How to Make a Shot List for a Film (Step by Step)

A shot list is the difference between a shoot day that flows and one that falls apart at lunch. If you want to know how to make a shot list for a film, the short version is this: you translate your script into a numbered, ordered checklist of every shot you need to capture, grouped so you can film them efficiently.

Done well, a shot list keeps your crew aligned, protects you from forgetting coverage, and turns "we'll figure it out on set" into a plan. Here's how to build one from scratch, plus a template and examples you can copy.

What a shot list actually is

A shot list is a document — usually a spreadsheet — that breaks each scene into individual shots. Every row is one shot, with details like the shot size, camera angle, movement, and a short description of the action.

Think of it as the operational layer beneath your creative vision. A storyboard shows what each frame looks like; the shot list tells the crew exactly what to capture and in what order. The two work together, and if you're weighing which to build first, our guide on shot list vs storyboard breaks down the difference.

A shot list for video production works the same way whether you're shooting a short film, a commercial, or a YouTube video. The structure scales down cleanly for solo creators and up for full crews.

What to include in a shot list

Before you learn how to write a shot list, know the columns. A lean list needs only a handful; a bigger production adds more. Start with these essentials:

• Scene number — matches the script (for example, "3") so cast and crew can find it fast.
• Shot number — the order of shots within that scene, like 3A, 3B, 3C.
• Shot size — wide, medium, close-up, extreme close-up. See our guide to camera shot types for the full vocabulary.
• Angle — eye level, high, low, over-the-shoulder, POV.
• Movement — static, pan, tilt, dolly, handheld, crane.
• Description — one line on the action and framing ("Maya opens the letter, hands shaking").
• Location — where it's shot, so you can group setups.

On larger shoots, add columns for lens, equipment, sound, lighting, estimated time, and a status checkbox. Keep it as simple as your production allows — extra columns you never fill in just add noise.

How to make a shot list for a film, step by step

1. Break down the script

Start with your finished short film script or outline. Read each scene and ask what it needs to accomplish emotionally and visually. Mark the beats: an entrance, a reaction, a reveal. Those beats become your shots.

2. List the shots for each scene

For every beat, decide how you'll cover it. A typical scene opens on a wide establishing shot to set the space, moves to a medium for the conversation, then punches into close-ups for the emotional moments. Vary your sizes deliberately — that rhythm is what makes a scene feel cut, not filmed.

Resist over-listing. Four to six shots per scene is plenty for most work; more than that and you risk running out of daylight.

3. Number every shot

Give each shot a unique reference. Scene 3's shots become 3A, 3B, 3C. When you add a pickup later, it slots in as 3D without renumbering everything. Clear numbers keep the set from descending into confusion.

4. Add the key details

Fill in shot size, angle, movement, and a tight description for each row. Be specific but brief — the description is a reminder for people who already know the plan, not a paragraph. If a shot needs a special lens or a dolly, note it now so the gear shows up on the day.

5. Group and reorder by setup

Here's the step beginners skip. You don't shoot in script order — you shoot in the order that's most efficient. Group every shot that shares a camera position, location, and lighting setup, then knock them all out before you move. All the wides facing one direction, then turn around for the reverses. This is where a shot list saves you real hours.

6. Add visual references

Rough sketches, phone photos, or frames from films you admire make the list instantly scannable. If you'd rather draw the whole thing, pair your list with a storyboard for your film so the crew sees the vision, not just reads it.

7. Share it and pressure-test it

Send the list to your cinematographer and first AD before the shoot. Fresh eyes catch missing coverage and impossible transitions while there's still time to fix them.

A simple shot list example

Here's what a finished scene looks like in practice — a shot list example for a two-person kitchen scene:

• 3A — Wide, eye level, static. Kitchen interior, Maya and Sam at the table. Establishes the space.
• 3B — Medium, eye level, static. Maya delivers the news.
• 3C — Close-up, eye level, slow push-in. Sam's reaction.
• 3D — Over-the-shoulder, from Sam, static. Maya slides the letter across.
• 3E — Extreme close-up, static. Hands on the letter.

Five shots, one location, two camera positions. You'd shoot 3A, 3B, and 3D from one side, then turn around for 3C and 3E. That's the whole logic of a good list.

Turn a shot list into a template you reuse

Once you've built one, save it as a shot list template. Any spreadsheet works — Excel, Google Sheets, or a free storyboard template you adapt with columns. Keep a blank version with your standard columns and duplicate it for every project. Over a few shoots, your template becomes muscle memory, and planning a new film takes an afternoon instead of a week.

If you're planning coverage across a whole film, work scene by scene using our guide on planning scenes for a short film so no beat slips through.

Plan and shoot your film with Scriptly

A shot list is planning — but with Scriptly you can go straight from plan to footage. Chat with an AI director to design consistent characters, build storyboards scene by scene, and generate the actual video clips for each shot with selectable takes, then render a finished film with voiceover, captions, and music. Your shot list becomes the roadmap; Scriptly helps you capture it without a camera crew.

Start building your film with Scriptly and turn your shot list into scenes you can watch.

For deeper background on shot terminology, the Wikipedia entry on the shot) and its overview of cinematography are solid references as you build out your visual vocabulary.