How to Create a Shot List Document for an Organized & Efficient Production

Planning out your shots in pre-production represents a vital step towards organization and efficiency when you do make your way to the set for production. By focusing some time in advance on the creation of a detailed, and organized, shot list that outlines the specific details of the day’s shots. You can save yourself a lot of time, hassle, and headache during production. Learning how to create a shot list that documents each individual shot detail according to your production needs can actually increase your efficiency on set saving you time, and money, in the long run.

The best time to start organizing your production is absolutely during pre-production! And, since there’s no better time than the present to get organized, we recommend you take this time to start planning out your shots.

Along with all of the important considerations that go along with your production so that you’re prepared for the next phase. Creating a shot list that’s organized, detailed, and carefully planned will place you one step closer to a successful production.

What is a Shot List?

A shot list represents your organized compilation of all the shots you intend to capture on a given day or for a given project. An organized shot list for the entire project is first formulated, and then broken down by individual production days.

You might take your storyboard, and use it as a baseline reference for creating your shot list. Expanding with additional shots and camera angles that you might need to finalize your project.

Creating a list of shots that is organized and carefully planned has several key benefits including:

• Acting as a checklist for the Director to ensure no shot or scene is overlooked in production.
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• A detailed guide to the various shots that are required. The shot list is easy to adjust and alter in pre-production. So that everything is planned for and prepared in production.
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• Represents a guide for camera crew to determine equipment needs ahead of the shoot.
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• Represents a guide for other crew members to plan accordingly too!

Usefulness

Because the shot list is so useful and helpful to so many members of the film crew. It’s important to include key members of your crew in the creation of your shot list.

This means you’ll probably want to seek advice or assistance from your DP and your AD as you focus on how to create a shot list that’s just right for your project.

These members of the production crew can provide valuable feedback during shot list creation. And will equally provide valuable crew support when the shot list is complete. Ensuring that all appropriate cast and crew have the details necessary for an efficient production day.

Details to Include in a Shot List

The details covered by your shot list play a key part in the end efficiency of your production. It’s important to carefully consider each element and why it should, or should not, be included.

At minimum, a shot list should include the following details:

B-roll coverage for the project.

While you might not have thought much about coverage when producing your storyboard, you’re going to want to consider coverage when creating your shot list.

Make sure you include time & any fine details regarding necessary b-roll so that your camera crew knows what to capture and so that they have time to get the necessary footage.

Scene # & Shot # for each shot.

These details are absolutely vital to the organization of your shot list and will help everyone on the cast, and crew, to stay on the same page throughout the production.

Camera angle, movement of the shot, and the subject.

These details will help the crew plan necessary equipment ahead of the shoot, and placement during the shoot. 

Special notes regarding the shot or the scene.  

The notes should help to describe exactly what you’re looking for from the shot. So that your crew doesn’t have to guess. Keep it short, but detailed.

In addition to these details

If you’re focusing on how to create a shot list for a larger production, you’re probably going to need a little bit more information than just the basics.

The more detailed your shot list is, the more efficient your production will later be. Taking time to plan early, rather than facing potential roadblocks or hurdles on the set, is absolutely vital to efficiency for a large scale production.

Consider also including the following details if you’re creating a shot list for a larger production:

Camera # and desired focal length.

This is important for multi-camera productions as it will help your crew to be better prepared and in-the-know. 

Location details for the crew.

If you’re planning a multi-location shoot, a shot list that includes the location will help everyone see where they have to be, and when.

Sound and special effects details.

This can be as simple as a column for sound with yes/no. To show whether sound should be captured during filming. And for special effects a couple words that dictate what effects will be employed, if any.

For instance “Practical Effects” or “Digital Effects” or “None” will help the crew know what to expect. More details can be provided in the Notes column.

Setup & Shoot times.

These columns should provide an hour/minute breakdown of the expected or planned amount of time for setup of each shot, and for shooting each shot.

This tells your crew several things about the shot. Including how important it is, how challenging it might be, and how fast they are expected to work.

In Summary

As you can see, learning how to create a shot list that documents each of the important details of the shots and scenes to be filmed for your project is an important task. It can provide a lot of valuable information to nearly everyone on your film crew.

The shot list can be formulated into a spreadsheet with single column data input for each of the important elements discussed above. Once complete, your template serves as a schedule, a checklist, and a detailed guide of what to expect during production.