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06 Anime FX language

Status: Established craft. These are the moves that make live footage read as anime or a game cinematic.

Timing

Technique What it is How
On twos Each drawing held for 2 frames at 24 fps: snappier, less smooth motion on_twos(hold=2); use 3 for a heavier, older look
Hit stop Freeze for 2–6 frames on impact so the hit lands Hold frames in the edit; pair with a camera shake after
Speed ramp Fast into the pose, slow on the pose Time remap in the editor
Anticipation A small move the opposite way before the big move Direct it on set, emphasise in the edit

Impact

Technique What it is How
Impact frames 1–3 frames of inverted, white or high-contrast image at the moment of impact impact_frames(frames=[...], length=2, mode="invert" or "white")
Shockwave and speed lines Radial lines or a ring from the impact point After Effects, or Niagara / a card in Unreal
Smear The weapon or limb stretched across a frame Motion blur boosted on one frame, or a painted frame
Camera shake Short, decaying shake after impact Sequencer camera shake, or in post

The cut-in (ultimate / special move)

The signature of game cinematics: the action pauses, the character's face or pose appears in a panel, a name or move title slams in, then back to action.

  1. Freeze or slow the action (hit stop).
  2. Slide in a panel: the performer's close-up, matted, over a graphic background in the character's colours.
  3. Title slam: move name scaled from 120% to 100% over 3–4 frames, with a flash.
  4. Hold 12–24 frames, then cut back on an impact frame.

Shoot the close-up as its own take; the wide plate rarely has enough resolution.

Grade

  • Higher contrast and saturation than live action, with a strong colour key per character.
  • Bloom on highlights and emissive props.
  • Optional: a light outline or posterise effect. Use sparingly; a fully "toon" filter fights the real costume.

Delivery

  • vertical crops to 1080x1920 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. Frame the action so the crop keeps the face and prop.
  • side_by_side puts the raw plate next to the final: the most effective showreel and pitch format.
  • Label paid posts as ads, and label any AI-generated elements where the platform requires it (doc 08).