Shot Lists

What is a shot list? Why is it so important?

    A shot list is an extensive plan on every shot that you expect to need for your project. It's essentially a written version of the cut of the film before shooting. In order to create a shot list, you must read through your script scene by scene and write down which shots you think are needed for each scene. This includes the type of shot and angle, which are often abbreviated, e.g., WS for wide shot, CU for close up, and MS for medium shot. Camera movements are also included, that being dollying, trucking, panning, and tilting. Additionally, terms are used to describe other types of compositional elements. For instance, a dirty shot is one with something in the foreground, such as an OTS. The opposite of a dirty shot is a clean shot, which has nothing in the foreground obscuring the subject.

    A shot list is so important because it plans out the entire cut of the movie, which ensures you get every shot you need. This will save time—which is money—as you're less likely to have to revisit scenes to shoot something you missed and you can schedule out for each shot and scene, which will make the process run smoother.