Great primer on understanding timing for animation!

First published in 1981, this book has been a standard in animation courses, and with good reason. "Timing for Animation" delivers exactly what the title says: a thorough and clear explanation of timing and spacing as it applies to the principles of animation.

Timing, in animation, gives meaning to movement. The authors, all veterans within the animation industry, do a good job of framing their subject within the context of the animation production pipeline (2D and 3D, features and TV shorts). "Timing for Animation" is filled with pictures that succinctly explain the concepts and principles. Each chapter is broken down into bite-sized sections - making the wealth of content easy to digest.

The book's examples are primarily 2D, but in this revised edition, 3D examples are used when necessary.

Animators will learn how animations should be arranged (or staged) in relation to each other, the importance of spacing, the effect of gravity and additional forces on an object, and how long each drawing should be shown (or held) for maximum impact. The concepts of "Ones" and "Twos" and other animation related terminology are also clearly explained. I found the entire book to be well written. Especially useful were the sections on "Timing to Suggest Weight and Force".

The book covers the principles of timing really well. Please note, this is not a step-by-step recipe book - for "recipes", I would suggest Richard Williams' excellent book, "The Animator's Survival Kit". I found the writing style to be straightforward and clear. "Timing for Animation" gets my highest recommendation.

Other Reviews

• Timing is Everything
• Fully revised and updated....Still a solid reference book for animators
• I may never watch cartoons the same way again.
• Great primer on understanding timing for animation!