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12 Principle in animation

Anil Chauhan

Thu, 19 Sep 2024

12 Principle in animation
The 12 principles of animation were introduced by Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston in their book "The Illusion of Life." These principles serve as a set of guidelines for creating more realistic and appealing animations. Here's a brief overview of each principle:

So what are the 12 Principles of Animation?

  1. Squash and stretch
  2. Anticipation
  3. Staging
  4. Straight-ahead action and pose-to-pose
  5. Follow through and overlapping action
  6. Slow in and slow out
  7. Arc
  8. Secondary action
  9. Timing
  10. Exaggeration
  11. Solid drawing
  12. Appeal

1. **Squash and Stretch:**
   - This principle gives the illusion of weight and volume to characters as they move. Objects or characters should deform slightly when in motion.

2. **Anticipation:**
   - This involves preparing the audience for an action and making the action appear more realistic. It's like a wind-up before the pitch in baseball.

3. **Staging:**
   - Staging is presenting an idea so that it is unmistakably clear. This can involve the placement of characters, use of color, and camera angles to communicate the message effectively.

4. **Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose:**
   - "Straight ahead" involves drawing frame by frame from start to end, creating a fluid and dynamic motion. "Pose to pose" involves starting with drawing a few key frames and filling in the intervals later, creating more controlled and refined animations.

5. **Follow Through and Overlapping Action:**
   - Follow through means the termination of an action, and overlapping action is the tendency of parts of the body to move at different rates. Both principles contribute to making movement appear more natural.

6. **Slow In and Slow Out:**
   - The movement of the human body, and most other objects, needs time to accelerate and slow down. This principle helps to achieve a more realistic and fluid motion.

7. **Arcs:**
   - Most actions in life follow an arced trajectory rather than a straight line. Animators use arcs to make movements appear more natural.

8. **Secondary Action:**
   - This is an additional action that reinforces or adds more dimension to the main action. It helps to make the character more realistic and interesting.

9. **Timing:**
   - The number of frames between two poses can affect the speed of an action. Timing is crucial to creating the desired impact and mood in animation.

10. **Exaggeration:**
    - Exaggeration involves taking elements of the animation to the extreme to make the action more exciting and interesting. It should still maintain a sense of believability.

11. **Solid Drawing:**
    - Animators must understand the basics of three-dimensional shapes, weight, balance, light, and shadow to create characters and objects that feel solid and occupy space.

12. **Appeal:**
    - The appeal of a character is crucial for engaging the audience. It involves designing characters in a way that makes them interesting, sympathetic, and memorable.

These principles are fundamental to animation and are applicable across various animation styles and techniques. They provide a foundation for creating animations that are visually compelling, emotionally resonant, and believable.

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