Anticipation & Squash and Stretch

Like all the 12 principals of animation, Antic&S/S are principals that have been observed in life and exaggerated (sometimes way too much) by animators over the years.

Sure, sometimes it's nice to look at broad and over-the-top animation examples to see these principals being used in a way that's much more clear, although I discourage animators from overusing this because it will end up becoming too much of a focal point in your animation.

A good example of this is in Don Bluth's animation...there's no doubt he's been a tremendous influence in the world of animation but he definitely relies on a TON of over-exaggerated anticipation and squash and stretch to create his style. Unfortunately, this style has brought a lot of professional animators to look at his work today with a hint of disdain. So in other words, following this style isn't the best way to get a job these days! :)



Unless of course, your goal is to create comedy from the overly exaggerated Antic&SS through parody...the catch here is that there can be no mistake that you're going for that in your work. A good example of this is in Spongebob:




Looking at examples where Antic&S/S is either underused or not incorporated at all is a great way of seeing how easily animation can become bland. (With all respect to Willis O'Brien who will always be considered a genius and a pioneer. After all, he paved the way for all future animators, and we all do our work standing on his shoulders.)
In this example, go to 4:10 and ask yourself how antic&s/s could add more life to King Kong as he's reacting to the planes shooting him.



...and finally, don't forget the Contact Frame!

Remember that the contact-frame can add a really nice touch to your anims. Be sure to look at Richard William's example in the Animator's Survival Kit on pages 94 and 95.
Your animation will look "ok" without it, but will really shine if you put it in.

In the Animator's Survival Kit, there are two versions of the contact frame example, which will make a pretty significant difference in the way your animation looks.
The first one, on page 94 shows one contact frame on the way down, but not one on the way up. This example is for a bouncing 'lifeless' ball.
If that's in your scene, then that's groovy- but if you're going for a ball that's "alive" then definitely think about it more like the character's on page 95- with a contact frame on the way down and one on the way up. This will add a sense of life and a greater feeling of anticipation to your animation.
This contact frame is just a small part of what makes the difference between a character that's moving on it's own accord (Luxo is a great example) and a generic bouncing ball, but is something that can really add a ton of personality to this assignment. Don't forget it!