Final answer:
Stop-motion animation is the technique where objects are manipulated and photographed one frame at a time to create the illusion of movement. It is distinct from motion capture used in computer-generated animation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The special effect that is essentially a cartoon animated one frame at a time is known as stop-motion animation. This technique involves physically manipulating objects to appear as though they are moving on their own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence. Stop-motion animation has been used for many years in film and television to bring to life a variety of characters and objects, from the classic creature features of the past to more contemporary animated films.
Freezing action, like capturing a player mid-movement in sports photography, can be seen as a single-frame specific form of this concept. However, motion capture technology, used frequently in computer-generated animation, is a different technique where movements of actors are captured digitally and then applied to animated characters, creating lifelike animations in movies and video games.