Production Glossary 101: Your First-Day Glossary for Animation & VFX

Starting a new role in animation or VFX production management can feel like stepping into a whole new world, and that world comes with its own language. From “dailies” to “QC” to “turnovers”, your first few days might feel like everyone’s speaking in code.

To help you hit the ground running, here’s a beginner-friendly glossary for animation & VFX of 13 essential production terms you’ll hear in your first week as a Production Assistant or Coordinator. Each term comes with a simple definition, an example of how it’s used, and why it matters to your role.

#1 Flow Production Tracking (ShotGrid) / Excel / ftrack

• Definition: Production tracking software used to manage tasks, shots, assets, and schedules.

• In Context: “I’ve updated the asset status in Flow. It’s ready for review.”

• Why It Matters: You’ll spend a huge part of your job inside this software, keeping the project on track.

#2 Assets

• Definition: The building blocks of a project: characters, props, environments, etc.

• In Context: “The character assets aren’t approved yet, so layout can’t start.”

• Why It Matters: Tracking assets ensures every department has what they need.

#3 Turnover

• Definition: The delivery of selected plates, reference material, and creative notes from the film studio (production) to the VFX vendor (studio) so work can begin.

• In Context: “The studio will turnover the first sequence to the vendor next week."

• Why It Matters: A well-prepared turnover ensures the vendor has all the correct material and direction, helping avoid confusion, delays, or costly rework.

#4 Feedback Rounds

• Definition: Daily feedback sessions, usually done at the artist’s desk, where supervisors give notes.

• In Context: “The lead is doing rounds with the animation team this afternoon.”

• Why It Matters: Rounds keep work aligned with expectations and reduce surprises in later reviews.

#5 Dailies

• Definition: Daily review sessions where artists present work-in-progress to supervisors.

• In Context: “Add this shot to tomorrow’s dailies.”

• Why It Matters: You’ll schedule and prep notes for these sessions.

#6 Reviews

• Definition: Another word for "Rounds" or "Dailies". Meetings to evaluate shots or assets at specific milestones.

• In Context: “Lighting review is at 4pm.”

• Why It Matters: Coordinators make sure everyone has the latest versions ready.

#7 Retake / Revision

• Definition: Changes requested after review.

• In Context: “We have two revisions on this shot.”

• Why It Matters: Revisions impact timelines and must be tracked.

#8 Deliverables

• Definition: Final outputs sent to clients or the next production stage.

• In Context: “This week’s deliverables include episodes 3 and 4.”

• Why It Matters: Deliverables are the finish line. Your job is making sure they’re on time.

#9 Blocking

• Definition: The rough staging of animation to establish timing and poses.

• In Context: “This shot is still in blocking.”

• Why It Matters: Knowing shot stages helps you track progress accurately.

#10 Render / Renders

• Definition: The process of generating images or frames from 3D data.

• In Context: “The render farm crashed overnight.”

• Why It Matters: Delays here affect the whole schedule.

#11 Final Render

• Definition: The fully polished shot ready for delivery.

• In Context: “We’ve got the final render approved.”

• Why It Matters: Signals the end of a shot’s journey.

#12 QC (Quality Control)

• Definition: The process of checking shots for errors before delivery.

• In Context: “This needs QC before client delivery.”

• Why It Matters: Catching mistakes early saves embarrassment (and rework).

#13 Lock (Picture Lock, Audio Lock)

• Definition: A stage where edits are final and no further changes will be made.

• In Context: “The edit is picture-locked.”

• Why It Matters: Once locked, downstream departments can work with confidence.

Final Thoughts

As a new production coordinator, mastering the language of production is just as important as mastering the tools. This glossary will help you walk into your first role with confidence, knowing exactly what people mean (and why it matters).

👉 Want hands-on training with Flow Production Tracking and real-world production workflows? Check out the Mayhem Production Coordinator Course.