10 Second Tip: Always Anticipate
AnticipationPreparing a motion by first going into the opposite direction to build up momentum is called anticipation. The anticipat... More is one of the Principles of Animation, but where and when should it be used? Does every action need an anticipationPreparing a motion by first going into the opposite direction to build up momentum is called anticipation. The anticipat... More? Does it really make a difference?
To answer that last question first: Absolutely. All the principles are important, of course, but anticipationPreparing a motion by first going into the opposite direction to build up momentum is called anticipation. The anticipat... More has a way of getting more bang-for-your-buck than almost any other technique. The reason for this has to do with your relationship with the audience.
As an animator, your job is to entertain the audience, and one of the best ways to do that is to subconsciously lead them towards whatever comes next. As human beings, we enjoy a natural feeling of anticipationPreparing a motion by first going into the opposite direction to build up momentum is called anticipation. The anticipat... More that leads to an expected outcome. The human brain rarely likes being completely surprised (horror movies aside), but even a surprise is accepted and enjoyed if there’s a little bit of warning. Any time you move a character, it pays to give a little visual-nudge to the audience and say “hey, something’s about to happen.”
You don’t have to go crazy here. Not every anticipationPreparing a motion by first going into the opposite direction to build up momentum is called anticipation. The anticipat... More needs to be the textbook “wind up before the pitch” style movement.
As Mariel Cartwright explains in this video on Animation for Games, even one frame of anticipationPreparing a motion by first going into the opposite direction to build up momentum is called anticipation. The anticipat... More is enough to make a difference. It’s not something that’s necessarily “seen” by the audience, but it is definitely felt. (Special thanks to Mahesh Pagar for the GDC link.)
No matter what your next animated movement is, try out a little anticipationPreparing a motion by first going into the opposite direction to build up momentum is called anticipation. The anticipat... More first. Even if it’s a frame or two, experiment to see if it adds a layer of life to your shot. Usually it will, and with very little extra work on your part.
Want to expand things even further? Consider adding Intention Cues into your poses, as explained in the article “What Are Intention Cues, and How Do You Use Them?”
The human brain rarely likes being completely surprised (horror movies aside), but even a surprise is accepted and enjoyed if there’s a little bit of warning. Where is this information?
What do you mean? A source for this claim? Hmm… I don’t know a good scientific proof for this, I can only speak from experience. Any medium or fast action without anticipation can be really hard to catch and might be perceived as “too much” at once. I think The Animators Survival Kit mentions that anything under 4 frames doesn’t read, so if you want to “hide” your anticipation you could stay in this limit and just have it felt.