See also Genga.
Previous Stage: E-konte
Next Stage: Layout Director Checks
Layout first step of creating Genga as instructed by the E-konte (storyboards). It's also referred to as Daiichigenga (第一原画) and Rafugen(ラフ原)

Cut Package[]
The following are components of a cut package:
1) E-konte | 絵コンテ | Storyboards for the section or episode you are working on. |
2) Settei | 設定 | Design sheets for the production or section, including characters, backgrounds, and props. |
3) Character Settei | キャラクター設定 | Design sheets for the characters. |
4) Background Settei | 美術設定 | Design sheets for the backgrounds (sometimes just pictures!) |
5) Prop Settei | プロップ設定 | Design sheets for props, weapons, and vehicles. |
6) Character Height Chart | 対比表・キャラクター | Comparison chart of the character heights. |
7) Layout Paper | LO手紙 | Layout paper template for making sure you have the correct resolution and aspect ratio for your work. |
8) Timesheet Paper | シート手紙 | blank version of the timesheet for you to fill out. |
Cutting/CT sheet | timesheet pre-filled by the director. | |
Cautionary Notes | 注意事項 | Notes on how to avoid common drawing or design mistakes for the production. |
3d Layout | 3D LO/3D BG | Material for you to use in place of the background drawings, or 3d character models to trace. |
Miscellaneous Reference | 資料 | Photographs, Manga References, Promo Art, Other media inspiration. |
Layout Paper[]
The components of a layout paper are as follows:
1) Hole Punch Guide タプ | Also called peg holes (タプ), what a pegboard fits through on traditional animation paper to keep drawings aligned, used in the same fashion digitally and should never be moved. |
2) Title/cut | Title of the animation project being worked on, and the cut number, for ease of tracking. |
3) Artist's name | Name of the layout artist must be included so they can be asked questions and/or returned work if needed. |
4) Time | Given in (seconds+frames) for a cut 24 frames in one second of animation. A cut that is exactly 1 second long would have (1+00) written, one that is 1.5 seconds long would have (1+12) written. |
5) Frame | Solid black line indicates the outer limit of what is normally shown in finished animation–anything outside this line is cut off, although drawing somewhat outside this area is necessary to help other stages of animation. |
6) Action (inner) safe area | Inner dotted line is the "animation safe area"; important drawing elements should not be placed on or beyond this line. |
7) Color (outer) safe area | Outer line which indicates the “color-safe area.” Drawings should extend to this line so that background artists, editors, and other people that work on animation have a safe area in the case of camera movements, slides, and other effects or changes. |
Do not ever one studio's layout paper with another studio. This constitutes a breach of NDA.
You can change the dimensions of the canvas if the cut requires camera movement, but do not transform the size and/or resolution of the layout paper itself.