key frames
Motion's defining moments
Key frames are specific frames in an animation or video that mark significant points of change—the start and end positions of a movement, for instance.
Animation software interpolates the frames between key frames automatically, so an animator need only set the key positions: I set key frames for the bounce, and the software handled the rest.
The concept originated in traditional animation, where senior artists drew key frames and assistants filled in the "in-betweens."
- straight aheadIn a line, unchanged direction
- onion skinningViewing adjacent animation frames
- inbetweeningGenerating intermediate animation frames
- drawingsImages rendered by hand
- animationTechnique creating movement illusion
designs · sequence · tweening · blocking · motions · clean up · primaries · computer-generated imagery · extremes · interpolation · video editing · easing · camera angles · layout design · art direction · thumbnail sketches · continuity · anchors
- animationanimation, animator, animators, cartoon, cartoons
- animation artcels, background art, backgrounds, concept art, storyboards
- storyboardspanels, keyframes, thumbnails, animatic, animatics