Overlapping Action

• Follow Through and Overlapping Action: The Animation Principle That Prevents Stiff Motion

  mardi 4 août 2026

  

  Follow through and overlapping action are two core principles from the 12 basic principles of animation, and they exist to prevent motion from looking stiff or mechanical. Introduced by Disney animators, both describe how parts of a body or object keep moving after and around the main action, instead of starting and stopping all at once.

  Stiff motion occurs when an object moves from one position to another at a constant speed and stops suddenly. In reality, body parts and objects slow down, overlap, and settle naturally rather than stopping instantly.

  This guide covers how follow-through and overlapping action make animation more natural and the physics behind it. We’ll also talk about body hierarchy, material timing, and how all these concepts can be observed in popular films.

  We’ll also be giving practical exercises for you, so you can master follow-through and overlapping action in your own work.

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