Free shot list template
Type the shots, and the numbers, scene groups and running time take care of themselves. Take it away as a PDF one scene per page, a CSV, or text for the crew chat.
Saved in this browser. Nothing is uploaded.
What belongs on a shot list
A shot list is not a wish list. It is the document an assistant director turns into a running order, so the test for anything on it is whether it changes how the day is scheduled.
- 1, 2, 3 within the scene. An insert is 12A rather than renumbering everything below, so shot 7 still means shot 7 when somebody says it out loud.
- ECU to EWS. It tells the AD how long the lighting takes and the camera team what to build.
- The focal length, not a description. 32mm, not wide.
- Static, pan, push in, handheld. What the camera does, not what the actor does.
- Estimated screen seconds. This is the column that turns a list into a schedule.
- One sentence. What is in frame and what happens.
- Anything a department needs: a practical to switch on, a rig, a playback screen.
What to leave off
Aperture, filtration and colour temperature belong to the DP and change on the day. Blocking belongs on a floor plan. Every extra column is one more thing to keep accurate under pressure.
Order is the whole point
A list in script order is a nice document and a bad plan. Group by camera position, then by lighting state, and shoot the scene out of order. That is why numbers must survive reordering.
Durations find the overrun
Seconds per shot, summed per scene, is a rough cut before anything is shot. Wrong in the details, right in the total, and early enough to cut a scene while it is cheap.
Not sure what the sizes mean? Shot sizes, and what each is for. Picking lenses? The field of view calculator tells you where the camera stands. Boarding the key shots? Make a storyboard template.
What should a shot list include?
Scene and shot number, shot size, lens, camera movement, an estimated duration, a one-line description and notes for departments. Anything you would not stop the unit to correct does not need a column.
What is the difference between a shot list and a storyboard?
A storyboard is what a shot looks like. A shot list is when it gets made and what it needs. They describe the same shots and have to agree; most productions board the key shots and list all of them.
Can I export the shot list to Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. Download the CSV and open it in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. The PDF is laid out for printing, one scene per page.
Should a shot list be in script order?
Write it in script order, then let the AD reorder it by camera position and lighting set-up for the schedule. Moving the camera and relighting is what costs time, not shooting.
Is this shot list template free?
Yes. No account and no email. The list is saved in your own browser and nothing is uploaded.
Or plan the shots, and get the list for free
In Frameboard a reference becomes a shot with one click. Fill in the size and lens, drag to reorder, and the numbering, the storyboard and the schedule follow.