Timing in animation is controlled by the number of frames between poses: more frames = slower, fewer = faster

In traditional animation, timing is the number of drawings between two key poses. More in-between drawings spread the transition over more frames, making it appear slower. Fewer in-betweens compress the transition, making it faster and crisper. Timing is the animator’s primary tool for communicating the physics of weight and material: a heavy object takes many frames to start and stop (lots of in-betweens), while a light fast object cuts between poses with few or none. In digital animation, timing corresponds to frame count between keyframes, duration of an easing function, or the period of a lerp. Fast cuts read as sudden, aggressive, or surprising; slow transitions read as heavy, lethargic, or graceful.

Examples

A bouncing heavy rock: 30 frames of squash on impact. A bouncing ping-pong ball: 3 frames. In CSS: transition: transform 0.05s (fast) vs transition: transform 1.2s (slow). The number, not the function shape, sets the perceived weight.

Assessment

Given two objects of very different apparent masses, describe the timing difference (frame counts) you would use for each when it hits the floor. Then explain how timing alone can suggest material properties without changing the object’s shape.