Shot List: What It Is, Template, Example and How to Make One

A shot list is the production document that turns a script into a shootable plan: every camera setup, in order, with the size, angle, movement, lens and action you need. Without one, you guess on set. With one, the director, DP and AD share the same map of the day.

Quick answer: what is a shot list?

• What it is: a scene-by-scene rundown of every camera setup you intend to capture, with framing and technical notes.
• What it’s for: planning coverage, estimating time, and keeping the crew aligned before and during the shoot.
• Spelling: “shot list,” not “shoot list” (common mix-up; both get searched).
• How it differs from a storyboard: the list is text and columns; the board is pictures. You often need both.
• With AI: you can break a script into scenes and shots, generate storyboard frames, then animate key shots — without claiming a dedicated CSV or PDF export.

This guide covers what belongs in a shot list, a filled example for one scene, a free copyable template, how it compares to a storyboard, and how to build the same plan with AI in CinemaDrop.

Key takeaways

• Columns beat vibes. Shot number, size, angle, movement, lens, action and notes are the core.
• A filled one-scene example beats an empty PDF — “shot list example” is a real search for a reason.
• Storyboards show framing; shot lists schedule the day. Link them, don’t replace one with the other.
• AI helps you get from script to scenes/shots to frames fast; you still decide coverage and order.

What is a shot list?

A shot list is a structured rundown of every camera setup you plan to capture for a scene or a whole project. Each row is one shot: where you are in the script, what the camera sees, how it moves, and any notes the crew needs (props, VFX plate, dialogue cue, estimated time).

Writers and directors sometimes confuse it with a “shoot list.” In film production, the standard term is shot list. Search engines see both, so this guide uses the industry spelling.

Who uses it? Directors and DPs build coverage. Assistant directors turn it into a day-out-of-days and call sheets. Editors later match takes to the planned setups. On small crews, one person wears all three hats — which makes a clear list even more useful.

If you are still mapping the full production path from idea through premiere, see the stages of film production. Shot listing sits in pre-production, after the script is strong enough to break down.

What goes in a shot list

Templates vary, but the columns below cover what most sets need. Skip what you don’t use; don’t invent columns you won’t fill.

For shot size and angle vocabulary, use our guide to types of camera shots instead of repeating every framing here.

How to make a shot list in 7 steps

1. Lock a workable script. You don’t need final polish, but scene headings and action should be clear. If you are still writing, start with how to write a movie script.
2. Break the script into scenes. Mark locations, cast, day/night and any VFX or stunt flags.
3. List the shots each scene needs. Ask what the audience must see: establishing, coverage, inserts, reaction, hero moment.
4. Add technical details. Size, angle, movement, lens and action notes — enough that a DP can set up without guessing.
5. Reorder for shooting, not story. Group by location and lighting direction so you aren’t flipping the set for every cut.
6. Share it with the team. Director, DP, AD, sound and art get the same version. On a solo shoot, that “team” is still you plus whoever is holding the boom.
7. Use it on the day — and update it. Cross off completed setups. Add insert shots with a clear mark (many crews use a lowercase i) when inspiration hits.

Flexibility matters. Noam Kroll’s point about combining planning with listing still holds: the list is a plan, not a prison. If a better angle appears on set, take it — then write it down so editorial knows it exists.

Shot list example: one scene, fully filled

Scene 3 — INT. DINER — NIGHT. Maya sits across from Jordan. He slides an envelope across the table. She doesn’t open it yet.

Six setups, about 42 minutes on paper before resets. On a real indie day you might merge 3E into 3B if time slips — the list makes that trade-off visible.

Why these six, not twelve? 3A sells the world and rain. 3B/3C are classic overs so you can cut for performance. 3D is the story turn (the envelope). 3E is the decision close-up. 3F is a safety insert if the overs don’t give you a clean cut point. That is coverage thinking: every row earns a place in the edit, not just a pretty frame.

If you storyboard the same scene, each row becomes a panel. Keep character wardrobe and neon color identical across panels so the board matches what the columns promise. That pairing — filled example plus pictures — is what most ranking guides skip.

Free shot list template

Copy this table into Google Sheets or Excel. Row 1 shows fill-in hints; replace the dashes with your setups. Freeze the header row. Duplicate the sheet per shoot day if you prefer day-based tabs. Print a day sheet for the AD if the crew still works on paper.

