After learnign the basic 12 principles of animation, the first bouncing ball animation could be started.

Observation and Summary

The most effective approach to learning is to begin with empirical references from real-life observations.

By analyzing the rebound behavior of balls made from different materials in video references, one can draw significant conclusions of elevant principles from the 12 principles of animation to this animation exercise..

• Squash and Stretch
  Undoubtedly, an elastic ball will exhibit this physical characteristic, emphasizing its deformation upon impact and return to its original shape, which conveys weight and flexibility.
  
• Straight Ahead and Pose to Pose
  In this context, the pose-to-pose approach is utilized, as the movement of the ball is highly controllable and predictable. This method ensures a consistent trajectory and helps plan key poses effectively.
  
• Slow In and Slow Out
  This principle is present in most animations, except for purely mechanical movements. The ball accelerates and decelerates gradually, creating a more natural effect as it moves.
  
• Arc
  It is evident that the ball in the video follows an arc trajectory, which aligns with the natural movement of most objects under the influence of gravity.
  
• Timing
  At different stages of the ball’s movement, frame allocation needs to be adjusted, and thanks to the principles of slow in and slow out, this allocation is not uniform. This variability in timing is one of the key elements that contribute to a more dynamic and lifelike animation.
  
• Exaggeration
  The exaggeration of the ball’s deformation might not be entirely consistent with real-world physics, but appropriate exaggeration enhances the audience’s perception and emotional engagement with the animation.

To sum up,

A bouncing ball including three Stages in every single unit of the whole process, every stage is a key pose in pose-to-pose, the highest place, hitting the ground and the ‘highest’ place again.

In the process, the squash happened in different degree which depend on the material of the ball.

In every key pose, the velocity of the ball is 0, and it makes a big different between two key poses. The change of the velocity in this process follows ‘slow in and slow out’, except the time of hitting the ground. It became at the moment of hitting.

Planning

After observation and analysis, it is essential to develop a plan for the animation based on the observed patterns.

Animating

In this process, I ultimately created the animation by observations.