12 Principles of Animation
3. Staging
The 12 principles of animation are guidelines created by ex-Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. They were made to teach animators how to create lifelike characters. This post will explain one principle.
Staging is something that seems simple but can be extremely effective. In the most basic sense, staging is just where things are on the screen. This principle determines where your characters are, where objects are positioned, what the camera is looking at, and what positions things move to.
If the camera is focused on a door, you know that it’s an important door. If a character is looking right, the frame should have some extra space on that side to show what they’re looking at. This is a technique that’s used not just in animation, but in film and plays. It’s a vital principle for visual storytelling.
