Anticipation

Anticipation is all about preparation. When a major action is about to take place the animator must prepare the audience for it. This is not a set rule (or indeed a courtesy), but it is necessary not only to make the action believable, but to emphasise its importance.

Another aspect of anticipation is actions which physically cannot take place without some form of energy build up. Here (Fig 2) we see a character jumping over a box. In the real world it is impossible for a person to jump (A) like this without first gathering enough energy (B).

Fig 2