Shot List
A pre-production document listing every planned shot for a scene or shooting day, with shot size, angle, and movement.
Shot List
noun | Production
A pre-production document that lists every shot planned for a scene or shooting day, specifying the shot number, scene number, shot size (wide, medium, close-up), camera angle, camera movement, lens, subject, and any special notes. The shot list is the director and DP's plan for how a scene will be covered - it is the bridge between the script and the camera, translating dramatic intentions into specific photographic decisions.
Quick Reference
| Domain | Production |
| Produced By | Director and DP in pre-production; sometimes with the 1st AD |
| Used By | Director, DP, camera operator, 1st AD, gaffer, grip |
| Contains | Shot number, scene number, shot size, angle, movement, lens, description, notes |
| Related Terms | Storyboard, Blocking a Shot, Coverage, Call Sheet, Pre-Production |
| See Also (Tools) | Shot List Generator |
| Difficulty | Foundational |
The Explanation: How & Why
The shot list is one of the most practically important documents in production. It converts the director's visual intentions into a specific, communicable plan that every relevant department can prepare for independently. The DP uses the shot list to plan the lighting and camera package. The gaffer uses it to understand the lighting requirements of each setup. The 1st AD uses it to build the day's schedule, calculating how much time each setup will require. The camera operator uses it to prepare for each specific movement or position.
A well-constructed shot list contains specific enough information to communicate intent while remaining flexible enough to adapt to the realities of the location and the performance. Shot lists are planning documents, not contracts - they are the best current plan for how a scene will be covered, and they change on set in response to what actually happens. As StudioBinder's shot listing guide notes: "A shot list is not necessary, but it is highly recommended. Having a clear plan before walking onto set will keep the production flowing and build confidence in the crew."
Shot lists are typically organised by scene and setup rather than by the order in which shots will be captured. The shooting order on set is determined by efficiency: lighting setups are grouped so that similar lighting conditions are shot consecutively rather than relighting repeatedly. The shot list is reorganised into a shooting order by the 1st AD in collaboration with the DP. In StudioBinder's shot designer, shots can be grouped into setups and dragged into shooting order, with estimated durations that calculate total time for the day.
The shot list serves a secondary function as a completeness check. A director who has written a detailed shot list for every scene in the film has been forced to think through every dramatic moment cinematographically - to consider not just what happens in each scene but how it will look on screen. This pre-production thinking prevents the discovery on set that a scene has been underplanned.
Historical Context & Origin
The shot list as a formal pre-production document developed alongside the professionalisation of film directing in the studio era. Directors including Alfred Hitchcock were meticulous shot listers - Hitchcock famously said that by the time he arrived on set, the film was already made in his head. His pre-production shot lists and storyboards were so detailed that the actual filming was sometimes described as a technical execution of pre-existing decisions rather than a creative process in itself. The digital era has produced dedicated shot listing software - StudioBinder, Shot Designer, Celtx, and others - that integrates shot lists with production schedules, storyboards, and location diagrams. These tools allow real-time collaboration between director, DP, and 1st AD, with view-only links shared to department heads for preparation.
How It's Used in Practice
Scenario 1 - Scene Planning (Director / DP): Two days before shooting a complex dialogue scene, the director and DP meet to build the shot list. They discuss the scene's dramatic arc, agree on the key visual moments, and produce a list of 14 shots covering the scene from multiple angles: a wide master, two over-the-shoulders, two close-ups, an insert of a letter, and coverage of a phone call. The 1st AD reviews the list and estimates 4.5 hours for the 6 setups (some shots share a setup). The shot list is entered into StudioBinder and attached to the call sheet for the day.
Scenario 2 - On-Set Adaptation (Director / DP): On set, the director decides that shots 7 and 8 on the shot list are redundant - the coverage from shots 5 and 6 is sufficient. The 1st AD crosses them off the plan. Two setups are saved, recovering 45 minutes. The shot list was the plan; the on-set decision was the adaptation. The AD updates the production report to reflect 12 of 14 shots completed.
Scenario 3 - Department Preparation (Gaffer): The gaffer reviews the shot list for the following day's interior scene the evening before the shoot. Shot 4 requires a specific motivated light source from screen right through a window; shot 9 requires a completely different light quality with a practical lamp as the key. The gaffer notes the lighting transitions required and calculates the equipment and time needed for each change: 20 minutes to reposition the 4K HMI from camera right to camera left, 10 minutes to swap a diffusion frame. The shot list has given the lighting department enough information to prepare independently.
Usage Examples in Sentences
"Send me the shot list by Thursday - the DP needs it before the lighting prep day."
"The shot list is a plan, not a contract. On set, we adapt. But without the plan, we have nothing to adapt from."
"Every shot on the list has been thought through. If it is on the list, there is a specific reason it is there."
"A director without a shot list is making it up as they go. That costs everyone time and money."
Common Confusions & Misuse
Shot List vs. Storyboard: A shot list describes shots in text - size, angle, movement, subject. A storyboard visualises them as sequential drawings or images. Both serve as pre-production planning tools. Shot lists are faster to produce and more practically useful during shooting; storyboards communicate visual intentions more clearly and are particularly valuable for complex sequences, effects work, or communication with non-specialist stakeholders. Most productions use both.
