There’s some discussion recently about whether video sprites in animations can be a security problem. This is outside of any of my usual areas of expertise. So far as I know, a video sprite is recorded image frames that are strung together by a program to follow a path such as an ellipse, or even to perform character actions. Think of video game characters, although the images used can also be of live animals, or basically whatever you like.

So you end up with a movie that has elements generated this way; so what? Well, in QuickTime,

A sprite can also modify its behavior with the passage of time, either “movie” time (the duration in which the movie plays) or in real time. In fact, a sprite can continue to act even after the movie it is in is paused or stopped.
— QuickTime Interactivity Gives Your Movies the Smarts.

OK, a sprite isn’t just a movie; it’s a program, implemented by the movie player. Still, so what? Continue reading →