Anticipation Mastery

This teaches Claude the animation principle of anticipation: every significant action needs a counter-movement first. It's loaded with practical timing formulas (anticipation should be 30-50% of the main action duration, anything over 200ms needs it) and maps the concept across UI design, character animation, and game mechanics. The source draws from Disney animation theory but translates it into concrete rules like "brief anticipation for small actions, extended for major moments" and "bigger wind-up means faster following action can still read clearly." Use it when you need Claude to design interactions that feel intentional rather than jarring. The implementation heuristic alone makes it worth having around.

skills.sh installs: 575
GitHub stars: 146
last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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$ npx -y skills add dylantarre/animation-principles --skill anticipation-mastery --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

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Anticipation Mastery

The Setup Principle

Anticipation prepares the audience for action. Discovered through theatrical observation, Disney animators found that without a preparatory movement, actions appeared to happen "out of nowhere"—confusing rather than exciting. The principle: before any significant action, there must be a counter-movement.

Core Theory

Newton's Third Law, Visualized: Physical actions require preparation. A pitcher winds up before throwing. A cat crouches before pouncing. Anticipation makes this mechanical necessity visible and dramatic.

Attention Direction: Anticipation tells viewers where to look and what to expect. It transforms surprise into suspense—a more engaging emotional state.

The Three Functions

Physical preparation: The body must coil to spring (jumping, throwing, punching)
Mental preparation: The audience needs time to register incoming action
Emotional preparation: Building tension before release amplifies impact