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Blocking: ANIMATION PRINCIPLES PART 2

OVERLAPPING ACTION

Overlapping action is essentially breaking up a series of actions so that actions happen sequentially and can overlap each other, but they do not have the same start or end time. This shot from Carrotblanca is a great example of overlapping action. Let’s break down the overlapping actions and how they happen sequentially:

  • First Bugs raises up,

  • His left hand settles on the platform,

  • His head comes foward,

  • The gavel and screen right sleeve come next,

  • Bug’s wig settles,

  • and Bug’s head moves up


In the example below from Everything I Have is Yours, notice how the final camera movement lags behind Marge Champion when she jumps into Gower’s arms. The sequence is:
• Marge jumps into Gower’s arms

• The camera pans up/tilts up


So, how can using overlapping action for camera movement be useful?

In The Raid 2, the action and camera are not always in lock-step. The actor’s movements and camera movements overlap sequentially to make the overall action feel snappier/elastic. This can make the action feel faster because the camera cannot keep up with due to intentional camera drag.

In the shot below, the camera movement drags behind the foot stomp’s contact with the ground. And is made more impactful with camera shake at the end to feel like the foot stomp shook the floor.

In the next shot, the camera lags behind the actors when the knife arrives in its final position.

In this example, the camera lags behind the elbow strike:

The same snappy camera overlap is found in the following shot from Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse as the camera lags behind Peter being swept out of frame:

FOLLOW-THROUGH


Follow-through is keeping the momentum and weight of the action performed when it comes to a stop. Follow-through is featured throughout the shot below, but let’s focus on a particular moment: look at Marge’s dress as it settles after she jumps into Gower’s arms. That dress drags behind her as she jumps, and the end movement as it settles is the follow-through from the jump.


Follow-through can also be found in camera movement. Notice how the camera settles at the end of the tracking movement. Look at the edge screen right as the camera settles.


Another camera settling follow-trough at the end of a pan. Notice the bottom of the screen left corner:

An example from Star Wars: Galaxy of Adventures:

In Will.I.Am “Boys and Girls“, follow-through is shown at the end of the whip pan:

Lastly in this shot from The Raid 2, there is anticipation with a tilt up, overlap drag behind the actor falling, and exaggerated follow-through with a camera shake after the tilt-down: