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Animation does not have one required frame rate. For cinematic work, 24 frames per second (fps) is a familiar starting point; video delivery may require 25 or 30 fps, while interface animation is chosen around the motion’s importance and the device’s performance. The playback frame rate also does not dictate how many unique drawings or poses you create.
What does animation frame rate mean?
Frame rate is the number of output frames played each second. It describes playback, not necessarily the number of new drawings or poses in the animation. An animator can hold one pose across multiple output frames; the timing approach sometimes called “on twos” uses one pose for two frames. Timing for Animation discusses, for example, 60 fps playback with timing taken down to 30 fps.
Frame rate is also different from a display’s refresh rate. A monitor refreshing more often does not, by itself, create additional unique animation poses. MIT’s Spring 2011 interface-design lecture notes distinguish animation frame rate from display refresh.
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Which frame rate fits each kind of animation?
| Context | Rate guidance | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Digital cinema delivery | ISO 26428-11:2011 lists primary rates of 24 and 48 fps and additional rates of 25, 30, 50, and 60 fps. | 24 fps is a familiar cinema baseline, not the only rate supported by the standard. ISO’s record says the 2011 edition was confirmed in 2022 and remains current. ISO 26428-11:2011 |
| Film and video teaching | Timing for Animation describes 24 fps as the film timing basis and mentions 25 fps PAL and 30 fps NTSC or some computer programs. | These are useful historical and teaching references, not a complete map of current broadcast formats worldwide. Book chapter preview |
| Routine interface feedback | Microsoft recommends 20 fps for most interface animations; MIT’s lecture notes say 20 fps can be enough for feedback. | This guidance concerns secondary UI motion, not cinematic animation. Microsoft Windows UX guidance; MIT lecture notes |
| Prominent or special interface motion | Microsoft suggests 24 or 30 fps for a special experience or an effect central to the program’s purpose. | Use a higher target when smooth motion matters to the experience and performance allows it. Microsoft Windows UX guidance |
| Responsive browser animation | MDN identifies 60 fps as a responsive-interface target when feasible. | Treat this as a performance target for interactive smoothness, not a rule for every animation. MDN Web Docs |
How should you choose an animation frame rate?
- Start with the delivery format. For cinematic work, 24 fps is a familiar starting point. For video, use the rate required by the destination or production specification; 25 or 30 fps may be appropriate in the contexts described by the sources above.
- For interface motion, judge its role. Microsoft’s guidance puts routine animation at 20 fps and allows 24 or 30 fps for prominent or special motion. For browser experiences where responsiveness is central, consider 60 fps if the implementation and device can sustain it.
- Decide how many unique poses you need. More output frames do not require a new drawing at every frame. Holding poses over multiple frames can reduce the number of unique drawings while preserving the chosen playback rate.
- Check smoothness and workload on the target device. A high, steady rate is more useful than a high target that the system cannot maintain. Choose a rate that meets delivery needs without making motion unnecessarily expensive.
Why isn’t 60 fps always better?
For browser animation, 60 fps leaves about 16.7 milliseconds for each frame’s script, style and layout work, and painting, according to MDN’s performance guidance. Expensive work can exceed that time and cause visible stutter, or jank. Aiming for 60 fps makes sense when interactive smoothness is important and the device can sustain it; it is not a universal requirement for authored animation.
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For less prominent UI feedback, Microsoft and MIT both describe 20 fps as a suitable reference. The right choice depends on the delivery context, how smooth the motion needs to feel, the intended pose timing, and available performance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happens to browser animation when a device is busy?
Browser updates are not guaranteed to arrive at a fixed rate under every condition. A 2015 W3C Working Group Note on timing control for script-based animation explains that a user agent may adapt updates to factors such as page visibility and CPU load. The note is no longer actively maintained and points readers to HTML, so treat it as historical background rather than current implementation guidance. For performance considerations, see MDN’s animation performance guide.
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