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AVC 287 • Spring 2026

Week 3

Animation Principles: Anticipation and Squash & Animation Fundamentals and Squash Stretch
February 02 – 4, 2026
← Week 2 Week 4 →

Week Overview

Monday covers this lecture covered fundamental animation principles focusing on anticipation and squash-and-stretch techniques. Students learned to implement these principles in Blender through practical exercises including sphere bouncing, hammer swinging, and pendulum physics animations. Wednesday focuses on this lecture covered student project feedback and animation best practices, followed by hands-on instruction in squash and stretch principles through bouncing ball animation exercises. Students learned rigging techniques, timing principles, and professional workflow optimization.

anticipation squash stretch blender animation timing graph editor physics motion principles bouncing ball rigging setup animation timing student feedback workflow optimization topology
Monday
February 02, 2026

Animation Principles: Anticipation and Squash

This lecture covered fundamental animation principles focusing on anticipation and squash-and-stretch techniques. Students learned to implement these principles in Blender through practical exercises including sphere bouncing, hammer swinging, and pendulum physics animations.

Watch Full Lecture →
1
Course Introduction
0:00 Introduction and Setup
1:11 Live Stream Audio Check
2:05 Discord Feedback Review
2
Anticipation Fundamentals
2:41 Motion Design Principles Overview
2:45 Anticipation Fundamentals
4:07 Gradations of Anticipation
4:37 Blender Setup and Sphere Creation
6:04 Basic Anticipation Animation
7:05 Graph Editor and Bezier Handles
9:00 Insert Keyframe Techniques
11:00 Simple Anticipation Example
13:53 Windup Anticipation Setup
18:08 Motion Blur Settings
20:20 Comparing Anticipation Levels
3
Advanced Anticipation Techniques
22:56 Frame-by-Frame Animation Concepts
25:08 Visual Design Principles
27:17 Multi-Dimensional Anticipation Setup
28:31 Origin Point Adjustment
30:20 Rotation and Position Keyframing
34:02 Timing Relationship Adjustments
41:01 Rotation Anticipation Physics
44:21 Hammer Swing Animation
49:11 Normalize Graph Editor
49:41 Hammer Setup and Materials
54:46 Pendulum Physics Animation
57:41 Swing Timing Adjustments
1:04:08 Full Rotation Hammer Animation
1:17:39 Rotation Direction Concepts
1:19:10 Squash and Stretch Introduction
4
Squash and Stretch Principles
1:22:55 Origin Point for Squash Animation
1:25:01 Isometric Camera Setup
1:26:40 Material and Lighting Setup
1:30:23 Basic Bounce Animation
1:36:02 Squash and Stretch Continuum
1:38:02 Volume Preservation Principles
1:44:21 Exaggerated Squash Animation
1:52:22 Ground Contact Timing
1:57:19 Physics to Cartoon Labels
1:59:31 Anticipation in Scale
2:04:28 Jiggle Animation Techniques
2:11:16 Advanced Wobble Effects
2:14:41 Squash and Stretch Summary
2:16:36 Lecture Search Tool Demo
5
Course Resources

Key Concepts

  • Anticipation creates believable motion by showing preparation before the main action
  • Gradations of anticipation range from subtle to exaggerated based on animation style needs
  • Graph Editor bezier handles control the smoothness and timing of keyframe transitions
  • Multi-dimensional anticipation combines rotation, position, and scale changes for complex motion
  • Squash and stretch adds life to animations while maintaining volume conservation principles
  • Timing relationships between different animation elements create realistic physics-based motion
  • Origin point placement is crucial for proper rotation and scaling animations
  • Frame-by-frame analysis helps understand the physics behind animated movements
  • Exaggerated squash and stretch can create cartoon-style effects while maintaining believability
Wednesday
February 04, 2026

Animation Fundamentals and Squash Stretch

This lecture covered student project feedback and animation best practices, followed by hands-on instruction in squash and stretch principles through bouncing ball animation exercises. Students learned rigging techniques, timing principles, and professional workflow optimization.

Watch Full Lecture →
1
Setup and Feedback
0:00 Introduction and Technical Setup
2:58 Student Feedback: Hammer Animation Projects
8:28 Blender Interface Tips and Add-ons
17:36 Student Feedback: Graph Editor Best Practices
25:36 Student Feedback: Animation Timing Issues
36:00 Student Feedback: File Management Discussion
49:26 Student Feedback: Professional Presentation Tips
57:08 Student Feedback: Laptop Performance Optimization
1:02:08 Student Feedback: Revision Process Overview
2
Squash and Stretch Fundamentals
1:25:36 Squash and Stretch Introduction
1:26:03 Creating Quad Topology Spheres
1:30:01 Invisible Box Rigging Technique
1:34:38 Parent-Child Hierarchy Setup
1:41:05 Bouncing Ball Animation Blockout
1:50:03 Rolling Animation Implementation
1:54:24 Squash and Stretch Application
3
Advanced Animation Techniques
2:02:42 Advanced Timing and Ground Contact
2:07:50 Multiple Ball System Creation
2:11:16 Wrap-up and Assignment Overview

Key Concepts

  • Squash and stretch is a fundamental animation principle that adds life and weight to objects
  • Proper quad topology is essential for clean deformation in animated objects
  • Invisible box rigging provides better control over squash and stretch animations
  • Parent-child hierarchy setup is crucial for maintaining proper object relationships
  • Animation blockout should establish timing and spacing before adding detail
  • Ground contact timing is critical for believable bouncing ball animations
  • Professional file management and revision processes improve workflow efficiency
  • Performance optimization techniques are essential when working on complex animation projects
  • Multiple object systems require careful planning and organization