Start frame
The still image that serves as the first frame of an animated shot, setting its frame, characters and light.
Why it matters in production
Everything is settled in the start frame: an aircraft's trajectory, a child's outfit, the absence of a face turned to camera. A defect let through at this stage ends up in every frame of the shot. For a recurring character, the start frame is an already approved picture, never a description.
Other names
first frame · starting image