creep: The uncontrolled changes to the scope of the project. Often results to deliverables or requirements that were not planned during the initial budgeting and planning phase of a project.

score: The music specifically written/composed for the film.

scratch / scratch record: The temporary recording of lines and dialogue.

screening: To show the film to an audience.

script:

• (1) The written version of the story.

• (2) A code or tool that helps workflow processes and efficiency.

Script Supervisor: Role in the Script Department whose responsibility often includes maintaining continuity, keeping track of changes between script passes, pacing, and keeping the integrity of the story.

scrum: A project management term common in an agile project referring to a way of facilitating progress and product delivery through collaborative methods, constant and fast feedback, and iterations.

seam: Usually an error where a noticeable unintended line across the surface of an object.

sequence:

• (1) A series of images.

• (2) Usually, each change of environment requires a change of sequence. A sequence will contain a series of shots/scenes happening at that one specific set.

server: Computer(s) that can be accessed by multiple users at once.

set deck / set dressing: A phase in the pipeline where a department is required to “redecorate” an existing set for story needs, or to fill in the negative space of a set with various props.

set extension: Adding additional elements at the edge of a modeled set to create an illusion of the set being much larger or expansive than its original built.

SFX:

• (1) Special Effects; visual effects that are performed on set and/or using practicals.

• (2) Sound Effects; Beats or sound added to specific moments, movements, or assets in a shot.

shader: An output by the Look Dev team, a shader is a file that contains the info on how to generate an object a specific way when rendered.

Shading / Surfacing Department: Builds on top of Texturing and makes 3D objects appear to be made out of specific materials. Responsible for developing how materials react to light and what the final look of models / FX will be after lighting and rendering.

shadow casting: Term used if an object or objects in a scene, in shot/on camera or not, will produce a shadow when the scene is lit and rendered.

shadow pass: A type of layer or render pass that isolate only the shadow info of the object(s). See pass.

sharpen: To emphasize the edges in an image.

short lens: Sometimes “wide-angle lens;” Shorter focal length that allows for a wider field of view capturing more of the scene at once.

shot: A series of images or frames played very quickly (e.g. 24 frames in a second) in a specific place and in one continuous camera movement. When/If the place or camera changes, that usually constitutes a separate shot.

Shotgun Studio
(SG / Shotgrid / Shotgun / Flow Production Tracking): One of the most common database in production. A project management software considered as an industry standard in film, TV, and game production. It enables teams to schedule, track, and review assets/shots under one platform. Following Autodesk's acquisition, it has since been named ShotGrid, and then most recently in March 2024, Flow Production Tracking

• For Shotgun/Shotgrid tutorials: watch here

shutter speed: The duration of time it takes for a camera to capture an image.

SIGGRAPH / Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics & Interactive Techniques: A 4 day conference, hosted annually in North America and Asia, featuring various presentations and exhibitions of the latest innovations in CG. It brings together a community of researchers, artists, developers, filmmakers, scientists and industry professionals, experts, and students alike.

simulation / sims: Usually refers to renders that require some form of FX work like particle systems, elements like fire/smoke/water, cloth movement, crowd, etc.

skeleton crew: Often used to describe a very small (remaining) team.

SketchUp: A 3D modeling software mostly used for architectural purposes

skinning: A task in rigging that handles how much influence a rig control has over the surface of a model.

skip frame: To delete a number of frames at regular intervals from a footage to create a sped up effect.

skydome: A geo in a spherical shape or half a sphere that is painted to simulate sky in the background.

SL / Screen Left: If the area is on <— this half of the screen.

slap comp: A rough pass of Comp or layering of elements meant for early testing and not for final approval.

slate: A frame at the start of a sequence or scene that indicates additional information such as specs, frame rate, duration, scene number, title, and/or related crew info.

slow motion: To expand movement across a higher number of frames thus giving a slowed down effect.

slug: Used in editorial pertaining to a chunk of time/section of the timeline where shots/audio are eventually meant to be cut in.

SME / Subject Matter Expert: someone who has enough knowledge on the topic, department, or process to provide and share valuable insights.

smoothen / smoothing: In assets, it is to smoothen out the faceting appearing on the surface of a 3D object. In shots, it is to smoothen the flow of animation so it’s not so choppy or rigid.

