rotoscoping

noun

ro·​to·​scop·​ing ˈrō-tō-ˌskō-piŋ 

: a technique that involves drawing or painting over an element in live-action footage frame by frame (as to create a matte or a realistic animation)

[Ralph] Bakshi used rotoscoping to trace live footage for animation, and posterization to give it a rough, hand-made look.

—Ethan Gilsdorf

This isn't the first time he [director Richard Linklater] has used animation layered over live performances, and this digital rotoscoping technique is especially attuned to nuances of gesture and facial expression.

—A. O. Scott

Rotoscoping is one of the tedious necessities of many visual effects today. Any time a CGI element is placed in a live scene and an actor walks in front of it, a mask or matte must be created to overlay the actor over the CGI element.

—John Jackman

Examples of rotoscoping in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The filmmakers then used rotoscoping (or manually altering film footage one frame at a time) to remove that section of her abdomen. —Jack Smart, People.com, 27 Oct. 2024

Max had developed the technique of rotoscoping, which is still in use and which enables live-action film to be overlaid with animation. —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2020

Word History

Etymology

rotoscope + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above