This page is a glossary of terms used in the Japanese film and animation industries translated into English. Translation of credits requires knowledge of the terminology used by both the American and Japanese film industries, including live action and anime. This article provides a useful translation guide for those wishing to do help out this project and its descendants in this way.
Terms
editTerms are listed alphabetically according to romanization.
| Japanese | Rōmaji | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| アドバイザー | adobaizā | advisor | |
| アフレコ | afureko | voice/dialogue recording | From "after recording": in Japanese animation, voices are typically recorded after the animation is complete (compare puresuko). For "dubbing," see dabingu and fukikae. |
| 合いの手 | ainote | interlude | |
| アニメーション | animēshon | animation | Like Pokémon animation (ポケモンアニメーション, Pokémon animēshon) as an example. |
| アニメーションデザイン | animēshon dezain | animation design | |
| アニメーションディレクター | animēshon direkutā | animation director | |
| アニメーション監修 | animēshon kanshū | animation supervisor | |
| アニメーション監督 | animēshon kantoku | animation director | |
| アニメーションコーディネーター | animēshon kōdinētā | animation coordinator | |
| アニメーションキャラクター | animēshon kyarakutā | animation character character design |
|
| アニメーションキャラクターデザイン | animēshon kyarakutā dezain | animation character design | Like animation Pokémon design (アニメーションポケモンデザイン, animēshon Pokémon dezain) as an example. |
| アニメーション協力 | animēshon kyōryoku | animation assistance/support | |
| アニメーションプロダクション | animēshon purodakushon | animation production | |
| アニメーションプロデューサー | animēshon purodyūsa | animation producer | |
| アニメーション製作 | animēshon seisaku | animation production | |
| アニメーション制作 | animēshon seisaku | animation work | |
| アニメーション製作協力 | animēshon seisaku kyōryoku | animation production assistance | |
| アニメーション制作協力 | animēshon seisaku kyōryoku | animation work assistance/support | |
| アニメーションプロデューサー | animēshon purodyūsā | animation producer | |
| アニメーター | animētā | animator | |
| アニメ | anime | anime | |
| アニメデザイン | anime dezain | anime design | |
| アニメディレクター | anime direkutā | anime director | |
| アニメ監修 | anime kanshū | anime supervisor | |
| アニメ監督 | anime kantoku | anime director | |
| アニメコーディネーター | anime kōdinētā | anime coordinator | |
| アニメキャラクター | anime kyarakutā | anime character | |
| アニメキャラクターデザイン | anime kyarakutā dezain | anime character design | Like anime Pokémon design アニメポケモンデザイン, anime Pokémon dezain) as an example. |
| アニメ協力 | anime kyōryoku | anime cooperation | |
| アニメプロダクション | anime purodakushon | anime production | |
| アニメプロデューサー | anime purodyūsā | anime producer | |
| アニメ製作 | anime seisaku | anime production | |
| アニメ制作 | anime seisaku | anime work | |
| アニメ製作協力 | anime seisaku kyōryoku | anime production cooperation | |
| アニメ制作協力 | anime seisaku kyōryoku | anime work cooperation | |
| アシスタント | ashisutanto | assistant | Can be used after any credit term |
| アシスタントプロデューサー | ashisutanto purodyūsā | assistant producer | |
| アソシエイトプロデューサー | asoshieito purodyūsā | associate producer | |
| アレンジメント | arenjimento | arrangement | |
| アテレコ | atereko | ADR/revoicing/dubbing | from to lay down a voice (声をあてる, koe o ateru) |
| アート | āto | art | |
| アートデザイン | āto dezain | art design | |
| アートディレクター | āto direkutā | art director | |
| アート協力 | āto kyōryoku | art cooperation | |
| 番組 | bangumi | program | |
| 番組事業 | bangumi jigyō | program business | |
| 番組宣伝 | bangumi senden | program promotion | |
| 番組担当 | bangumi tantō | program manager | |
| ビデオ | bideo | video | |
| ビデオチェック | bideo chekku | video check | |
| ビデオディレクター | bideo direkutā | video director | |
| ビデオ編集 | bideo henshū | video editing | |
| 美術 | bijutsu | art director background supervisor |
