Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of animation?

Animation is fundamentally characterized by elements that allow it to convey narratives and evoke emotion through visual means. The correct answer, which identifies a characteristic not inherently associated with animation, is the notion of "disciplines."

While animation certainly involves various disciplines such as art, technology, and storytelling, the core characteristics directly tied to animation's function are its techniques and creative aspects—like frame-by-frame movement, which highlights how images are sequenced to create the illusion of motion, and imagination, as it often requires creativity and innovative thinking to bring characters and stories to life. Meanwhile, visual storytelling is essential to animation as it is the medium's primary purpose—to tell stories visually in an engaging way.

Thus, among the options given, "disciplines" stands out as more of an umbrella term that encompasses the fields related to animation rather than a defining trait of the animation form itself.