SOD / Start of Day: Chat speak for the beginning of the work day.

sound design: Part of the pipeline that creates and handles all the audio in the film/video.

sound mix / sound mixing: Editing specifically a media’s audio; sometimes includes adding special effects to the audio track.

soundtrack: The list of music used in a film or episode.

SPARK / Spark CG Society: Vancouver-based CG community and organization that hosts conferences, screenings and job fairs for VFX and Animation. Visit their page here.

spec / specularity: An attribute in Look Dev that pertains to how shiny a material appears when rendered.

SpeedTree: A software for creating CG plants and grass.

spill: When another object’s colour is bleeding into another surface.

• Sample: Green colour being seen through the edges of someone’s blonde hair even after keying.

spill suppression: To remove green spill or blue spill. To remove traces of the green/blue screen reflecting or tinting the edges of the object(s) on screen.

spline / spline curve: A continuous line connecting several points to each other. In modeling, this is helpful in modeling curved surfaces or geo that follows a specific path. In animation, this is a key component in controlling and generating a smooth action/animation and similar to modeling, curves can also be used to rig a model to follow a specific path when animated. Cameras, for example, can be rigged to follow a specific animation path/spline. FX and other animatable renders can do the same.

split screen / split-screen: Dividing the frame we see in a shot into different images/footage at once.

spool: Where a physical film is rolled around on.

spotting session: To sit through an edit to call out specific requirements or requests.

spreadsheet: Tool for data entry, analysis, and projection. Excel and Google Sheets are commonly used.

sprite: A 2D element or texture often used in a particle system to represent one single particle.

SR / Screen Right: If the area is on —> this side of the screen.

sRGB: A type of colour space.

staging: How assets, characters, or objects are placed on a set based on how we see it in the shot.

static image: An image with no motion.

steadiness / stabilize: To reduce the amount of jitter, shaking, or movement.

stereoscope / stereo / stereoscopic: Creates the illusion of seeing images pop out of the screen when viewed through special glasses. Images are split into separate layers so that sections of the shot get filtered in a specific way through the glasses and tricks the human eye and brain into seeing depth outside the flat screen.

still frame: A shot is made up of individual images played through rapidly to simulate movement.

• A still frame is taking one of these images.

stock photo/footage: Ready made image or video that can be added directly in the frame/cut/edit.

stop-motion animation: A type of animation technique where movement of an object is taken via photo, one frame at a time. Move a little, take a photo, move a little, take a photo, and so on. This results in a “steppier” kind of animation when played back. This can be done with practical tools (real props/people and a camera) or recreated to mimic the effect digitally.

Storyboards Department: Transforms the script into an illustrated sequence of shots. Sets the staging, cameras, cuts, and acting needed while using the approved assets.

stretching: An error where textures are not appearing as they should be on a surface of an object and gets stretched out of proportions when rendered.

strobey / strobing: An error in shot when there is an irregular movement noticed during the rendered Comp.

Studio Library: A Maya plugin that allows artists to store and reuse poses and animations. Poses or animations can be saved in a library and later reapplied to the same or different characters, saving time by avoiding the need to recreate them from scratch.

sub-surface scattering / SSS: An attribute in Look Dev that pertains to how much light passes through an object.

• Sample: When you shine a light behind your fingers, it’s more translucent around the edges, and becomes more opaque to the light towards the middle. Sub-surface scattering is how artists recreate this phenomenon in CG objects.

Substance 3D: Software that enables artists to paint texture and add materials directly on models in real-time.

sup: Short for “supervisor.”

superimpose: To overlay an image on top of another.

surrounding shots: Pertains to the shots before and or after the current shot.

swimming texture: An error seen in shots when an asset’s texture appears to move around almost separate from the object it is applied to.

T-pose: When a character is posed to stand upright and its hands stretched out for ease of rigging.

tablet: Optional hardware for artists; often preferred for better control, precision, and ease of use.

tagging:

• (1) In assets, this means assigning specific colours or materials to an object.

• (2) In shots, it is often related to assigning the specific assets to be used in a shot.

• (3) In Shotgrid, it is used for filtering and tracking purposes by adding tags that help narrow down the search as needed.

targa / .tga: A type of image file format.

targets: Usually Production driven to provide goals for the week and listing tasks expected to be completed in a given timeframe.

