Anticipation

Origins

The second principle of animation is anticipation which is used to prepare the audience so they can follow an action before it happens. It also makes the overall animations seem more realistic. At the Disney studio Walt Disney was particularly insistent that the actions were easily understood by the audience so that they could anticipate what the character would do. He called this technique aiming and was known for acting out scenes himself for the animators.

Importance

The importance of anticipation is clear when it's missing from an action. Just imagine a baseball pitcher not winding up before the pitch or a soccer player not pulling his foot back before the kick. It takes the energy and effort out of the action, leaving the audience confused about what happened and how the character managed to do it.

Examples

Some examples of anticipation that is often used in animation would be a character crouching down before they jump or tilting back before they push a heavy object.

Source

Thomas, F., & Johnston, O. (1981). The illusion of life: Disney animation. New York, NY: Walt Disney Productions.