Advanced Animation - Project 2: Jump Animation

11/06/2025 - 25/06/2025 / Week 8 - Week 10

Wang Yifan / 0368363

Advanced Animation / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / 

Taylors University

Project 2: Jump Animation

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INTRODUCTION

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Project 2: Normal & Cartoon Jump Animation

This project challenged us to create two jump animations with opposite styles using the same character rig: one realistic (Normal Jump) and one highly stylized (Cartoon Jump). It was a great opportunity to explore motion principles such as anticipation, squash and stretch, and timing in different contexts.

I started by researching how real people jump, breaking it down into six stages: neutral, anticipation, push off, in-air, contact, and recovery. Then, I applied these stages to both the normal and cartoon jumps with different animation choices and timing.

Jump key poses from The Animator's Survival Kit
Source: https://natashawalshblog.wordpress.com/2016/01/04/body-mechanics/

Normal Jump Animation

To complete the Normal Jump, I referenced a real jump video and extracted six key stages: preparation, preparation, take-off, air, landing, and recovery. The following is a key frame analysis:

Normal Jump

Normal Jump Attempt

After completing the first version of my Normal Jump animation, I received the following feedback from my lecturer:

The distance between the feet should remain consistent throughout the jump.When the hands are raised, the thighs and calves should not stretch unnaturally.When the hands come down, the hips can be slightly tilted upwards for better posture flow.

I revised my animation accordingly, focusing on the following key frames:

In the initial standing pose, I carefully adjusted the feet position to ensure the spacing stays stable and unchanged during the entire jump. This solves the sliding foot issue.

Modify screenshot

At the moment when the hands are fully raised, I refined the thigh and calf proportions to avoid unrealistic stretching. The leg structure now looks more natural and anatomically correct.

Modify screenshot

During the anticipation phase, I added a slight hip tilt upwards, just as suggested. This subtle adjustment helps enhance body mechanics and makes the crouch more dynamic and stylized.

Modify screenshot

Normal Jump

Cartoon Jump Animation

Compared to Normal Jump, I emphasized the exaggeration of the movements and the change of rhythm in Cartoon Jump, making the overall style more cartoon-like. In this jump, I particularly emphasized squash & stretch, pose clarity and clear rhythm (Spacing), and made the whole jump more cartoon-like by deliberately lengthening and compressing the movements.

Cartoon Jump

Cartoon Jump Attempt

After receiving feedback that the previous cartoon jump lacked exaggeration and looked too similar to a normal jump, I referenced a reference video of an exaggerated cartoon jump and re-animated it from scratch.

reference 

In the anticipation stage, I pushed the body into an extreme crouch to build energy. The character bends the knees deeply, leans forward, and swings both arms backward. I made sure the pelvis goes low, and the spine curves to prepare for the dramatic stretch that follows.

Anticipation Pose

The push-off moment exaggerates the upward motion. Arms go straight up, the torso stretches vertically, and the legs straighten powerfully. I adjusted the spacing in the graph editor to accelerate the motion upward quickly.

Push-Off and Stretch

At the top of the jump, I added a cartoon-like airborne moment with a slight hang time. The back arches, feet curl slightly inward, and the chest is puffed up. This gives the animation a playful and exaggerated style.

Mid-Air Arc

Instead of a smooth landing, I added a cartoony overshoot. The hips remain high while the hands and feet reach down first. I delayed the hip’s downward movement a few frames to enhance this drag.

Landing Preparation with Overshoot

After the landing, I let the character bounce slightly and settle into a squashed pose. The knees are bent again, arms relax downward, and the body stabilizes. This helps the motion feel complete.

Squash and Balance

Cartoon Jump

Final Project 2:

Final Jump Animation (Compilation)

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FEEDBACK:

Normal Jump,my lecturer pointed out that the feet should remain in place throughout the jump, as sliding breaks realism. I was also advised to fix the leg proportions when the arms are raised, avoiding any unnatural stretching. Additionally, adding a slight hip lift when the arms go down would help improve the body’s flow.

Cartoon Jump, the feedback was that it looked too similar to the normal version and lacked exaggeration. I was encouraged to push the poses further by using more anticipation, squash and stretch, and stylized arcs. Based on this, I revised the entire animation using a cartoon reference and focused on more expressive timing and movement.

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REFLECTION

Experiences

This project helped me understand the clear differences between realistic and exaggerated animation styles. Animating both the normal and cartoon jumps challenged me to study physical movement and timing more closely. The biggest turning point was after receiving feedback — especially for the cartoon jump — which made me realize how much I still needed to push exaggeration and body dynamics to match a cartoony style. Rebuilding the cartoon jump from scratch using video references taught me the value of iteration and being open to major changes.

Observations

I noticed that even small details like foot placement, leg proportion, and hip movement can make a huge difference in how believable or stylized an animation feels. In the normal jump, realistic timing and grounded poses were key. In contrast, the cartoon jump relied heavily on anticipation, squash & stretch, and overshoot to create a fun, exaggerated effect. I also observed that exaggeration doesn’t mean random motion—it still needs strong structure and clear arcs to look intentional.

Findings

Through this project, I learned that stylization in animation requires just as much planning and structure as realism. I also found that working in pose-to-pose helped me better control the exaggeration and clarity of each motion. Most importantly, feedback and references were essential to improving my work. The final result is a stronger contrast between the two styles and a deeper understanding of character movement.