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Definition Preparation and recovery moments in action Where else is the term Follow Through used?2 min read
Definition
“Follow-through” refers to a short moment after the main action. It is the idea that body parts of characters or elements of animated objects might continue to move even after a motion is completed. This effect is also called anti-anticipation. Let’s figure out what it is.
Preparation and recovery moments in action
Every primary action (a jump, a bow, a twirl) has a moment of preparation and a moment of recovery. This moment necessarily should be a part of an animated video. “Follow through” makes the action more realistic and easy to believe.
When a character lands from a jump, he or she will automatically bend the knees to smooth the hitting ground. Actually, it is a slight crouch. This crouch that follows the primary action is the follow-through. In more complex actions, the completion of one movement may merge with the expectation of the next movement. For example, in a walk cycle, the bottom keyframe is both a continuation of the previous step and an expectation of the next step.
Where else is the term Follow Through used?
“Follow through” is one of the 12 principles of animation. This natural effect can be seen in cinema as well. Sometimes directors deliberately focus on such small acts. This makes the picture much more interesting.
