Character Animation Starter Kit: Timing, Spacing, and Ease Without Over-Complication

Timing vs. Spacing: The Two Dials That Make Motion Read

When motion feels “right,” it’s usually because two things are working together: timing (when something happens) and spacing (how far it moves between frames). You can keep the same start and end poses and completely change the performance by changing only timing and spacing.

• Timing = number of frames between key events (start, change of direction, stop). More frames feels slower; fewer frames feels faster.
• Spacing = distribution of positions between those events. Even spacing reads as constant speed; uneven spacing reads as acceleration/deceleration.

Animator-friendly test: pick any moving control (head, hand, wrist). Keep the same two keys (A and B). Duplicate the shot three times and change only the in-betweens: (1) even spacing, (2) slow in/out, (3) sudden stop. You’ll “feel” timing and spacing as separate controls.

(1) Timing Charts (Conceptually): Slow In/Out, Constant Speed, Sudden Stops

You don’t need to draw traditional timing charts to use the idea. Think of a timing chart as a map of spacing density between two keys.

Constant Speed (Even Spacing)

Even spacing means the object travels the same distance each frame. If you plotted positions, they’d be evenly distributed.

Use it for: conveyor-like motion, deliberate robotic moves, or when you want the audience to focus on something else and not “feel” acceleration.

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Slow In / Slow Out (Ease In/Out)

Slow out = starts with small gaps then larger gaps (accelerating). Slow in = ends with large gaps then small gaps (decelerating). Combined, it’s the classic “ease in/out.”

Practical test: in stepped mode, set keys at frame 1 and frame 13. Now decide: do you want it to feel like it “pushes off” (slow out) or “arrives carefully” (slow in)? You can keep the same 12-frame timing and change only the spacing distribution to get different intent.

Sudden Stops (Hard Ease / Hit)

A sudden stop is not “more keys,” it’s a spacing decision: big gaps leading into the stop, then an immediate near-zero gap at the stop frame. This reads as impact, surprise, or a sharp decision.

• Hard stop: large spacing right before the stop, then almost no spacing after.
• Soft stop: gradually shrinking spacing into the stop (classic slow in).

Animator-friendly check: scrub the timeline and watch only the last 3–4 frames before the stop. If the spacing collapses too early, the stop feels mushy. If it collapses too late (or not at all), it feels like it slides.

(2) Spacing Patterns That Suggest Weight: Floaty vs. Heavy

Weight is often communicated less by pose and more by how spacing behaves under acceleration and deceleration. Two motions can have identical timing (same frame count) but different perceived mass.

Floaty Spacing

• More even spacing overall (less dramatic acceleration).
• Longer, gentler ease in/out (spacing changes slowly).
• Stops rarely “hit”; they drift into place.

What it reads as: light, airy, low resistance. Common mistake: everything becomes floaty because spacing never commits to a decisive stop.

Heavy Spacing

• Acceleration feels delayed, then commits (small gaps early, then quickly larger gaps).
• Deceleration is shorter and more abrupt (spacing collapses closer to the stop).
• Direction changes show a clearer “hang” or “catch” moment (a brief reduction in spacing at the turn).

What it reads as: mass, effort, friction, inertia. Common mistake: making it heavy by adding more frames everywhere (slower), instead of shaping spacing (more forceful).

Quick Diagnostic: The “3-Frame Weight Check”

Pick the fastest part of the move (usually mid-arc). Compare spacing across three consecutive frames:

• If the gaps are similar: reads lighter/floatier or mechanical.
• If the middle gap is noticeably larger: reads like a push/throw (more force).
• If the gaps shrink suddenly near the end: reads like a catch/impact (heavier stop).

(3) Posing on “Clear Frames” for Readability

Even without revisiting pose design fundamentals, you can improve readability by choosing clear frames: frames where the audience can understand the action because motion is not smearing the idea.

What Counts as a Clear Frame?

• A frame near the start of motion (intent is readable).
• A frame at the change of direction (the decision point).
• A frame at the stop (the result is readable).

Clear frames are often supported by spacing: you create clarity by reducing spacing around those frames so the viewer has time to register them.

Practical Method: Mark Your Read Frames

1. Identify the three events: start, turn (if any), stop.
2. Place a key on each event (even in stepped mode).
3. Allocate frames so at least one of those events has a tiny “hold” (1–3 frames) via reduced spacing, not necessarily a literal hold.

