essence-of-animation

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The Core Idea

The essence of animation is simple: when and what — at which frame, what shape happens.
This rule applies to both 2D and 3D animation, because no matter the medium, the audience only ever sees the projection in 2D space. (We can’t see the front and back of an object at the same time.)

Animation as a craft has been refined for over 100 years. There is no hidden secret, no “new tech” that changes the fundamentals. At its core, animation is media-agnostic: fancy terms or 3D pipelines don’t alter the basics.

Key Points

With the essence,

  • A good skeleton animation does not guarantee good animation.
  • A rich motion libray does not guarantee good animation.

What truly matters:

  • Timing and spacing create convincing movement.
  • Good shapes to the camera (viewer) create clarity.
    • what is a good shape?
      • A shape that delivers clear and precise information to the viewer.

Types of Users

When thinking about tools or workflows, I see three main categories of users:

1. Professional Animators

Definition

  • Understand timing and spacing.
  • Master camera language.
  • Have clear performance ideas and know exactly what shape at what time to create.

Tool focus

  • Help them implement ideas faster.
  • Support precise construction of shapes for the camera at the right moment.

2. Non-Professionals with Clear Ideas

Definition

  • Have vivid images or clips in mind, but lack best practices (shapes, layout, timing).

Tool focus

  • Help them quickly translate their ideas into motion.
  • Suggest better implementations that respect their intent.

3. Users with No Idea but Need Animation

Definition

  • “I need an animation for my project, but I don’t know where to start.”

Tool focus

  • Provide initial ideas and directions.
  • Offer an easy-to-use system where complex concepts (IK/FK controllers, skeletons, timing and spacing, camera language) are hidden or automated.

Conclusion

What makes a good animation is always the same:
clear timing, clear shapes, clear communication to the viewer.

But the tools that support this process vary greatly depending on the user.

  • For professionals, tools should accelerate precision.
  • For idea-driven creators, tools should guide and refine.
  • For beginners, tools should inspire and simplify.

The essence never changes, but the path each user takes can — and should — look very different.

Ultimately, choosing which users to target is a business strategy decision.
It’s also important to recognize that tools for professionals and tools for beginners often conflict in their design goals, which makes focus and prioritization critical.