2.3 ANTICIPATION
An action occurs in three parts: the preparation for the action, the action proper, and the termination of the action. Anticipation is the preparation
for the action; the latter two are discussed in the next sections.There are several facets to Anticipation. In one sense, it is the anatomical provision for an action. Since muscles in the body function through contraction, each must be first be extended before it can contract. A foot must be pulled back before it can be swung forward to kick a ball. [12] Without anticipation many actions are abrupt, stiff and unnatural. Anticipation is also a device to catch the audience's eye, to prepare them for the next movement and lead them to expect it before it actually occurs.
Anticipation is often used to explain what the following action is going to be. Before a character reaches to grab an object, he first raises his arms as he stares at the article, broadcasting the fact that he is going to do something with that particular object. The anticipatory moves may not show why he is doing something, but there is no question about what he is going to do next.