Timing and Spacing

From Anipedia

[edit] Timing

Timing is where animated objects or characters move and hit a certain area at a certain time, like musical beats. Timing helps to keep the chaos of animating under control.

[edit] Spacing

Spacing is where animated objects are placed in relation to one another. It's a key concept behind such techniques as easing in or out. When animated, the more space between two drawings, of the previous or next frames (on the stage, not in the timeline), the faster it seems to move. The closer the drawings are to previous ones, the slower it'll appear to move. Spacing also helps to make moving objects seem more three dimensional and avoids flatness. For example, a telephone pole moving past a person in the driver's seat pint of view would see the pole far away, moving slowly.... and then faster as it gets closer until whoosh it darts past right next to the driver. It's spacing in action, the movement favors to stick closer to the preceding drawing while also moving away from it, but avoiding the middle ground, or even spacing, which would result in a terribly flat and dull animation indeed.