The Principles of Animation

1. Squash and Stretch - defining the rigidity and mass of an object by distorting its shape during an action

[Good] The Simpsons: Homer getting hit from a cannonball. Mass dispertion is fairly clear and visible, with no real exaggeration on squashing or stretching.

[Good] A nice example of subtle squashing and stretching with a comparatively different 'lead balloon'.


2. Timing and Motion  - spacing actions to define the weight and size of objects and the personality of characters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnHx6YVoqek&feature=related
[Good] Alan Wake: (At 1.40) Good weight dispersion as he leans over the body, and then again as he cowers away. Fear in his face adds a relatable emotion for the viewers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL8boTD4ais

[Poor] Deadly Premonition: Two stiff looking children head towards a leaf to claim a ladybird, but their eyes aren't even aligned with the target, and their limbs move with an unsettling rigidity. Truly sub-standard animation work.

3. Anticipation  - the preparation for an action
                                                 

[Good] Vanquish: Sam Gideon readying a shot from his weapon. From his dynamic pose you can see his pre-charge stance.

4. Staging - presenting an idea so that it is unmistakably clear

 

[Good] Neon Genesis Evangelion: You can clearly see a grand vista in the distance, accompanied by a couple of huge combatants. The Japanese setting does well to create a stadium for this supernatural battle.

[Poor] Dexter's Lab: This particular scene is quite bemusing and doesn't really seem to make sense. I chose it purely for its impossibility, in turn, creating a poor state of understanding for the viewer.

5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action - the termination of an action and establishing its relationship to the next action

[Good] Call of Duty 4: This reload frame clearly shows a pause in the action. Just like cause and effect, the player will be able to perform more actions after this process has finished.

6. Straight Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose Action - The two contrasting approaches to the
creation of movement
[N/A]

7. Slow In and Out - the spacing of the in-between frames to achieve subtlety of timing and movement

[Good] This sneaking animation example from YouTube is a nice example of using the subtleties of timing to portray methodical movement.


8. Arcs - the visual path of action for natural movement

[Good] Halo Legends: Master Chief's right arm can be seen swinging behind him, portraying the natural momentum and fluidity of the limb. Just like the weight in a grandfather clock, the swing is a visual indicator as to what would happen in the concluding motion.

[Good] This animation shows a simple arc via a throwing motion.

9. Exaggeration - Accentuating the essence of an idea via the design and the action

 

[Good] Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: Visualling appealing regardless of physical structure possibilities.

10. Secondary Action - the action of an object resulting from another action 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC-hLw9dT0E

[Good] Doctor Aki Ross/Final Fantasy Spirits Within: Each strand of her hair was individually rendered and positioned. Over 60,000 hairs move and sway as her head turns. Example at 50 seconds into video.

11. Appeal  - creating a design or an action that the audience enjoys watching

[Good] Pikachu: Cute and cuddly characters like this are immediately likeable. Child-like expressions and bright colours play a big part in appeal.

[Poor] Beavis and Butthead: Despite being a hit animated comedy series, these characters are not visually appealing. Distorted and disproportional features and unsavoury in character, this duo doesn't bode well with many parents.

12. Personality - in character animation is the goal of all of the above
12. Solid Drawing - The principle of solid drawing means taking into account forms in three-dimensional space, giving them volume and weight.

[Good] Gears of War's Marcus Fenix: The artist has defined a stocky, weighty and stern looking physique. Front and back views correlate well with each other, reinforcing his believability and presence. Cloth folds around the upper legs determine rigidity and gravity.

[Poor] Tin-Tin: Only black ovals represent his perplexed facial expression. Although a fairly dynamic pose, mass isn't really present. His anatomy is also slightly off-balanced, having a very thin lower leg contrasted with arms of twice the size. Material seems quite static and doesn't hug to his body.