Findings and Analysis
Results (17-01-2025)
The outreach strategy to BSL interpreters for an Animation-focused event proved to be successful. Prior to the event, BSL Interpreters were invited to identify terms they believed lacked a BSL sign. This approach yielded alist of 122 terms [Appendix 1] that might require new BSL signs, surpassing initial expectations of just a few terms. This method of data gathering provided both the audience and interpreters with exposure to current and essential terminology from industry experts. The identified terms varied according to the event’s program and speakers, with Interpreters categorising these terms based on the speakers’ schedules at the Animation event.
Table 1 – Summary of Animation/Games Terms Groupings
| Key | Underline | More than one version of the BSL sign |
| Bold | A sign exists | |
| [*] | A term broken to separate words |
| Broader term (taxonomy) | Grouping of Narrow Animation / Games term (taxonomy) |
| General | Animation, Anime, Art (general context), Calligraphy, Cartoon, Comics, Concept, Designing the life cycle, Drawing (Contextual), Layout, Location, Models, Production process, Puppets, Shot-based designs of effects, WIP (Work-in-progress) |
| Filmmaking | Comped frame [Comped / frame], Script, Shot |
| Computer Generated terms | Colour keys, Composition (Comp), DMP (Digital Matte Painting), Groom, Installation, Lighting, Rendering & Compositing (LRC), Macro level, Multi-Frame Display (MFD) scene illustration, Palette, Pipeline (Animation pipeline), Platforms, Pre-grade, Previs / Pre-vis (Previsualisation), Props, R&D (Research and Development), Rendering, Surface, Visual Effects (VFX) |
| Computer Generated lighting | [*Lighting] Lighting, 3-point lighting setup method, Ambient Lighting, Ambient Occlusion (AO), Area Lighting [*Area / Lighting], Directional Lighting, Global Illumination (GI), Point Lighting, Spot Lighting |
| Departments/ teams | [*department / team] Art department, CFX (Character FX), Edit/ Editorial team, Pipeline & R&D (team) [*Research & development], Production team, Rigging, Technical Directors (TD) team [* Technical / Directors] |
| Roles | [*Artist / Coordinator / Assistant] Animator, Art Director, Assistant Editor, CFX (Character Effects) Artist, CG (Computer Generated) Supervisor, Character Artist, Compositor (VFX – Visual effects), Concept Artist, Crew Coordinator, Desktop Support, Developer [*Desktop / Support / Developer], Digital Marketing Apprentice [*Digital / Marketing / Apprentice], Director, DMP (Digital Matte Painter) Artist, Editor, Executive Producer [*Executive / Producer], Facilities Assistant, FX (Effects) Artist, Groom Artist, HRAssistant (Human Resources) [*HR], Lighting Artist, Matchmove Artist, Modelling Artist, Previs & Layout Artist, Producer, Production Assistant, Production Coordinator, Production Manager [*Production / Manager], Rigging Artist, Scene Assembly Artist, Storyboard Artist, Surfacing Artist, Talent Coordinator, Technical Animator [* Technical / Animator], Technical Directors (TD) [* Technical / Directors], Texture & Shading Artist |
| Visual design | Colour, Form, Line, Shape, Texture, Value |
| Composition Principles | Amplify, Balance, Colour harmony & tension [*Colour / harmony / tension], Contrast, Emphasis Modify, Movement, Proportion, Readability, Repetition, Rhythm (Tilts, twists, angles), Simplify, Space (Spacing), Static, Simple & Geometric (shapes), Stylising, Unification harmony [*harmony] |
| Companies | Axis Studios (Axis Studios group) [*Axis / Studios], Blue Sky (Blue Sky Studios), Disney (Walt Disney Studios), DreamWorks (DreamWorks Pictures / Animation), Illumination (Illumination Entertainment), Netflix, Paramount (Paramount Animation), Pixar (Pixar Animation Studios), Sony (Sony Pictures Animation), Studio Ghibli, Warner Bros (Warner Bros. Animation / Warner Bros. Entertainment) |
Table 1 lists Animation and Games terms from Appendix 1 and compares them to signs available in the BSL Sign Language Dictionary (www.signbsl.com). The definitions on SignBSL may not align precisely with those used in Animation/Games. Each term was reviewed and refined during the moderation process to ensure accuracy. Incomplete or partial signs could lead to confusion, necessitating the creation of specific signs for Animation/Games terms for clarity.
