Creating A Shot List

A shot list is a document that gives you an idea of every shot you foresee being in your movie. It's formulated by going through the script scene by scene and writing down every single shot you plan on shooting within each scene. Eventually you should have a list of every shot in the film, and you can translate that to "grocery list" of shots on a separate piece of paper. Each shot should be labeled with an abbreviation that conveys its framing, angle, or movement, like OTS for an over the shoulder shot. Having a shot list is so important because it allows a film crew to move quickly and be efficient, as they have a reference to every shot that needs to be captured. Without one, time is wasted on set making decisions, and the production altogether looks disorganized.