In live-action, it refers to an art director (the second-highest position in the art department). In traditional animation, it refers to a background supervisor. |
| 美術監督 | bijutsu kantoku | production designer background supervisor |
In live-action, it refers to a production designer (the head role of the art department). In traditional animation, it refers to a background supervisor (except on productions which have both 美術監督 and 美術 credits, in which case 美術監督 refers to a production designer). |
| 美術設定 | bijutsu settei | background artists art design |
refers to the major backgrounds, usually used for individual artists |
| ボーカルス | bōkarusu | vocals | |
| 部長 | buchō | chief director | |
| 文芸担当 | bungei tantō | script supervisor |
|
| チーフディレクター | chīfu direkutā | chief director | |
| 著作 | chosaku | publication, author, copyright | |
| ダビング | dabingu | dubbing/sound mixing/audio mixing | the process of combining dialogue/ADR, sound effects and music (with original production sound, where applicable) to produce the finished soundtrack. |
| ディレクター | direkutā | director | |
| 動画 | dōga | in-between animation video |
Literally "video". |
| 動画チェック | dōga chekku | in-between animation check | Literally "video check". |
| 動画検査 | dōga kensa | in-between animation check In-between animation supervisor |
Literally "video inspection". |
| 動画協力 | dōga kyōryoku | in-between animation cooperation video cooperation |
usually used to list outside studios which assisted with some of the animation. Literally "video cooperation". |
| エディター | editā | editor | |
| エグゼクティブプロダクション | eguzekutibu purodakushon | executive production | |
| エグゼクティブプロデューサー | eguzekutibu purodyūsā | executive producer | |
| 絵コンテ | ekonte | storyboard | lit. picture continuity |
| エンディングテーマ | endingu tēma | ending theme | The ending theme for the television production. |
| 演出 | enshutsu | assistant director director episode director direction directed by |
Literally "direction", "director", "directed by". |
| 演出助手 | enshutsu joshu | production assistant assistant to the director |
|
| 演奏 | ensō | musical performance performed by |
|
| フィルム | firumu | film | |
| 吹替 | fukikae | revoicing, or dub/dubbing | "Revoicing" is the term used in the film industry. |
| 振付 ふりつけ |
furitsuke | choreography (music) | usally prefers who is choreographing the music. |
| 原案 | gen'an | original planning original development |
|
| 原案協力 | gen'an kyōryoku | original planning assistance/support original development assistance/support |
|
| 原画 | genga | key animation | |
| 原画補佐 | genga hosa | key animation assistance | |
| 原作 | gensaku | original work | |
| 現像 | genzō | film developer developing |
|
| ゲストキャラクター | gesuto kyarakutā | guest character guest character design |
|
| 背景 | haikei | backgrounds setting scenery |
usually used for studios or groups that produced the backgrounds, sets or scenery, esp. in animation |
| 配給 | haikyū | distribution | company that distributed the film |
| ハーモニィ処理 | hāmonī shori | harmony treatment | |
| 編曲 | henkyoku | arrangement (music) | usually refers to who is arranging the music |
| 編集 | henshū | editor | |
| 一部原曲 | ichibu genkyoku | original score | |
| インアソシアシオンウィズ | in asoshiashion uizu | in association with | |
| 色指定 | iroshitei | colorist colorist designation colorist coordination |
|
| 助監督 | jokantoku | assistant director | |
| カメラ | kamera | camera operator | |
| 監督 | kantoku | director | |
| 企画 | kikaku | planning | |
| 企画協力 | kikaku kyōryoku | planning coordinator/support | |
| 記録 | kiroku | recorder, production diary/journal | |
| コーディネート | kōdinēto | coordination, coordinating | Usually spelled as (コーディネイト, coordinate, kōdineito.) |
| 広報 | kōhō | publicity public relations |
