principles of traditional animation

principles of traditional animation

Many of the principles of traditional animation were developed in the 1930's at the Walt Disney studios. These principles were developed to make animation, especially character animation, more realistic and entertaining. These principles can and should be applied to 3D computer animation.

Principles of Traditional Animation

The following principles were developed and named:

Squash and Stretch - defining the rigidity and mass of an object by distorting its shape during an action

Timing and Motion - spacing actions to define the weight and size of objects and the personality of characters

Anticipation - the preparation for an action

Staging - presenting an idea so that it is unmistakably clear

Follow Through and Overlapping Action - the termination of an action and establishing its relationship to the next action

Straight Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose Action - The two contrasting approaches to the creation of movement

Slow In and Out - the spacing of the in-between frames to achieve subtlety of timing and movement

Arcs - the visual path of action for natural movement

Exaggeration - Accentuating the essence of an idea via the design and the action

 Secondary Action - the action of an object resulting from another action

Appeal - creating a design or an action that the audience enjoys watching