Writing

Notes on planning a shoot

Mostly the parts nobody teaches you: what belongs on a shot list, which lens says what, and how to hand a crew something they can actually work from.

• Milanote vs Frameboard for film pre-production

  Milanote is a good visual board. When the board has to become numbered shots, a schedule, call sheets and a lighting plan, here is why we pick Frameboard.

  2 November 2026·6 min read

• How to break down a script for a shoot

  A script breakdown in six steps: scene headings, page eighths, the colour code for cast, props and wardrobe, and how it becomes a schedule.

  2 November 2026·7 min read

• Three-point lighting, drawn on a real floor plan

  Key, fill and back light on a plan to scale: where each one stands, key to fill ratios in stops, the rim that separates, and how to draw it for a gaffer.

  2 November 2026·6 min read

• What is a camera report? Keeping a take log on set

  What goes on a camera report, who keeps it, circled takes versus good ones, the end of day report, and a take log template you can use on a phone.

  2 November 2026·6 min read

• StudioBinder vs. Frameboard: How Production Information Connects

  Looking for a StudioBinder alternative? Compare StudioBinder and Frameboard for shot lists, storyboards, lighting, call sheets, and film pre-production.

  15 September 2026·11 min read

• How Many Storyboard Frames for a Commercial?

  Planning a client storyboard by Friday? A 30-second commercial usually needs 10 to 15 frames. See frame counts by runtime and make a printable storyboard PDF.

  15 September 2026·6 min read

• Call sheet vs shooting schedule: what each one is for

  The schedule plans the whole shoot, the call sheet runs one day. Who makes each, when, what goes on them, and how tomorrow's call sheet comes out of today's schedule.

  15 September 2026·6 min read

• What lens for an interview? Distances, rooms and faces

  35mm, 50mm or 85mm for a seated interview: where the camera stands for each framing, how big the room has to be, what each lens does to a face, and crop sensor equivalents.

  15 September 2026·6 min read

• How to light a green screen on a budget

  A clean key with four lights: light the screen evenly, move the subject away from it, light them like the plate, and the camera settings that save the edges.

  15 September 2026·6 min read

• Shot List vs Storyboard: What’s the Difference?

  A storyboard shows what each shot looks like; a shot list says when and how to shoot it. See what each includes and when to use both on a production.

  6 August 2026·5 min read

These come out of building Frameboard.