videobeaux/docs/programs/effects/bad_animation.md

bad_animation

Description

Applies a “bad animation” effect to the input video — producing jittery, uneven, low-frame-feeling, or intentionally crude animated motion.
This effect simulates broken or poorly interpolated animation, often seen in retro cartoons, limited-animation TV shows, or stylized glitch art.

Purpose

bad_animation is designed for artists who want to:

• degrade motion intentionally,
• create choppy, low-fidelity animated movement,
• mimic missing-frame aesthetics,
• produce a stylized “hand-made” or “broken pipeline” feel,
• add a lo-fi or experimental animation quality to footage.

How It Works

1. Frame Manipulation
   Frames may be dropped, unevenly held, or reused to break smooth motion.
2. Temporal Distortion
   Motion cadence is intentionally disrupted to create jitter or uneven pacing.
3. Filtering
   The module may use global FFmpeg filter chains (as configured in Videobeaux) to generate texture, flicker, or stutter artifacts.
4. Encoding
   Output is written using global Videobeaux encoding settings (CRF, codec, pixel format, preset, etc.).

Program Template

videobeaux -P bad_animation \
  -i input.mp4 \
  -o output.mp4

Arguments

• (No additional program-specific arguments; uses global videobeaux options only.)

Real World Example

videobeaux -P bad_animation \
  -i myvideo.mp4 \
  -o bad_animation_styled.mp4

Program Output

Technical Notes

• The exact effect depends on Videobeaux global filter configuration and output codec settings.
• Since this effect manipulates cadence, final output FPS may differ from perceived motion.
• Best used on footage where stylized motion degradation is desirable.
• The module performs processing only on video; audio behavior follows global Videobeaux standards.

Recommended Usage

• Music videos, experimental film, and stylized animation.
• Retro cartoon emulation or low-budget limited-animation effects.
• Distortion-based visual art, glitchworks, or datamosh-adjacent styles.
• Creating intentionally flawed animated loops.

Quality Tips

• Pair with frame_interpolate (ironically) to contrast smooth vs broken motion.
• Use higher CRF values if you want even more degradation in compression.
• Combine with gamma_fix, lut_apply, or convert_dims for multi-stage stylization chains.
• Consider using chain_builder to apply bad_animation early in a larger creative pipeline.