Topic: What's it called when you kind of quasi-storyboard?

I don't know what you call it but I like to have a storyboard but I can't storyboard.  I can't draw - even stick men are a challenge.  See:

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Aweful - huh.  mini/lol   Anyway - I like to plan my shots well before shooting but what I do is I build a rough set, position the minifigs, position the camera and take a single still.  I'll then set up the next shot, move the cam, move the figs and take a single still.

I think in the 2d world this equates to something like blocking.  I don't know if this technique has real name.  The downside is of course you need a partial set of some sort which is sometimes not even invented in genuine storyboarding.

I then assemble my stills into a slideshow and type notes all over them.  Sometimes I'll put text in a cartoon speech bubble to outline dialogue, but its mostly for me to understand camera angles and 180 deg rules etc.

I can then distribute to voice actors and they can immediately conjure up an image without having to rely on just a bland screenplay.

Am I the only one that does this?

Aka Fox
Youtube: My channel   Twitter: @animationantics
Best brick films: My selection

Re: What's it called when you kind of quasi-storyboard?

David Pagano used a similar technique for the animatic in Country Buildin'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4Bd9OVspMI

Re: What's it called when you kind of quasi-storyboard?

I'm pretty sure Laika does that, and I've seen simaler things from major CG studios, it's sort of a pre-visualization animatic sort of thing.

Re: What's it called when you kind of quasi-storyboard?

After thinking about this a little more - its almost like making a comic, except of course very rough and draft.  mini/sunnies

Aka Fox
Youtube: My channel   Twitter: @animationantics
Best brick films: My selection