A shot list is the director and DP's plan for how each scene gets covered: every setup, in order, with the camera details the crew needs to prep. This is a blank shot list template as an Excel file, with a filled-in example from a sample production, Nightfall, covering two scenes — a kitchen confrontation and a rooftop standoff.
What's in the template
- Scene # and Shot # — shots numbered within a scene (12-1, 12-2…) so they sort with the schedule.
- Shot Type, Movement, Lens — the minimum the DP and 1st AC need to prep gear.
- Description, Cast #, Set — what's in frame, who's in it, where.
- Status — Planned / Shot / Dropped. The dropped shots become your pickup list.
The shot list
In the example, Scene 12 moves wide → medium → close-ups → insert, the classic coverage ladder; Scene 31 opens on a crane wide because the geography (the ledge, the city) matters before the faces do. Write the description as what the audience sees — the camera columns already say how.
| Scene # | Shot # | Shot Type | Movement | Lens (mm) | Description | Cast # | Set | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 12-1 | Wide | Static | 24 | Kitchen at lunch rush. Maya enters through the swing door. | 1, 4 | Diner — Kitchen | Planned | Establish geography |
| 12 | 12-2 | Medium | Handheld | 35 | Maya moves down the line toward the Cook. | 1, 4 | Diner — Kitchen | Planned | |
| 12 | 12-3 | Close-up | Static | 50 | Cook. He knows about the order. | 4 | Diner — Kitchen | Planned | |
| 12 | 12-4 | Close-up | Static | 50 | Maya. She doesn’t believe him. | 1 | Diner — Kitchen | Planned | Reverse of 12-3 |
| 12 | 12-5 | Insert | Static | 85 | The order ticket — wrong table number. | Diner — Kitchen | Planned | Macro | |
| 31 | 31-1 | Wide | Crane | 18 | Rooftop. Two figures at the ledge, city behind. Rain. | 2, 5 | Rooftop | Planned | Rain bars; night |
| 31 | 31-2 | Over-the-shoulder | Slider | 40 | Over Reyes onto the Suspect at the ledge. | 2, 5 | Rooftop | Planned | |
| 31 | 31-3 | Close-up | Handheld | 65 | Suspect. Deciding. | 5 | Rooftop | Planned |
- Shot #:
- Scene-dash-number. Never renumber after the list goes out; add 12-3A instead.
- Lens (mm):
- The focal length you intend to start on. It will change; the list is for prep.
How to use it
- One row per shot. Number shots within a scene (12-1, 12-2…) so they sort with the schedule.
- Shot type + movement + lens is the minimum the DP and 1st AC need to prep. Add frame rate or rig only when it’s unusual.
- Write the description as what the audience sees, not what the camera does — the camera columns already cover that.
- Mark a status (Planned / Shot / Dropped) on the day. The dropped shots are your pickup list.
- Sort by scene, then review per location: shots that share a setup should be adjacent.
Common mistakes
- Renumbering after it goes out. Once the crew has the list, 12-3 is 12-3 forever. Insert 12-3A instead.
- Only listing the interesting shots. The inserts and reverses are the ones you forget on the day and regret in the edit.
- No status column. Without it, nobody knows at wrap which shots are owed.
- Ignoring setups. Adjacent shots that share a lighting setup save hours. Sort with that in mind.