How to Make a Shot List

Most directors find making a shot list a daunting task. The shot listing remains a crucial step of film-making as it can determine the efficiency and flow of the whole process. A good shot list can ease the production from the number of shots taken for the entire storyline.

However, with so many scripts to read, one can get exhausted while retaining every detail. Thus, here is a quick step-by-step guide on how to make a shot list in no time.

Step 1:As soon as you receive a script, break it down into portions. Doing so will ease your job in later stages.

Step 2: Envision a storyboard. While this generally remains an optional step, envisioning a storyboard at this point helps you plan further. While through a specific portion of the script, you can imagine what things might look like. You don’t need a superman vision for this; you can just work out with stick figures!

After that, you can pen down the visuals in a notebook to get a clearer view of the shot. Simple tricks like dividing the page into different sections for different shots, adding notes like position, camera, etc., can help.

Step 3: Convert the storyboard into text. Here is a short example:

• Scene 1- Woman walks into the store (Script pages 1-2)
• Near the doorway- a dog, an older man with a newspaper.
• Man 1 near the cash counter
• Man 2 buying a drink
• Insert: Cash drawer clicking

Step 4:You need to organise the scenes according to shoot time, location, actor availability, etc. 

Step 5: Organize the list according to the set and shooting day. For example:

• 6 Sets
• Michael, along with the side of the room.
• M MOVE- Daisy moves her arm towards Drake.

And so you can prepare one according to your storyboard. Follow this simple shot listing technique, and you are good to go! It is the most effective and efficient way to take the burden off your shoulders and run the process smoothly.