Before you begin animating, there are just a few things you should know. Learning them before you begin will make it easier in the long run.
There are generally 24 frames in each second of animation. Film speed or intent of the animation (web animation, etc.) affects the frame rate. This information will be useful when you begin animating movement, because you can time out the action you wish to animate to see how many drawings you need to make.
Extremes are the first drawing made in a scene of animation. They are drawings of the most dramatic changes in movement. Lead animators usually do these extreme drawings and leave the ones in between to be done by the "inbetweeners".
Inbetweens are the drawings that go.... get this.... inbetween the extremes. When the extremes and betweens are viewed in one unified scene, the drawings seem to move. It is crucial that the inbetweens are well done because their quality affects the fluency of the animation.
 | Animators use a timing chart to help them pace scenes. The motion is mapped out before the animation begins. The amount of frames between each extreme is represented by a slash across a vertical line. If the placement of the slash is closer to the top, the drawing represented by it will more closely resemble the drawing preceding it. They scribble the timing chart in the right hand corner of their paper for quick reference.The following example shows the use of a timing chart, extremes and inbetweens of a character lowering his are slowly at first and then faster. Check out that awesome character design!
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An Exposure Sheet is used to help animators time out dialogue. The sheet is filled out showing the sounds that are being made during every frame of animation. By using the exposure sheet and watching themselves or actors speak the lines, animators are able to create the illusion of the speaking on their characters. It is very important that the characters mouths as well as the rest of their bodies mirrorthe look of an actual person speaking for the character to seem lifelike and believable.
Squash and Stretch is a basic principle of animated movement. Observing the way things squash or tretch when they move will make you a better animator. People's faces squash and stretch with their expressions and when they talk. Bodies of people and animals show this principle when they walk or run. Bouncing balls also squash and stretch (see exercises section for more details). The right balance of exaggeration of squash and stretch determines the cartooniness or verisimilitude of a movement. Warner Bors. animation and Saturday cartoons usually greatly exaggerate it, while Disney usually keeps it very subtle and natural (see Pocahontas for the best example).
