What is a shot list?
A shot list is the director's plan for the shoot, written as a table. Each row is one camera setup: which scene it belongs to, how big the subject is in frame, where the camera sits, whether it moves, which lens it uses and what happens in the shot. The crew uses it to light and set up in a sensible order, the assistant director uses it to schedule the day, and the director uses it to make sure nothing the edit needs is forgotten.
Even a one-person shoot benefits from one. Writing every shot down before you start shows you how much coverage a scene really needs, and whether the day is realistic.
How to use this shot list template
- Click any cell to edit it. Size, angle and movement are drop-downs; the lens field suggests common focal lengths but takes anything.
- "Add shot" adds a row to the last scene and gives it the next letter (1A, 1B, 1C…). "New scene" starts the next scene number.
- Use the arrows to reorder shots, then "Renumber" to re-letter everything in order.
- "Export CSV" downloads a file for Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. "Print / PDF" prints a landscape table, one line per shot.
- Everything saves in this browser as you type. Nothing is uploaded.
The columns, explained
Shot size
How much of the subject fills the frame. A wide shot shows the whole location and where people are in it; a medium shot frames a person from the waist up; a close-up fills the frame with a face; an insert is a detail such as a hand or a phone screen. Over-the-shoulder, two-shot and point-of-view describe who is in frame and from whose position. The course lesson on shot sizes shows each one.
Angle and movement
Angle is where the camera looks from: eye level is neutral, a low angle makes a subject imposing, a high angle makes them small, and a Dutch (tilted) angle feels uneasy. Movement is what the camera does during the shot: static, pan, tilt, dolly, track, crane, zoom or handheld. Every move should have a reason; see movement and composition.
Lens
Wide lenses (18–24mm) exaggerate depth and suit establishing shots and tight spaces; 35–50mm is close to how we see; 85mm and longer flatten the background and flatter faces in close-ups. More in lenses and focal length.
Tips for a better shot list
- Start from the script, scene by scene. Mark each moment the audience needs to see, then decide the shot that shows it.
- Plan coverage for editing: a wide master, mediums, close-ups for key lines, and inserts you can cut to.
- Group shots that share a camera position and lighting, even if they're out of story order. It saves hours on set.
- Keep descriptions short and visual: what we see, not what the character feels.
- Pair it with a storyboard for complex sequences. The free storyboard template prints matching frames.
If you're generating shots with AI instead of filming them, the same plan applies: each row becomes a prompt, and the shot size, angle, movement and lens become the camera direction. The Academy lesson Plan the shots walks through it in MoviePro.