Tip: a “hold” can be created by making two consecutive frames very close in position (micro-spacing), which reads as a moment of thought without freezing the character.

(4) Fixing Pops by Adjusting Spacing (Not Adding Keys)

A pop often happens when spacing changes too abruptly between frames—especially near a stop, a direction change, or when a control crosses a sensitive angle (like a head yaw passing front).

Common Pop Patterns

• Acceleration pop: the motion goes from tiny spacing to huge spacing in one step.
• Deceleration pop: the motion goes from huge spacing to almost zero too suddenly.
• Direction-change pop: the spacing doesn’t “flatten” at the turn, so the reversal feels like a snap.

Spacing-First Fix Workflow

1. Do not add a key yet. First, identify the two frames where it pops (A → B).
2. Check the spacing jump. In stepped mode, the pop is often a single big positional leap.
3. Redistribute spacing by moving existing keys. Slide the timing of the in-between keys (or breakdown) so the spacing change becomes gradual.
4. Adjust ease shape conceptually. Decide: should it be constant, slow in/out, or a hit? Then make spacing match that choice.
5. Only if needed, add one breakdown key to define the arc or the turn—then re-check spacing consistency.

Rule of thumb: if you fix a pop by adding many keys, you often hide the symptom while keeping the spacing problem. If you fix spacing, you solve the cause.

Micro-Spacing Trick for Stops

If a stop feels like it snaps, try this before adding keys:

• Keep the stop key where it is.
• Move the previous key 1–2 frames earlier or later to change the last gap size.
• Aim for a last spacing that is small but not zero (unless you want a hard hit).

(5) Exercises (Stepped Mode): Head Turn and Hand Gesture with Spacing Consistency

These exercises are designed to isolate timing/spacing decisions. Work in stepped mode so you can judge spacing without interpolation hiding issues. You’re training your eye to place events and distribute spacing intentionally.

Exercise A: Simple Head Turn (3 Events, 1 Intent)

Goal: make a head turn read as either light/curious or heavy/decisive using the same start/end angles.

1. Setup: Choose a neutral head orientation at frame 1. Set the final head orientation at frame 17 (same pose target for all versions).
2. Define clear frames: Add an event key at frame 9 for the “passing front” moment (or the moment you want the audience to read the decision).
3. Version 1 (constant speed): Place the frame 9 key so the head is roughly halfway rotated. Spacing from 1→9 and 9→17 should feel even (similar angular change per frame).
4. Version 2 (slow out, slow in): At frame 9, rotate the head slightly less than halfway (so early spacing is smaller). Then make the later spacing shrink into frame 17 (so it settles).
5. Version 3 (decisive hit): Keep early spacing small (anticipation feel), then make a larger spacing jump around frames 10–14, and collapse spacing sharply into frame 17.
6. Check: Scrub frames 7–11 and 14–17. If you feel a snap, adjust the distribution by sliding frame 9 or changing its rotation amount—avoid adding extra keys.

Spacing consistency test: pick any 4 consecutive frames in the middle of the move. Ask: do the angular increments match the intent (even, gradually changing, or hit)? If not, adjust the frame 9 breakdown.

Exercise B: Hand Gesture (Point or Present) with Controlled Spacing

Goal: create a readable gesture where the hand travels, then “lands” on a clear frame without floaty drift.

1. Setup: In stepped mode, set hand start at frame 1 (rest). Set the gesture end at frame 21 (the final presented position).
2. Event keys: Add a key at frame 11 for the gesture’s “idea moment” (the hand is clearly on its way, direction established). Add a key at frame 18 for the “landing” moment (almost there, preparing to stop).
3. Plan spacing (choose one):
   • Light gesture: more even spacing from 1→11, then a longer slow in from 11→21 (spacing gradually shrinks).
   • Firm gesture: small spacing early (1→11), then larger spacing mid (11→18), then a short, sharp slow in (18→21) to land decisively.
4. Consistency pass: Ensure the spacing doesn’t randomly change. If frame 18 is too close to frame 21, it may look like it stalls; if it’s too far, it may pop into the stop.
5. Pop fix rule: If you see a snap near the end, first slide frame 18 by 1–2 frames or adjust its position to reshape the last two gaps. Only add a breakdown if the path/arc is unclear.

Optional measurement trick: if your software allows, use a motion trail/ghosting display for the hand. You’re not judging the curve yet—you’re judging spacing density (clusters vs. gaps) and whether it matches your chosen weight.