FINDING MOTION IN THE FRAMES: SMOOTH MOVES OF FOLLOW-THROUGH, OVERLAPPING ACTION, ARCS AND SLOW IN-SLOW OUT IN ANIMATED SCENES



While bold designs and stylized motion catch the eye, what makes animation truly believable is often invisible. 

It's all in the subtle mechanics of how things move, how they slow, bend, react, and settle.

The animation principles of Follow-Through & Overlapping Action, Arcs, and Slow In and Slow Out aren’t flashy. They're not always the first things a viewer notices. But they are foundational to making animation feel grounded, immersive, and emotionally honest.

These are the principles that make animation breathe.

Follow-Through & Overlapping Action: The Movement Goes on

In life, nothing stops on a dime. Limbs, clothing, hair, even emotions, they all carry residual energy after the primary motion ends. This is where follow-through and overlapping action come in.

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, these principles are on full display. Each bending style incorporates layered motion, such as, the arms sweeping during a walk, the shoulders follow, the torso adjusts, and clothing flows with delayed reactions. When a character lands after a leap, their body continues to react to the impact, and a ripple effect of energy through the limbs and frame occurs.

These overlapping layers of motion make the world feel responsive and physical. They also make characters feel present. Not just moving through the world, but belonging in it.

And it's not just physical objects. Follow-through can be emotional, too. A moment of hesitation after a heavy revelation. A slow collapse after rage. Animation that reacts after the key pose is what gives actions emotional texture.

Arcs: Natural Motion and Natural Emotion

Very few things in nature move in straight lines. Human motion, animal motion, even falling objects tend to follow curved paths. Arcs provide a sense of organic, lifelike flow. A kind of visual honesty that our eyes instinctively trust.

In Klaus (2019), arcs are everywhere. The way Jesper walks, gestures, or even shifts his weight from foot to foot, is all subtly curved. There’s elegance and ease in the movement, which helps anchor the exaggerated expressions in believable, graceful physics.

Even comedic characters obey arcs. The way Jesper tumbles down a hill or swings his arms in panic has just enough realism in the motion path to feel emotionally grounded. You laugh because it feels possible.

Below is a video by SPA Studios, who were responsible the production of Klaus, talk about how they created the character Jesper.

https://youtu.be/K9mrxFQStAk?si=C0cIhpqaAVyHbIMZ

Arcs give emotion a direction. A fearful look isn’t just a glance, it curves away. A joyful leap arcs up, then slows as it reaches its peak. Arcs help animators map out emotional beats that feel as natural as physical ones.

Slow In and Slow Out: The Rhythm of Real Life

This principle is about easing into and out of motion, which often starts gradually, peaking, and then slowing again. It mirrors how objects and people move with acceleration and deceleration.

In Arcane, slow in and out is used masterfully to control emotional pacing. When characters move with tension, their gestures are restrained and eased into. In emotional moments, like Vi embracing Powder or Jinx unraveling in silence, movements don’t just play, they breathe. A hand trembles slowly before reaching out. A punch builds over several frames before impact. These timing decisions create intimacy and intensity.

Below are some scenes from Arcane. Drop your view in the comments on which ones have slow in and slow out.

https://youtu.be/tHfiXfk8Cgo?si=so3CzBcb7ke2Tpqo

Without slow in/out, actions would feel robotic or floaty. With it, animation gains weight, rhythm, and intention.

It’s the difference between a stiff puppet and a living character.

Building Immersive Worlds Through Motion

What ties these principles together is the idea that motion doesn’t exist in isolation. It’s also affected by gravity, emotion, memory, and resistance. Believable animation mimics this by layering movement with subtle cues.

  • A sword doesn’t just swing, but it carries the weight of the arm and the delay of cloth trailing behind.
  • A sigh isn’t just an exhale, it’s a curve of the shoulders, a delayed drop in posture, a pause before returning to neutral.
  • A step forward includes everything from toe roll to shoulder shift, and the easing in/out that suggests a real effort or mood.

These aren't just flourishes, they’re emotional truths expressed through motion.

Why This Matters for Storytelling

Animation doesn’t have to be realistic to feel real, but it does have to be believable. And believability isn’t just physics. 

It’s rhythm. It’s reaction. It’s the subtle signs that a character’s body and their world, respond the way we expect life to.

These principles:

  • Make fantasy feel tactile
  • Make emotional moments linger
  • Let animated characters occupy space with truth and texture

In a story, this means deeper audience investment. If the world moves like it matters, the stakes feel real.

Let’s Talk:

What’s the most believable movement you’ve seen in animation and what made it work?
Have you ever been pulled into a scene just because of how weight, arc, or follow-through was handled?

Drop examples, share thoughts, or tag clips that made you go, “That felt real.” 

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