SBW - The art of Inbetweening: Timing Charts

This Stringbing Workshop episode is based on the most asked question of my inbox, how to understand the timing chart.

Understanding the timing chart is essential when in betweening your animation. Here's a video on it!

Today's episode features guest characters by Thahn Dang.
Check out his work:

MUSIC CREDITS
Youtube Audio Library
Highway Wild Flowers - Bird Creek
Happy Mandolin - Media Rights Production
Believer - Silent Partner
Chaos - Gunmar Olsen
Spark - ALBIS
Saint Patrick's Parade - Doug Maxwell; Media Right Productions

[paulgabel]

uugh animation artist are so underrated on youtube its criminal...

[KayGee_yt]

My professor: include a timing chart
Us: what's that
Him: a chart to show the timing
Us:
Him:
Us:
Him: okay due next thursday

[alphahere]

Could you do a video about maintaining Character proportions during animation?

[ProtagonistLover]

Makes sense to me.
In-betweens are verses, breakdowns are bridges, and keys are choruses.

[bubblegumbabeface]

I've never been too Animation school or ever had any professional training in any of this shit but im getting there on my own.

Slowly but surely im leveling up.

[WaalkR]

It's so hard to find animation schools in my country, so this kind of content being available online is really really helpful, and so well explained too. Thank you so much!

[YowLife]

Hm, I'm trying to understand this.
One thing I'm confused on is how the animator making the timing chart is supposed to know how many frames go between this keyframe and the next keyframe.
Is it just giving your best guess?

[jackaleope]

Man, timing charts have always been my worst nightmare. From deciding exactly which ones to use, to knowing just how many frames i'm actually going to need.. my question is, is it possible not to know exactly how many frames youre going to need for a specific action and need to change it up later? like, say, if you make two keys, can you temporarily label them as A and B until you are certain of just how many frames you need for the action? Or, should you just guess and stick within the confines of your guess?
I guess knowing how many frames an action might take comes with experience, but for those just starting out, would a letter system be better?
i think my biggest struggle is favoring, and knowing exactly what situations to use it in. I'd love to see more examples of types of actions that require their respective timing.
This video is really great and literally explains timing charts better than any of my instructors in animation school did. lmao. amazing. I'm gonna stay closely tuned and definitely look for those other videos you mentioned.

[teacoston]

You mean to tell me there's math in art *internal screaming*

When I draw fun mini animations or gifs, I always eyeballed it and re-edited when I felt it's needed, like lmao I neeeever knew there was a method! Thank you for this video, it certainly helps a lot.

[alexgade]

Good lord, how am i finding you just now?
I'm a frame by frame animator and my animation often looks wobbly or plays at weird speeds.
You're a godsend.

[lisabarnes]

“Congratulations you understand time charts now!”

No. No I don’t.... .__. *For the damaged Coda plays*

[chirodd]

i began watching because i wanna animate knowing it was hard and complicatedbut i didnt expect it to be this confusing, animators are severely underrated

[irismuddyhehe]

your videos make me wanna animate right away all the time ahahaha... soo good man!

[Tommy-qpbi]

Im teaching myself to animate instead of paying $30k a year for art school lol THANK YOU for this video!

[tiacuppe]

You have a really good narration voice

[mangimewhite]

Do you ever find yourself not using the chart because of how familiar you are with the timing?

I never use these charts mainly because I never really understood it (until now haha).
When I animate I kinda do the timing mentally and eyeballing it on screen as I inbetween my keys.

[peterbrown]

I have been working in animation for years and this is a great piece on timing charts. A few things I would do differently but as you say every animator has some variations to how they approach them. Great Work

[Ilovemahmochi]

Do you know how many times I’ve asked teachers and classmates to explain this and it went in one ear and out the other. You’re doing god’s work 😭

[Slipy]

This made all the difference for me. Before watching this my animations were fine, but now they straight up look professional, it's incredible!

[pokaay]

Crazy how man can come up with such complicated concepts.