TC / timecode: See “timecode.”

TD / Technical Director: A creative and technical role in a department as they are usually the problem solvers for processes or workflows that are not typically done in past or current production and they do so by means of scripts, codes, or other troubleshooting processes to assist artists and departments.

Texturing Department: Painting the 2D details and colour on a 3D object.

three-point lighting: Lighting with all 3: (1) Key Light, (2) Fill Light, (3) Backlight to create depth.

thumbs / thumbnail: In Storyboards, it is the early phase where panels are very roughly sketched to showcase an initial pass or idea of the boards.

ticket: Varies per studio. Often used in Shotgrid to denote a technical error an artist / department is experiencing.

.tiff / .tif: A type of image file format.

tilt: A camera move when the camera stays in place but rotates up / down.

timecode: A specific point in time within a footage detailed by the hour, minute, second, and frame. Helps determine where a note is applicable.

timelapse: A technique when a shot is filmed at a slower frame rate, so that when played back at normal speed, actions will appear quicker.

timeline / time slider: Usually at the bottom of the UI representing the frames of a scene. It’s where users will set keyframes to build on animation, or store different poses.

timelog: Data summarizing the amount of time spent on a task.

timesheet: A breakdown of time spent and on what in a given time.

timing: Pacing or controlling when an action happens.

TLDR: Chat speak for “too long didn’t read.” Often referring to a summary in case the previous info is too dense or long.

ToD / Time of Day: Points in the sequence / shots / cut to indicate passage of time.

toggle: A term often used in Rigging to note a specific control that lets the user easily switch from one setting to another.

toon shader: A type of rendering style where the final look of a 3D objects mimics that of a 2D object.

tracking: To collect the data or movement information of an object at a given time.

tracking markers: Points or tapes or some kind of “mark” on objects in frame to help artists in tracking objects, characters, or cameras. By tracking the points and their movement, artists are able to use different software to manipulate the data gathered and transform its position when shown on screen and/or better integrate the assets into a shot or environment.

tracking shot: When the camera follows a character’s or object’s movement in a shot.

transcode / transcoding: To convert what type of file format to another.

transform: To move, scale, or rotate an object.

transitions: The effect or style used in edit when switching from the preceding shot to the proceeding shot.

translate / translation: To move an object without any changes to its scale or rotation.

translucent: Semi-transparent.

transparency / transparent: To be able to see the image behind the selected image. When the alpha or opacity is 0.

trim: To cut portions of a footage.

truck in / truck out: A camera move when the camera moves from left to right.

TTC: A shorthand for stage direction in boards indicating a character talking to the camera

turnover: When sequences are approved for production / for work to begin.

turntable / tt: A video file that showcases an asset and how it looks in 360 view and sometimes in different light rigs.

tweening: See in-betweening.

UI / User Interface: See GUI.

Unity: A game engine for 3D, 2D, VR and AR games.

Unreal Engine / UE: A CG software complete with scene creation, animation, and lighting tools all in one. It also enables the user to see high quality renders in real time (meaning as the user moves around the UI/software without having to wait for frames to be rendered out and played back in a movie file). Commonly used in game design, architecture, automotive, and most recently, Visual Production.

unwrapping: The process in Look Dev to generate UVs off of assets.

up-res: To raise up the quality or resolution of an asset or shot. More details.

.usd / Universal Scene Description: A file type used to be able to export/import CG files between various software. Meant to enable changes to the file at different phases in the pipeline without disrupting the other departments or their work.

UV Mapping: Texture artists create a “UV map” to accurately pinpoint where their painted textures will appear on a 3D object.

V-Ray: A rendering software that simulates the behavior of light, shadows, textures, and reflections in a scene, thus creating photorealistic renders.

value: A number or amount.

variance: A project management term that pertains to the quantifiable deviation, departure, or divergence away from a known baseline or expected value. The difference of where we are now vs where we planned to be.

VDB: “volume data” / “voxel data base” / “volumetric Dynamic B+ tree” (Ngl, I had to Google that. Haha!) An output file by FX that contains data that helps Look Dev and Lighting in creating effects.

vector image: Type of image that can be resized without losing quality, unlike regular images made up of pixels.

vertex / vertices: A point. It can exist by itself with its own attributes or as part of an object. In an object or model, it is the start and beginning of an edge. Because a full model then will be composed of multiple vertices, these can sometimes be coloured to assist in visibility when manipulating the models.

