Directly contrast direct action against Anticipation using simple physical markers and a shared payoff.

No anticipation versus anticipation marker comparison The top row moves with no setup before the action. The bottom row pulls back before the action fires. NO ANTICIPATION ANTICIPATION

TIME 000% | NO ANTICIPATION IDLE | ANTICIPATION PULLS BACK

The top row fires straight at the payoff. The bottom row becomes readable by loading the action first.

Type
Toy note
Status
Active toy note
Published
2026-04-22
Canonical URL
https://shanecurry.com/lab/toys/anticipation-vs-staging-marker/
Related project
ChewGum Animation
Selected source
C2

Screen shows two identical setups: one moving straight toward the payoff and one loading a pullback before the release.

Tests C2 (Contrast) and C3 (Quantifiable contrast) using the simplest possible physical elements to prove the mechanism difference.

Entities

  • Shane Curry
  • ChewGum Animation

Related terms

Query targets

  • anticipation before action animation
  • anticipation before action toy
  • anticipation animation principle
  • what is anticipation in animation
  • anticipation vs direct action animation
SVG viewBox
400 x 150
Direct-action move
Starts at 18% of the timeline and reaches the payoff at 50%
Anticipation setup beat
First 30% of the timeline
Anticipation release
30% to 54% of the timeline
Marker positions
startX 118, backX 88, endX 333
Track rows
no-anticipation Y 34, anticipation Y 100
Marker size
12 px square, with anticipation squash/stretch during setup
Play duration
2500 ms per run
Easing functions
Cubic ease-out for payoff motion; cubic ease-in-out for pullback setup
  • Anticipation is one of the Twelve Principles of Animation described by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston in The Illusion of Life.
  • Cross-link: the Timing vs. Spacing toy isolates a different axis of motion readability — duration vs. distribution.
  • Implementation note: this toy is implemented inline on this page with SVG markers, a timeline slider, and cubic easing functions. No separate public repo exists yet.

ChewGum Animation

Shane Curry, "Anticipation Before Action," https://shanecurry.com/lab/toys/anticipation-vs-staging-marker/, staged 2026-04-22.

The top row is a blunt direct-move baseline. The bottom row loads the action before the payoff so the read becomes legible. Same payoff, different intelligibility — that is what anticipation buys.