ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 20
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 20
(Or: When NOT Moving is More Powerful Than Moving)
⸻
🔥 WELCOME BACK TO ANIMATION ANARCHY – WHERE WE TEACH YOU TO DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (ON PURPOSE) 🔥
This is Animation Anarchy. The blog where we:
✅ Expose the biggest lies about movement.
✅ Teach you what actually matters.
✅ Make sure your animation doesn’t look like a hyperactive mess.
I wasted six figures on an art education, and now I’m giving it all away for free—because if I had to learn the hard way that animation isn’t about constant motion, you should at least benefit from my suffering.
🚨 SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs
(Unless you enjoy animating every single frame and making your life way harder for no reason.)
⸻
LESSON 20: THE POWER OF HOLD FRAMES – WHEN NOT MOVING IS MORE POWERFUL THAN MOVING
(Or: How to Stop Over-Animating Like a Lunatic.)
⸻
🎨 CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’VE DISCOVERED THE SECRET TO GREAT ANIMATION: DOING NOTHING.
Every beginner animator makes the same mistake:
🚨 THEY MOVE EVERYTHING, ALL THE TIME. 🚨
💀 EVERY frame has movement.
💀 Characters constantly twitch like they drank 12 espressos.
💀 Nothing ever settles, and the scene looks exhausting.
🚨 HERE’S THE SECRET: 🚨
✅ A character that STOPS moving at the right time has more power.
✅ Holding a pose with confidence is MORE impactful than endless fidgeting.
✅ Stillness builds tension, drama, and focus.
Welcome to hold frames—the thing that will save your animation (and your sanity).
⸻
🔥 WHY HOLD FRAMES ARE SECRETLY THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL IN ANIMATION
1️⃣ They make movement feel intentional.
• If everything moves constantly, nothing stands out.
• A well-placed hold makes action hit harder.
2️⃣ They give weight and realism.
• In real life, people hold still all the time.
• Movement should feel motivated, not mindless.
3️⃣ They control pacing and focus.
• Holding a frame tells the audience where to look.
• Breaking the stillness with a sudden movement = instant impact.
🚨 THE RESULT:
💀 No holds? Your animation looks like a jittery nightmare.
💀 Bad holds? Your scene feels frozen and unnatural.
💀 Perfect holds? Your animation has weight, timing, and impact.
⸻
🔥 THE THREE TYPES OF HOLD FRAMES (MASTER THESE OR YOUR ANIMATION WILL NEVER STOP MOVING)
⸻
🚨 1. ANTICIPATION HOLDS – BUILDING TENSION BEFORE ACTION
• Holding a pose right before a big action makes it feel stronger.
• Example: A character winds up for a punch and FREEZES for a few frames.
• The audience expects movement, so the pause builds suspense.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Pause before major action beats (punches, jumps, reactions).
✅ Let the audience FEEL the tension before impact.
✅ Use quick, small holds (3-5 frames) for maximum effect.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ Holding too long kills the momentum instead of building suspense.
⸻
🚨 2. POST-IMPACT HOLDS – MAKING ACTION FEEL POWERFUL
• Holding a character for a few frames AFTER impact makes hits feel stronger.
• Example: A boxer throws a punch and holds the follow-through for a split second.
• Without a hold, hits feel too soft.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Freeze the follow-through of big movements for a few frames.
✅ Let the weight settle before moving again.
✅ Works GREAT in action scenes!
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ If you don’t hold long enough, hits feel weak.
❌ If you hold TOO long, it looks like the character is frozen in time.
⸻
🚨 3. EMOTIONAL HOLDS – LETTING A MOMENT BREATHE
• Holding a character completely still during emotional moments adds depth.
• Example: A character hears devastating news and freezes in shock.
• The stillness forces the audience to focus on the emotion.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Freeze for dramatic pauses.
✅ Let the character absorb the moment before reacting.
✅ Use slow, subtle movements (eye shifts, breathing) to keep it alive.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A hold with ZERO movement makes the character look dead inside.
⸻
🔥 COMMON HOLD FRAME MISTAKES (AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
🚨 MISTAKE #1: “WHY DOES MY CHARACTER LOOK FROZEN?”
🛠️ FIX: Use micro-movements (blinking, breathing, slight shifts).
🚨 MISTAKE #2: “WHY DOES MY SCENE FEEL TOO STILL?”
🛠️ FIX: Balance stillness with contrast—use holds, but break them up with quick actions.
🚨 MISTAKE #3: “WHY DOESN’T MY ACTION FEEL POWERFUL?”
🛠️ FIX: Hold for a moment AFTER impact to let the force settle.
🚨 MISTAKE #4: “CAN YOU OVERUSE HOLD FRAMES?”
🛠️ FIX: Yes. Too many holds make the animation feel sluggish. Use them strategically!
⸻
🔥 HOW TO USE HOLD FRAMES WITHOUT RUINING YOUR ANIMATION
1️⃣ Use them for emphasis.
• Not every action needs a hold. Use them for dramatic moments.
2️⃣ Add micro-movements.
• A character should NEVER be 100% frozen. Even a small breath keeps it alive.
3️⃣ Contrast movement with stillness.
• Too much stillness = boring. Too much movement = chaotic. Balance is key.
🚨 THE SECRET: If you master hold frames, your animation will have more WEIGHT, IMPACT, and EMOTION than 90% of beginners. 🚨
⸻
🔥 FINAL THOUGHTS: HOLD FRAMES WILL CHANGE YOUR ANIMATION FOREVER
Here’s the truth:
🎨 If your animation NEVER stops moving, it’s exhausting to watch.
💀 If you use hold frames correctly, your animation feels intentional and powerful.
🚀 Once you learn this, you’ll wonder why you ever wasted time animating every frame.
And if all else fails, just pause a classic Disney movie and notice how often NOTHING is moving.
⸻
🚨 THE SOLUTION: JUST WATCH THIS SERIES INSTEAD.
I wasted six figures so you don’t have to.
🔥 Next lesson drops soon!
🔥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss it:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs👈
💀 COMING NEXT: Lesson 21 – Breaking Down Animation Styles: Why Disney, Anime, and Looney Tunes All Move Differently
💬 Drop a comment: What’s the worst over-animated scene you’ve ever created? 🎨💀😂
⸻
🚨 ANIMATION ANARCHY STARTS NOW. 🚨
🚀 The revolution will not be graded.