Tip: add a “Status” column (To shoot / Done / Cut) once you are on set. Keep one master file; don’t fork versions in chat threads. If sound needs wild tracks, add a row rather than burying the note in someone else’s phone.

This article’s table is the portable version you can paste anywhere.

Shot list vs storyboard (and when you need both)

A storyboard answers “what does each shot look like?” A shot list answers “what do we shoot, in what order, with what gear and time?” One is visual; the other is operational.

For a deeper side-by-side, use CinemaDrop’s storyboard vs shot list page. When timing matters as much as framing, step up to an animatic — a timed storyboard with scratch sound.

Making a shot list with AI: script to storyboard to shots

None of the top ranking guides for “shot list” talk about AI. That gap matters if you already write and board in one browser app. In CinemaDrop, the honest path looks like this (only features in the Product Fact Sheet):

1. Script Wizard or paste a script. Generate or refine the screenplay, then extract Elements (characters, locations, props).
2. Script to Storyboard. The app builds scenes and shots with notes — the digital cousin of a shot list — and you can add or reorder shots (caps: 100 scenes, 50 shots per scene).
3. Generate storyboard frames. Image models fill each shot; lock consistency with @-tagged Elements.
4. Animate only what must move. On Basic+, turn key frames into video. For hero motion, feature Kling 4.0 (up to 30 s, 720p/1080p, Basic+). Use Seedance 2.5 on Plus+ when you want reference-mode drafts or a 480p pass before a Kling 4.0 hero take.
5. Export a ZIP of assets and finish timing in CapCut, Premiere or DaVinci. CinemaDrop is not an NLE and does not compile a single MP4 or export a CSV/PDF shot list today.

Approved product wording: CinemaDrop automates idea → script → storyboard → images from a single prompt (Story Builder). It does not offer team collaboration workspaces or a dedicated shot-list download. Treat the scene/shot accordion plus notes as your living list, and keep a Sheets copy if you need a paper call-sheet style handout.

When you promote a still to motion, prefer one clear action per clip. Kling 4.0 on CinemaDrop is a strong pick for a hero push-in or a performance beat (Basic+, 720p or 1080p). Draft messy motion on Seedance 2.5 at 480p first if you are on Plus+, then promote the hero take to Kling 4.0 (Basic+, 720p or 1080p). Older Kling versions may still appear in the catalog and are planned for removal soon — this guide features Kling 4.0 only.

Step-by-step panel craft lives in how to storyboard with AI. To open a board fast, use Create Storyboard. Plans and video unlocks are on pricing.

Shot list tips from set

• Coverage first, hero second. Get the wide and the overs before the fancy push-in so you always have an edit.
• Estimate honestly. Doubling a setup’s minutes is cheaper than losing golden hour.
• Mark must-haves vs nice-to-haves. When the day compresses, you already know what drops.
• Keep lens notes light. “85mm feel” is enough on small sets; rental houses can refine later.
• Update the living document. A plan that doesn’t match the card in the camera is a trap for editorial.
• Shoot for lighting direction, not scene order. Reordering rows for the sun (or for one neon practical) is normal; story order returns in the edit.
• Name inserts clearly. Spontaneous cutaways are fine — label them so nobody thinks a missing number means a lost take.

For filmmakers who also generate plates, the same discipline applies: one locked Element set, one lighting line, then shot-by-shot prompts — not a random reel of pretty frames. The columns keep AI generation honest: you prompt the row you planned, not a mood board of unrelated images.

FAQ

Is a shot list the same as a storyboard?

No. A storyboard is visual panels. A shot list is a tabular plan of setups, often with schedule and technical fields. Many productions use both.

What should I make a shot list on?

Google Sheets or Excel work for most indie shoots. Dedicated production tools (StudioBinder, Celtx and others) help larger crews. In CinemaDrop, scenes and shots with notes live inside the storyboard; export is ZIP assets, not a dedicated shot-list file.

Who prepares the shot list?

Usually the director with the DP; the AD turns it into a shooting schedule. On tiny crews, the director builds it alone.

How many shots per page?

There is no fixed industry number. Aim for clarity: one scene’s coverage on one screen when you can. A dialogue scene might need 4–8 setups; an action beat can need dozens.

Start your shot list

Pick one scene from your current script. Fill the template above before you touch a camera or a generate button. When you want AI frames on top of that plan, open CinemaDrop, build the storyboard from the script, and generate only the shots you already decided to keep.