What is a key characteristic of animation?

Animation is fundamentally characterized by the use of a series of still images or frames that are presented in rapid succession to create the illusion of movement. This technique is known as persistence of vision, where the human eye blends the individual frames together, allowing for fluid motion to be perceived.

When creating animation, artists and animators often produce a sequence of images that may vary slightly from one frame to another. This variation between frames is what leads to the appearance of smooth movement or action, making the transition from still images to animated visuals possible.

The other potential answers highlight characteristics that do not encapsulate what defines animation. For example, while editing can take place in the context of animation, it is not inherently a defining trait of the medium. Similarly, rendering is often an essential part of the animation process, especially in 3D animation, as it is crucial for generating the final visual output from the computed data. Lastly, stating that all frames are identical contradicts the very essence of animation, as differing frames are necessary to create movement.