Timing for Animation, 40th Anniversary Edition, 3rd Edition

Getting into and Out of Holds

The time it takes to reach a hold depends on the momentum of the object or character. A heavy man running takes several seconds to come to a stop, while someone leaning forward to listen simply slows into a stop. In some studios this is called “cushioning an action.”

Avoid having all parts of the figure coming to a stop at the same time. If a character jumps into a scene, for example, he might come in on an arc, squash, then recoil upward too far before coming to rest in the final pose. Even after his body has stopped it may be effective to have his arms continue for another few frames. If the character has any loose extremities, such as coat tails or feathers in his hat, these must take some time to stop. These ...