Animation forms & techniques · Specialist
2D animation
Also called: two-dimensional animation
ELI5
Animation created primarily in a two-dimensional image space.
Used in conversation
“Let’s test the 2D animation in previs before we lock the VFX approach.”
Pitch context
You may encounter “2D animation” in vfx, virtual production & animation conversations or materials.
Why it matters: Explains image creation that extends beyond straightforward live-action photography.
Connected terms
- Animation2D animation is a narrower kind of Animation.
Sources & evidence · 6
Supporting source families. This entry is an editorial synthesis rather than a quotation from one canonical glossary.
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences / ACES — ACES Glossary and User GuidesSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Pixar Animation Studios — Universal Scene Description DocumentationSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Pixar Animation Studios — RenderMan DocumentationSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Epic Games — In-Camera VFX OverviewSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Epic Games — In-Camera VFX Best PracticesSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- ScreenSkills — Online Learning Glossary and Job ProfilesSupporting source family · institutional · checked 2026-08-14