Shot List vs. Coverage: Coverage refers to the range of shots that a scene is filmed with - all the different angles and sizes used to cover the action. A shot list is the pre-production plan for that coverage. The shot list describes what the director intends to shoot; coverage describes what was actually shot.
Shot List vs. Lined Script: A lined script (also called a lined script or editor's script) is a post-production document where the editor draws vertical lines across the script pages to indicate which parts of the scene are covered by which takes. A shot list is a pre-production document. They serve opposite purposes: the shot list plans what will be shot; the lined script tracks what was shot.
Variations by Context
| Context | How the Shot List Applies |
|---|---|
| Narrative Film | Built scene-by-scene from the script; typically 8 to 20 shots per scene depending on complexity |
| Commercial / Advertising | Meticulously pre-planned in storyboards; the shot list is a direct translation of the boards with minimal deviation expected |
| Documentary | Rarely used in the traditional sense; documentary DPs may create a "wish list" of shots but coverage is reactive |
| Music Video | Shot list is built from the treatment and storyboard; often organised by setup rather than by scene since there is no script |
Key People & Films
Alfred Hitchcock was the most famous proponent of detailed shot listing and storyboarding. His work on North by Northwest (1959) and Psycho (1960) was so pre-planned that the shooting process was essentially execution of the shot list. Stanley Kubrick similarly shot-listed exhaustively, with some scenes on The Shining (1980) planned shot by shot over weeks of pre-production. Steven Soderbergh, who operates his own camera, uses a leaner approach: a minimal shot list supplemented by on-set improvisation. The 2015 film Creed (directed by Ryan Coogler, shot by Maryse Alberti) used a shot list that prioritised long takes and single-shot sequences over traditional coverage, a choice documented in StudioBinder's analysis of the film's shot listing approach.
Equipment / Tools Reference
StudioBinder is the most widely used cloud-based shot listing tool, integrating shot lists with scripts, schedules, and call sheets. Shot Designer by Hollywood Camera Work combines shot lists with camera blocking diagrams. Celtx offers shot listing as part of its pre-production suite. For physical on-set use, many productions still print shot lists as PDFs with checkboxes for each completed shot. The ARRI WCU-4 and cmotion Cine RT wireless follow-focus systems integrate with lens metadata systems that can pull lens data directly from the shot list's planned focal lengths. ScriptE and Scenechronize production management software attach shot lists to daily production reports for tracking.
Standards & Specifications
There is no formal industry standard for shot list format, but the conventional column structure has become near-universal through software adoption. The standard fields are: scene number, shot number, shot size (ECU, CU, MCU, MS, MLS, LS, ELS), shot type (single, two-shot, over-the-shoulder, POV, insert), camera angle (eye level, high, low, Dutch), camera movement (static, pan, tilt, dolly, track, crane, handheld, Steadicam), lens (focal length and T-stop), subject, description, and notes. The DGA Basic Agreement does not mandate shot lists but requires that directors be given adequate prep time to prepare them. IATSE Local 600 (International Cinematographers Guild) considers the shot list a primary deliverable from the DP to the camera department during prep.
Common Questions / FAQ
Q: Who is responsible for creating the shot list?
A: The director creates the shot list, typically in collaboration with the DP. The 1st AD may contribute to scheduling and setup grouping. In television, the director of a given episode creates the shot list for that episode, while the showrunner and lead DP maintain visual consistency across episodes. In commercials, the director builds the shot list from the agency's approved storyboard.
Q: How many shots should a scene have on the shot list?
A: A standard dialogue scene typically has 6 to 12 shots: a master, two over-the-shoulders, two close-ups, and any inserts or specialty shots. Action scenes can have 20 to 40 shots. The number depends on the scene's complexity, the director's visual approach, and the shooting schedule. A 1st AD will flag a shot list that exceeds the available shoot time.
Q: What is the difference between a shot and a setup on a shot list?
A: A setup is a specific camera and lighting configuration. Multiple shots can share one setup if the camera position and lighting do not change - for example, a close-up of character A and a close-up of character B from the same position are two shots but one setup. The 1st AD groups shots into setups to calculate the day's schedule, since each new setup requires relighting and repositioning.
Related Terms
- Storyboard - The visual companion to the shot list; illustrates planned shots as sequential images
- Blocking a Shot - The spatial choreography that determines the shots on the list
- Coverage - The actual range of shots captured; the shot list is the plan for that coverage
- Call Sheet - The daily logistics document; the shot list attaches to or informs the call sheet
- Pre-Production - Where the shot list is produced; one of pre-production's key deliverables
See Also / Tools
The Shot List Generator is a direct tool for this process - it helps directors and DPs build complete, organised shot lists by scene, specifying shot size, angle, movement, and notes for every planned setup. For estimating how many setups are achievable per shoot day, the Production Schedule Calculator calculates time requirements based on scene complexity and shot count.
