2D Animation Production: Pose-to-Pose, Timing Charts, Exposure Sheets & Lip-Syncing

30 vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from pose-to-pose animation methods, timing charts, exposure sheets, and lip-syncing workflow.

Pose-to-Pose Animation

Planning key poses first and adding in-betweens later to create well-thought-out actions with strong modelling.

Straight-Ahead Animation

Drawing frame-by-frame from first to last, emphasizing spontaneity but risking awkward poses.

Keyframe

A major drawing that defines the starting or ending pose in an action sequence.

In-between

Drawings that are placed between keyframes to create smooth motion.

Timing Chart

A chart indicating how many in-betweens occur between two keyframes and how they are spaced.

Favor (in Timing)

Uneven spacing of in-betweens toward one keyframe to show acceleration or deceleration.

Slow-In (Acceleration)

More drawings at the beginning of a motion, causing the action to start slowly and speed up.

Slow-Out (Deceleration)

More drawings at the end of a motion, causing the action to start quickly and slow down.

Slow-In and Slow-Out

Extra drawings at both start and end with fewer in the middle, giving a smooth ease-in/ease-out feel.

Exposure Sheet (X-Sheet / Dope Sheet)

A sheet that lists frame-by-frame instructions for timing, dialogue, layers, and camera moves.

Template (X-Sheet)

Standard X-sheet containing 96 rows (frames) grouped in 8s and 16s; one sheet per character per scene.

Sequence (X-Sheet Part)

Label specifying the action sequence, character, episode number, or title on an exposure sheet.

Scene (X-Sheet Part)

Number that identifies where the shot falls within the overall animation or episode.

Sheet Number

Identifier showing the order of exposure sheets for a particular scene.

Frame (X-Sheet)

One horizontal line on the exposure sheet representing a single film or video frame.

Action Column

Area on the X-sheet used to plan timing and describe on-screen actions.

Dial Column

Column that breaks down dialogue or sound using phonetic measurements per frame.

Layer (1-5)

Assigned cel levels on the X-sheet; layer 1 is foreground, layer 5 near background.

Camera Instructions

Notes on the X-sheet specifying shot type, angle, and camera movement for compositing.

Audio Recording (Pre-Production)

Edited, cleaned, and finalized dialogue track prepared before animation begins.

Sound Sync vs. Picture Sync

Decision to time animation to the audio (sound sync) or match audio to pre-existing visuals (picture sync).

Mouth Codes

Pre-drawn mouth shapes representing phonetic sounds for faster lip-syncing.

Mouth Charts

Complete sets of mouth codes stored for reuse in traditional or digital workflows.

Phonetic Sounds

Consonant and vowel shapes that dictate which mouth code is chosen.

Automatic Dialogue Replacement (ADR)

Post-production process of re-recording dialogue to match on-screen lip movements.

Mouth Acting

Use of mouth shapes, timing, and intensity to convey emotion and character personality.

Lip-Syncing

Animating mouth movements to align convincingly with recorded dialogue.

Pre-Life Sounds

Additional mouth shapes or sounds such as breaths placed before spoken dialogue.

Repository (for Mouth Codes)

Library where transparent PNG mouth shapes are saved for quick import into animation software.

White Noise (Audio Editing)

Low-level sound added under dialogue tracks to mask silence and smooth cuts.