Secondary Action
Secondary action is a method of making a movement more life like, something that supports the main action and emphasises it without taking the attention away from it. In this imagine bellow, the secondary action is the squirrel's tail flicking.
Historic Example
In this clip from Pinoccio (1940) Figaro; the cat, snuggles down into bed. The secondary action is the big yawn after he's under the duvet. It makes the action look more realistic and makes more of it - rather than it just being over.
(Look at 0:22 on the video)
(Look at 0:22 on the video)
Contemporary Example
In The Incredibles (2004) when ElastiGirl is checking out her bum in the mirror, she turns, rubs her bum, and the secondary action is the sigh as if to say "its too big". It completes the action.
Go to 1:08
Go to 1:08
Harriet Murray