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. [26]
Anticipation is also used to direct the attention of the audience to the fight
part of the screen at the fight moment. This is essential for preventing the
audience from missing some vital action. In the very beginning of Luxo Jr.,
Dad is on screen alone looking offstage. He then reacts, anticipating
something happening there. When Jr. does hop in, the audience is prepared
for the action.
The amount of anticipation used considerably affects the speed of the action
which follows it. If the audience expects something to happen, then it can
be much faster without losing them. If they are not properly prepared for a
very fast action, they may miss it completely; the anticipation must be
made larger or the action slower. [30] In a slow action the anticipation is
often minimized and the meaning carried in the action proper. [121 In one
shot inThe Adventures of Andre and Wally B. , Wally B. zips off to the
right. The actual action of the zip off is only 3 or 4 frames long, but he
anticipates the zip long enough for the audience to know exactly what is
coming next. (figure 5)
Anticipation can also emphasize heavy weight, as for a character picking up
an object that is very heavy. An exaggerated anticipation, like bending way
down before picking up the object, helps the momentum of the character to
lift the heavy weight. Likewise for a fat character standing up from a seated
position: he will bend his upper body forward, with his hands on the
armrests of the chair, before pushing up with his arms and using the
momentum of his body.