Before we open After Effects and start pushing pixels, we need to understand the physics of motion. The software is just a tool; these principles are the rules.
These principles were adapted from classic Disney animation fundamentals (the "12 Principles") to fit modern Motion Design. We use them to make logos, UI, and text feel "alive." If you try to animate without understanding them, your work will feel robotic.
The Classic: The Illusion of Life by Cento Lodigiani. The best overview of animation physics.
JR Canest visualized these principles specifically for Motion Graphics.
Watch on VimeoTiming is how long an action takes. Spacing is the distance between frames. Together, they create Rhythm.
Uniform spacing feels mechanical. Varied spacing creates personality and "groove."
The acceleration (Ease Out) and deceleration (Ease In) of movement.
Real objects rarely stop instantly. Easing makes motion feel organic rather than linear.
Giving objects a sense of physical substance (Inertia).
A bowling ball stops differently than a ping pong ball. You must tell the viewer how "heavy" the object is.
A preparatory movement before the main action (e.g., winding up a pitch).
It builds energy and clues the viewer in on what is about to happen.
Natural movement usually follows a curved path, not a straight line.
Straight lines feel digital and stiff. Arcs make movement feel fluid and high-end.
Deforming an object to show flexibility (Squash/Stretch) or extreme speed (Smears/Blur).
Shows impact or acceleration without needing realistic motion blur.
When the main body stops, "loose" parts keep moving. Parts move at different rates (Overlapping).
Prevents everything from stopping abruptly at once, which looks robotic.
Pushing reality further for emphasis or style.
"Real" physics can look boring on a small screen. We exaggerate bounces and speed to make the motion "read" clearly.
Smaller movements that support the main action (e.g., swaying trees in the background).
Adds texture and detail without distracting from the primary movement.
The quality of the design itself.
Good motion cannot save a bad design. Composition and typography must be solid before you set a keyframe.
The Early Quest for Motion: Cave paintings in Lascaux (France) and Altamira (Spain) depicted animals with multiple legs to suggest movement. Ancient Egyptians and Greeks implied motion in wall decoration and vessel painting.
Persistence of Vision: The fundamental principle that makes animation possible. The eye retains an image for a fraction of a second after it disappears, blending a rapid succession of stills into a continuous picture.
Projected hand-painted or photographic glass slides using fire/gas light.
A paper disc on strings. Twirling merges images on front and back. Popularized by Dr. John A. Paris.
Invented by Joseph Plateau. Two discs on a spindle viewed through a mirror.
The "Wheel of Life" by William George Horner. A cylinder with slots -- no mirror required.
Invented by Emile Reynaud. Improved the Zoetrope using mirrors on an inner cylinder.
Demonstration of 19th Century Optical Toys
Winsor McCay's "Gertie the Dinosaur" (1914)
Artists rejected classical representation for "Pure Cinema," motivated by art rather than commercial gain.
Fernand Leger's "Ballet Mechanique" (1923)
John Whitney's "Catalogue"
Saul Bass title sequences
Kyle Cooper's Se7en (1995)
Harry Marks (ABC/CBS) is considered the father of broadcast motion graphics. He hired Douglas Trumbull (SFX from 2001: A Space Odyssey) to use the Slit Scan camera technique for the ABC Movie of the Week intro. This "moving logo" concept revolutionized TV branding.