Click the letters to navigate through the dictionary.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

S

Sampling
(1) The process of reading a signal at specific time increments. See also Digitization
(2) The process of reading the colour value from a pixel or group of pixels.

Sequence
(1) A collection of images designed to be played sequentially.
(2) A group of related scenes in a film, usually set in the same time and/or location.

Setup
A hierarchy of joints & bones that make animating easier. See also Skeleton.

SFX
Often used as an abbreviation for special effects, although sound effects people will dispute this usage. It is becoming the term that differentiates Visual Effects (VFX) being digital post-production and Special Effects (SFX) being practical.

Shot
An unbroken continuous image sequence.

Skeleton
A hierarchy of joints & bones, that make animating character easier.

Skip Frames
A method of speeding up the motion of a sequence of images by removing selected (usually regularly spaced) frames. Also known as skip printing.

Slate
Information about a particular shot that is placed at the head of the shot, before the actual image begins.

Special Effects
A term used to encompass both practical effects and visual effects.

Stop-motion Animation
An animation technique that involves photographing miniature objects or characters a frame at a time, changing the pose or position of the object between each frame. The result, when played back at normal speed, is of a continuously animating object.

Storyboard
A sequence of drawings that shows the intended action in a scene. Used as a visualization tool before the scene is shot.

Strobing
A rhythmic flicker in a moving image.

Subpixel
Any technique that works at a resolution of greater than a single pixel, usually accomplished by making slight weighted corrections to several surrounding pixels.