Principle 2: Anticipation
I just want to say beforehand that I'm really proud of this clip. I experimented using tweens and direction lines to make the scene more cinematic, which helps emphasize the anticipation. I also wanted to also make the clip longer, but it would have taken too much time to animate.
What is Anticipation?
Imagine somebody jumping, but they do not crouch before they leap. Where is there momentum coming from? Anticipation is the bridge between actions and movements, and is vital in making animation seem deliberate and powerful. Small amounts of anticipation can be used to hint at what will happen next, such as a character closing his eyes before being hit in the face, or they can be as dramatic as pulling back a fist before punching.
*Not by me
Generally, good anticipation allows somebody to know what will happen next, even if they do not see the conclusion of the action. As an aside, it should be mentioned that in the earlier days of animated cinema, movement and actions in animation were far too abrupt, and actions or movements would often go unnoticed. This lead to viewers not understanding what was going on; Where did Mickey get the sandwich? Why is Minnie angry? As a solution to this problem, Walt Disney invented a new tactic to ensure the audience understood what was going on; "aiming", or what would be later called anticipation. The idea was to exaggerate every action to guarantee that the audience could not miss what was happening. Even if Oswald the rabbit was just taking something out of his pocket, he would look at his pants, throw his arm into the air, then plunge it into his clothing to retrieve whatever he had.
Look at the example below. What action he is about to do is heavily defined by the motions he takes before throwing the ball. The forceful step forward to gain leverage, and the movement of his non-throwing arm emphasize the main motion of the throwing arm.
Look at the example below. What action he is about to do is heavily defined by the motions he takes before throwing the ball. The forceful step forward to gain leverage, and the movement of his non-throwing arm emphasize the main motion of the throwing arm.
*Not made by me
"The batter prepares himself with a whole series of anticipatory actions, but the one that gives the clout is the final twist and the step forward as the ball approaches the plate. Without that move the mightiest swing is no more than a bunt." (Thomas, Johnston 53)
What is the application of Anticipation?
Anticipation is mostly a single-target principle, though that does not detract from its importance. Some of the uses of anticipation overlap that of squash and stretch, such as exaggerating movement and facial features or emotions, but anticipation focuses more on the build-up to those movements rather than the action itself.
Personally, I prefer a type of anticipation in animation which I can best describe as "deliberate". Often, you will see animated films skip parts of climatic events with jump cuts and flashes to different perspectives, as it is far cheaper than animating a full visual of whatever is going on. This is most often done during full-body scenes that require hundreds of frames, since it cuts down on production costs by large margins. "Deliberate" animations display the full action rather than cutting corners and robbing the viewer of things like exciting combat sequences that is a mainstay in almost all media. In my attempt to learn animation, I will try and avoid shortcuts, so I can actually learn how to animate full scenes.
In the following video, the sheer scale and weight of every movement is astounding, and it is hard to believe a single person had animated it. Instead of cutting corners in the previously mentioned manner, he took the time to perfect everything and show what is happening.
That's all for this time! Sayonara!
Citations
Hurtt, Chris. “Anticipation: The 12 Basic Principles of Animation | Animation Mentor Blog.” Animation Mentor Blog, 12 Feb. 2019, blog.animationmentor.com/anticipation-the-12-basic- principles-of-animation/.Thomas, Frank, and Ollie Johnston. The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation. Disney Editions, 1995.
Hey Dat! Animation is a very interesting (and seemingly ambitious) topic, so bravo for choosing it! I love how you explained the principle of "anticipation"--I totally understood what you meant. Aside from that, your first attempt at anticipation was really quite good--can't wait to see what you do next! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThis was a really good blog post! You kept me intrigued throughout, and had really thorough details. I understood everything perfectly, and it looks really good! Good luck in the future!
ReplyDeleteWow! I never realize the role of exaggeration and anticipation in animations. This is so weird, because now I'm reflecting on all of the animations I've seen. Like, I've never realize that animators make animations weirder (anticipation is really bizarre if you think about it) in order to make them feel more natural for viewers.
ReplyDeleteI'm really impressed with your animation at the beginning! I can tell that you're putting in quite a lot of effort into learning different techniques . Like Eric said, your blog made me reflect on all the animation I've seen so far and it made your blog more understandable and interesting. The way you explained anticipation was very digestible, yet informative, and I'm officially "hooked"! I'm looking forward to seeing your end product, because you're already on a great track. Good luck!
ReplyDelete