Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An animation technique in which frames or cels are traced from a live-action movie.
  • noun The technique of converting a live-action movie into one that appears to be drawn or painted using a computer algorithm.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of rotoscope.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[After the Rotoscope, a device for tracing from live-action movies invented in 1915 by Max Fleischer (1883–1972), American animator.]

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Examples

  • I figured I would use it to aid in rotoscoping for animated projects, and I still might.

    Mad Dog Movies « The Swiss Army Camera Revisited 2007

  • The "Heartless" video, directed by Hype Williams, employs a technique called rotoscoping, in which teams of animators draw over footage of live actors.

    Kanye Gets Animated 2008

  • Let's call rotoscoping exactly what it is--a cheat and a crutch used by those who can't animate.

    And the Nominees Are.... Steve Hulett 2007

  • Before the performance capture suit, there was a technique called rotoscoping.

    ABC News: Top Stories 2011

  • This video wowed viewers by using a technique called rotoscoping -- drawing over live action -- to turn some young Norwegian pop stars into graphic novel characters.

    CNN.com 2011

  • This video wowed viewers by using a technique called rotoscoping -- drawing over live action -- to turn some young Norwegian pop stars into graphic novel characters.

    SI.com 2011

  • In 1987, Jordan Mechner released his adventure Prince of Persia for Apple II computer users, pushing video game animation forward by using a new technology called rotoscoping in which he taped his brother wearing white clothes jumping and sword fighting then replicated those movements for his game.

    canada.com Top Stories 2010

  • In 1987, Jordan Mechner released his adventure Prince of Persia for Apple II computer users, pushing video game animation forward by using a new technology called rotoscoping in which he taped his brother wearing white clothes jumping and sword fighting then replicated those movements for his game.

    canada.com Top Stories 2010

  • Weiss goes on to describe how Walt originally used a secret technique called rotoscoping when creating movies like "Snow White," "Sleeping Beauty" and "Lady and the Tramp."

    Business Wire Travel News 2010

  • In Premiere, your friend would export a video clip as filmstrip (where each frame can be accessed with Photoshop), then trace the animal's gait, frame-by-frame, in Photoshop (a process called rotoscoping), then bring that filmstrip back into Premiere, where the original clip can be split-screened with the rotoscoped animation filmstrip.

    VideoHelp.com Forum 2009

Comments

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  • an animation technique in which animators trace over live-action film movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films

    October 2, 2008