VFX / Visual Effects: To alter what we see in camera by means of practical or digital works.

VFX ball: See “HDRI ball”

VFX Supervisor: Responsibilities vary per studio. Usually a role responsible in overseeing the overall creative calls in a project. While they can provide technical input on methodologies as well, they usually work alongside a CG Supervisor with whom the technical responsibility of troubleshooting falls more under. Department Supervisors usually report to the VFX Supervisor and department deliveries require VFX Supe approval before client deliveries. VFX Supervisor are also often client-facing and a liaison between the client, producer, and department supes/leads.

viewport: In Maya, this is the window in the interface where artists can see their assets/scenes in real time.

vignette: An effect applied on a shot that darkens or brightens the edges/corners of the frame.

Vimeo: An alternative online video hosting platform; popular for demo reels.

voice over: Recorded audio narration that is edited to play across shot(s).

volume:

• (1) A 3D space that helps generate FX; volume info is needed to accurately create CG effects that match the needs of a scene

• (2) In virtual production, this is the area on-set or in CG where the action is taking place usually rigged with LED walls, mocap, and other tools. Usually called “volumetric space.”

volume mesh: A structure or layer surrounding an object used to represent and simulate an object or character's properties, such as fur, smoke, fire, or liquid, etc. allowing for faster and simpler workflows in CG scenes without the complexity of real-time simulations which may often be too heavy to load.

volumetric space:See “volume”

voxel: volume/volumetric pixel; Essentially a pixel in 3D space. A 3D cube that can store different types of data depending on how it’s used, attributes like temperature, height, material, colour, etc.

VPN: Virtual Private Network; a way to securely connect to the internet by masking your IP address.

VR / virtual reality: A CG simulated experience.

VUE: A 3D software typically used for creating environments.

walk cycle: A repeatable or looped animation of a character walking. Often to convey its personality.

walla: A collection of the most common sounds or exclamations of characters, which helps speed up records and or edit when adding them to cuts / animatics.

warm: A review note when an image/shot’s red level is too high.

warp / warping: A review note when a section of the shot or frame is distorted.

waterfall: A project management term pertaining to a scheduling approach of organizing tasks/phases sequentially in advance and then executing them as planned.

wedge: To create multiple versions (instances) of the same task/request with slight differences from each other to provide options for the reviewer to choose.

weighting / weight map: Often used in rigging and refers to how much rigs can control areas of an object.

whip pan: A rapid camera movement from left to right or vice versa transitioning from one shot to another.

white balance: A setting on an image or video that adjusts the colour of white pixels to be white and not tinted slightly different. This helps make the lighting look more natural.

wide shot: A term in cinematography often used to show the entirety of a subject.

widget (in SG/FPTR): In Shotgrid, a widget is a box or mini window on a custom page that is built by a user to assist in data gathering and visibility tailored to the user’s needs.

wipe: A type of transition in edit that happens when the next shot is revealed horizontally/vertically.

wit cam / witness camera: On set, this is an extra live camera that is separate from the main camera used for the actual shot. Its purpose is to provide extra information for the CG production team where everything was on set so that objects/assets can be more accurately recreated in 3D space based on how/where objects were relative to each other. It provides extra perspectives needed that may not be apparent from the main camera. It also helps in providing extra animation references.

workstation: A tower or computer.

wrap date: End date; Date when the project is expected to be completed.

wrap party: Celebratory event with the staff, crew, and/or guests for the completion of a project.

WRT: Chat speak for “with regards to”

x axis: horizontal axis; moving left / right

y axis: vertical axis; moving up / down

z axis: depth axis; moving front / back

z channel: A channel/image that provides z-depth information to help artists reproduce an illusion of depth.

z space: Pertaining to the depth (front to back) of an object and how far it is from the camera.

ZBrush: A common software used to sculpt more intricate details on a 3D object.

zoom / Zoom:

(1) A camera or frame adjustment that makes an object on screen appear closer (zoom in) or farther away (zoom out) from the camera without actually moving the camera in space.

(2) A video conferencing app.