animatic

n.
A preliminary version of a television commercial in which animated cutout figures are used instead of live participants and real objects.

animatic an·i·mat'ic adj.

Unfinished television commercial produced by photographing storyboard sketches on a film strip and synchronizing the audio portion on tape. An animatic is prepared by the advertising agency creative department at the discretion of the account executive to be shown to the client in order to help the client visualize the advertising concept. It can also function as a guide for the actual shooting of the commercial.