ABSTRACT
Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston introduced what are widely held to be the core tenets of all animation, the 12 basic principles of animation. They are: squash & stretch, staging, anticipation, straight ahead & pose to pose, follow-through & overlapping action, slow in & slow out, arcs, secondary action, appeal, timing, exaggeration and solid drawing. Understanding the basics of animation is essential, so it's time to revisit them again through the lens of video game animation. Staging is relevant in gameplay when relating to level design, however, where certain layouts will funnel the player and direct him or her down a corridor or over a hill to reveal story elements laid out there, or the use of lighting to direct the player's attention. Anticipation is a controversial topic in video games, with designers often requesting as little as possible and animators pushing for as many frames as possible.
