What is a line test used for during animation production?

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Animated scene from The Wild Robot showing a round-eyed robot with a fox perched on its shoulder in a forest clearing. — Animation Scene from the 2024 science fiction animated film *The Wild Robot*, directed by Chris Sanders.

In animation production, a line test is a crucial step used to evaluate the rhythm and characterization of a sequence before final rendering. During this process, animators outline the figures in pencil and photograph them to view the movement on screen.1

This technique allows creators to verify that the choreography of the figures is effective. Senior animators typically draw the key, or salient, movements, while assistant animators—often referred to as in-betweeners—fill in the intermediate drawings to complete the motion. By testing these pencil drawings, the production team can ensure the animation achieves the desired liveliness and fluidity before committing to the labor-intensive process of transferring the work to cels and applying final paint.1