|
| 公開日 | kōkaibi | release date | |
| コンポーザー | konpōzā | composer | |
| コリオグラフィー | koriogurafī | choreography | |
| 構成 | kōsei | organization (as in "series organization") composition |
|
| クリエーター | kuriētā | creator | |
| 脚本 | kyakuhon | script screenplay |
|
| キャメラマン | kyameraman | cameraman | |
| キャラクターデザイン | kyarakutā dezain | character design | |
| キャラクター原案 | kyarakutā genan | character draft | |
| キャラクター設定 | kyarakutā settei | initial character design character design |
|
| キャスティング | kyasutingu | casting | |
| キャスティング協力 | kyasutingu kyōryoku | casting assistance | |
| 協力 | kyōryoku | coordination support |
|
| メカニックデザイン | mekanikku dezain | mechanical design | Usually shortened to メカデザイン (mekadezain, “mecha design”). This mostly refers to the design of robots. |
| ミキサー | mikisā | mixer | |
| ミュージック | myūjikku | music | |
| ネガティブ編集 | negatibu henshū | negative editing | Usually shortened to ネガ編集 (nega henshū, "nega editing"). |
| 音楽 | ongaku | music composer |
|
| 音楽監督 | ongaku kantoku | music director | |
| 音楽協力 | ongaku kyōryoku | music co-production music coordination |
|
| 音楽製作 | ongaku seisaku | music production | |
| 音楽制作 | ongaku seisaku | music work | |
| 音響 | onkyō | sound | |
| 音響監督 | onkyō kantoku | sound director audio director |
|
| 音響効果 | onkyō kōka | sound effects | |
| 音響協力 | onkyō kyōryoku | sound coordinating | |
| 音響プロデューサー | onkyō purodyūsā | sound producer | |
| 音響製作 | onkyō seisaku | sound production | |
| 音響制作 | onkyō seisaku | sound work | |
| オープニングテーマ | ōpuning tēma | opening theme | The opening theme for the television production. |
| パフォーマー | pafōmā | performer | |
| プレスコ・プリレコ | puresuko / purireko | pre-scoring or pre-recording (esp. of the voice track) | From "pre-scoring" or "pre-recording." Voice recording for animated works in Japan is typically done after the animation is partially/fully complete, but pre-scoring has been used in a number of works, such as Knights of Sidonia. |
| プロダクション | purodakushon | production | |
| プロデューサー | purodyūsā | producer | |
| ラインプロデューサー | rainpurodyūsā | line producer | |
| ライティングディレクター | raitingu direkutā | writing director | |
| 連絡デスク | renraku desuku | communications desk response desk |
|
| リリクス | ririkusu | lyrics | |
| 録音 | rokuon | sound audio recording |
|
| 録音演出 | rokuon enshutsu | sound assistant director/production audio director/production recording director/production |
|
| 作画 | sakuga | animation key animation |
|
| 作画監督 | sakuga kantoku | animation director key animation director |
|
| 作詞 | sakushi | lyrics (music) songwriter |
usually refers to who is writing the song |
| 作曲 | sakkyoku | composer (music) | usually refers to who is composing the music |
| 撮影 | satsuei | photography shooting animation camera shooting staff |
This role differs greatly between live action and animation short on cameras on one hand, and digitally-composited animation on the other. In live action, traditional animation shot on film, and stop-motion animation, satsuei refers to controlling the camera movement, lighting, framing, and other aspects of the shooting process. In computer animation, and traditional animation that is inked, painted and composited digitally, satsuei refers to combining all the different visual elements together; this includes animation, backgrounds, 3D objects and digital effects. In general, this role should be referred to as compositing when writing about digitally-composited animation, to avoid confusing it for traditional film cinematography. |
| 撮影技師 | satsuei gishi | camera operator | |
| 撮影監督 | satsuei kantoku | director of photography cinematographer camera director compositing supervisor/director |
|
| 撮影協力 | satsuei kyōryoku | camera support photography assistance compositing assistance photography cooperation |
