How Do You Mix Snappy Animations with Non-snappy, Realistic Actions?

I would like to know about how to mix snappy animations with non-snappy, realistic actions. How do you time out when to put snappy actions and when not to?

You should use snappy animation as a contrast to more realistic animation to keep movement and timing interesting... thus keeping your audience engaged in what you are doing.

Be careful, you can go too far..... you don't want to destroy the sense of realism say in a creature because you push the snappy aspects of its motion too far.

Make sure you maintain a sense of weight and watch your spacing so it doesn't get so your individual frames don't start strobing on you.

Try putting snappier actions where greater forces or impacts happen... Also use them to show a light fleeting character, say a squirrel or sparrow....

Remember how your character moves says a lot about there physical as well as mental states.

Guest blogger David Breaux