Appendix 1 – List of highlighted 122 Animation/Games terms.
| No. | Broader term (taxonomy) | Narrow term (taxonomy) |
| 1 | General | Animation |
| 2 | Anime | |
| 3 | Art (general context) | |
| 4 | Calligraphy | |
| 5 | Cartoon | |
| 6 | Comics | |
| 7 | Concept | |
| 8 | Designing the life cycle | |
| 9 | Drawing (Contextual) | |
| 10 | Layout | |
| 11 | Location | |
| 12 | Models | |
| 13 | Production process | |
| 14 | Puppets | |
| 15 | Shot-based designs of effects | |
| 16 | WIP (Work-in-progress) | |
| 17 | Filmmaking | Comped frame |
| 18 | Script | |
| 19 | Shot | |
| 20 | CG (Computer Generated) terms | Colour keys |
| 21 | Composition (Comp) | |
| 22 | DMP (Digital Matte Painting) | |
| 23 | Groom | |
| 24 | Installation | |
| 25 | Lighting, Rendering & Compositing (LRC) | |
| 26 | Macro level | |
| 27 | Multi-Frame Display (MFD) scene illustration | |
| 28 | Palette | |
| 29 | Pipeline (Animation pipeline) | |
| 30 | Platforms | |
| 31 | Pre-grade | |
| 32 | Previs / Pre-vis (Previsualisation) | |
| 33 | Props | |
| 34 | R&D (Research and Development) | |
| 35 | Rendering | |
| 36 | Surface | |
| 37 | Visual Effects (VFX) | |
| 38 | Types of CG (Computer Generated) lighting | Lighting |
| 39 | 3-point lighting setup method | |
| 40 | Ambient Lighting | |
| 41 | Ambient Occlusion (AO) | |
| 42 | Area Lighting | |
| 43 | Directional Lighting | |
| 44 | Global Illumination (GI) | |
| 45 | Point Lighting | |
| 46 | Spot Lighting | |
| 47 | Departments / teams | Art department |
| 48 | CFX (Character FX) | |
| 49 | Edit/ Editorial team | |
| 50 | Pipeline & R&D (team) | |
| 51 | Production team | |
| 52 | Rigging | |
| 53 | Technical Directors (TD) team | |
| 54 | Animation roles | Animator |
| 55 | Art Director | |
| 56 | Assistant Editor | |
| 57 | CFX (Character Effects) Artist | |
| 58 | CG (Computer Generated) Supervisor | |
| 59 | Character Artist | |
| 60 | Compositor (VFX – Visual effects) | |
| 61 | Concept Artist | |
| 62 | Crew Coordinator | |
| 63 | Desktop Support | |
| 64 | Developer | |
| 65 | Digital Marketing Apprentice | |
| 66 | Director | |
| 67 | DMP (Digital Matte Painter) Artist | |
| 68 | Editor | |
| 69 | Executive Producer | |
| 70 | Facilities Assistant | |
| 71 | FX (Effects) Artist | |
| 72 | Groom Artist | |
| 73 | HR Assistant | |
| 74 | Lighting Artist | |
| 75 | Matchmove Artist | |
| 76 | Modelling Artist | |
| 77 | Previs & Layout Artist | |
| 78 | Producer | |
| 79 | Production Assistant | |
| 80 | Production Coordinator | |
| 81 | Production Manager | |
| 82 | Rigging Artist | |
| 83 | Scene Assembly Artist | |
| 84 | Storyboard Artist | |
| 85 | Surfacing Artist | |
| 86 | Talent Coordinator | |
| 87 | Technical Animator | |
| 88 | Technical Directors (TD) | |
| 89 | Texture & Shading Artist | |
| 90 | Visual design | Colour |
| 91 | Form | |
| 92 | Line | |
| 93 | Shape | |
| 94 | Texture | |
| 95 | Value | |
| 96 | Composition Principles | Amplify |
| 97 | Balance | |
| 98 | Colour harmony & tension | |
| 99 | Contrast | |
| 100 | Emphasis | |
| 101 | Modify | |
| 102 | Movement | |
| 103 | Proportion | |
| 104 | Readability | |
| 105 | Repetition | |
| 106 | Rhythm (Tilts, twists, angles) | |
| 107 | Simplify | |
| 108 | Space (Spacing) | |
| 109 | Static, Simple & Geometric (shapes) | |
| 110 | Stylising | |
| 111 | Unification harmony | |
| 112 | Animation companies | Axis Studios (Axis Studios group) |
| 113 | Blue Sky (Blue Sky Studios) | |
| 114 | Disney (Walt Disney Studios) | |
| 115 | DreamWorks (DreamWorks Pictures / Animation) | |
| 116 | Illumination (Illumination Entertainment) | |
| 117 | Netflix | |
| 118 | Paramount (Paramount Animation) | |
| 119 | Pixar (Pixar Animation Studios) | |
| 120 | Sony (Sony Pictures Animation) | |
| 121 | Studio Ghibli | |
| 122 | Warner Bros (Warner Bros. Animation / Warner Bros. Entertainment) |