|
| 撮影製作 | satsuei seisaku | photography | |
| 撮影制作 | satsuei seisaku | photography camera operator compositing |
|
| サウンド | saundo | sound | |
| 製作 | seisaku | production producer executive production executive producer in association with original production by special cooperative company |
|
| 制作 | seisaku | production work |
|
| 制作デスク | seisaku desuku | production desk | |
| 製作委員会 | seisaku iinkai | production committee | |
| 製作管理 | seisaku kanri | production manager | |
| 制作管理 | seisaku kanri | work manager | |
| 製作協力 | seisaku kyōryoku | production assistance | |
| 制作協力 | seisaku kyōryoku | work assistance/support | |
| 制作進行 | seisaku shinkō | production assistant | |
| 製作スタジオ | seisaku sutajio | production studio | |
| 制作スタジオ | seisaku sutajio | work studio | |
| 製作担当 | seisaku tantō | executive producer associate producer production manager |
|
| 宣伝 | senden | advertising/promotion/marketing | |
| 宣伝プロデューサー | senden purodyūsā | advertising/promotion/marketing producer | |
| 選曲 | senkyoku | theme song music selection |
|
| 設定管理 | settei kanri | setting management | |
| 設定協力 | settei kyōryoku | setting cooperation staging assistance concept cooperation concept coordination |
|
| 仕上 | shia | coloring finish touch-up ink & paint |
|
| 仕上検査 | shia kensa | digital paint check finish animation check touch-up animation check ink & paint check |
Check the clean-up work to make sure the animation cels look good. |
| 仕上協力 | shia kyōryoku | ink & paint assistance/support digital paint assistance/support finish animation assistance/support touch-up animation assistance/support |
Usually refers to outside studios which assisted in the ink and paint processes. |
| 仕上げ | shiage | touch-up animation clean up animation animation clean-up |
Literally "finishing". |
| 色彩設計 | shikisai sekkei | color keys color design |
|
| シナリオ | shinario | script / episode script, scenario | Produced by the scriptwriter, it usually goes through 4/5 drafts before it is approved. |
| シンガー | shingā | singer | |
| 照明 | shōmei | lighting | |
| 照明監督 | shōmei kantoku | lighting director | |
| 主題歌 | shudaika | theme song | |
| 総 | sō | general chief |
This can appear before any title |
| 総監督 | sōkantoku | executive director chief director series director general director |
Literally "general director". |
| ソング | songu | song | |
| ソングライター | songuraitā | songwriter | |
| 挿入歌 | sōnyūka | insert song background song |
song used during the movie, usually in the background (i.e., in a cafe) |
| 総作画監督 | sōsakuga kantoku | general animation director chief animation director |
|
| 総作画監督補 | sōsakuga kantoku ho | assistant executive animation director | |
| 総作監補佐 | sōsakukan hosa | assistant executive animation director | |
| スーパーバイザー | sūpābaizā | production supervisor supervisor |
|
| タイミング | taimingu | timing | |
| タイトル | taitoru | title titling title |
the credits (basically who picked the font and designed the opening and ending credit rolls) |
| タイトルリストワーク | taitoru risuto wāku | title list work | |
| テーマソング | tēma songu | theme song | The theme song for the television production. |
| 提供 | teikyō | sponsor | usually refers to who is sponsoring this program |
| テロップ | teroppu | television opaque projector | |
| テロップリストワーク | teroppu risuto wāku | television opaque projector list work | |
| 特殊効果 | tokushukōka | special effects | |
| 唄 歌 うた |
uta | vocals song performer singer |
usually refers to who is singing the song |
| ゼネラルマネージャー | zeneraru manējā | general manager | |
| ゼログラフィ | zerogurafi | xerography | Usually shortened to (ゼログラフ, xerograph, zerogurafu). |
Wiktionary
edit- Appendix:Japanese film credit terms (not updated very often, and not likely to be updated very often)