The animation presentation deals with the parts of the animation which more directly affect its interpretation. They consist mainly of rules of thumb which, when followed, can aid greatly in the interpretive power of the video.
It is important that the animation enhances the information and interpretation of the data it presents. An animation of only 4 or 5 frames may be better displayed as a series of still images. For these reasons, simplicity and elegance in design are important, the animation should not crowd too much information into any one screen, and unneccessary glitz should be avoided.
Ensure that the viewers of the video have time to see, read and interpret any information presented. Text should remain present for ample time, and should be large enough to read comfortably. Similarly, animations should not proceed too quickly.
Context is vital. Every frame of the animation should have enough context so that it could be viewed out of the animation without any extra support. In addition, the video as a whole should be self-supporting and self-documenting where possible, so that it may be viewed without any extra support. This usually involves adding titles and legends, as well as giving the viewer feedback on any currently animating values, most notably time. This feedback can be simply numbers updating, or it may be more graphical, such as a bar progressing across the screen.
A voiceover also helps in these regards, by helping the video become self-supporting, and avoiding problems that may arise when trying to narrate the video personally. Any serious video should consider using a voiceover.
Another handy feature is to show a broad overview of the entire animation at full speed, giving viewers an overview and context, and then subsequently zooming in and/or running the animation in slow-motion to concentrate on the most important parts.