Free Shot List Template

The tabular shot list your DP and AD actually work from on set. 18 rows, 9 columns, printable A4 landscape PDF. Free, no email required.

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What This Template Is

A shot list is a row-by-row plan of every shot you intend to capture. It's the document that turns a script into a shooting schedule. Directors build it during pre-production, the DP cross-checks it against the storyboard, and the 1st AD breaks it down into call sheets.

This template is the format used on most professional indie sets — tabular, printable, single-page per scene where possible. We've stripped it down to the columns that actually get filled in: scene and shot number, shot size, angle, camera movement, lens, action, dialogue, and notes. No fluff.

What Goes in Each Column

Use this as a reference when filling in the template. Standardize the terminology across your production so DP and AD aren't decoding shorthand on set.

Scene #

Scene number from your screenplay (e.g. 12A).

Shot #

Sequential shot number within the scene (1, 2, 3...). Continues across all setups.

Shot Size

Wide, medium, close-up, extreme close-up, or two-shot. Standard taxonomy your DP knows.

Angle

Eye-level, high angle, low angle, dutch, top-down, POV. Keep terminology consistent across the doc.

Movement

Static, pan, tilt, dolly, crane, handheld, gimbal. Be specific about direction (dolly in, pan left).

Lens

Focal length (24mm, 50mm, 85mm) or descriptive (wide, normal, telephoto). DP fills this in if you don't.

Action

What's happening in the shot. One sentence. Reference character names from the screenplay.

Dialogue / Audio

Lines being delivered, music cues, or specific sound design notes.

Notes

Anything else: lighting, blocking, continuity, props. Keep it short — long notes go in the production binder.

How Directors Actually Use This

1. Block the scene mentally first

Before filling the table, walk through the scene in your head. Where do the characters enter and exit? Where's the geography? What's the emotional beat? The shot list captures decisions you've already made — it's not where you make them.

2. Start with the master, then build coverage

Row 1 is usually the master shot — wide, static, captures the whole scene. Then break out the coverage: medium two-shots, singles for each character, inserts on key actions or props. The order in the list isn't the shooting order — that's the AD's job — it's the editorial order.

3. Be specific about camera movement

"Pan" is not enough. "Slow pan left from John to the door" is. The DP and operator need direction, speed, and the start/end points. Vague movement notes are how shots end up missing on set.

4. Mark priorities

Not every shot survives the schedule. Star or color-code the shots that absolutely must be captured (climax beats, performance moments, geography establishers). The rest get cut if you run over.

5. Cross-reference with the storyboard

Every row in your shot list should correspond to one frame in your storyboard (or a clear reason there's no board). If a shot exists in the list but not the boards, you haven't visualized it yet — go visualize it before you're on set.

Or Generate the Shot List From Your Screenplay

Filling a shot list manually for a 90-page feature takes 3-7 days. StoryBirdie reads your screenplay (Fountain, PDF, or DOCX) and generates a first-pass shot list automatically — shot size, camera movement, and blocking metadata for every scene. You edit the rows that need adjusting instead of inventing 800 of them from scratch.

Try the AI Shot List Generator

Free credits on signup. No credit card.

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Storyboard templates for film, commercial, music video, TV episode, and student projects. Plus shot list and screenplay breakdown sheets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a shot list template?+
A shot list template is a structured document — usually a table — that captures every shot the director plans to film. Each row represents one shot and includes the scene number, shot number, shot size (wide / medium / close), camera angle (eye-level / high / low), camera movement (static / pan / dolly / handheld), lens choice, action description, and dialogue or sound notes. Directors fill it in during pre-production; DPs and ADs work from it on set.
How is a shot list different from a storyboard?+
A storyboard is visual — sketched or AI-generated frames showing what each shot looks like. A shot list is textual — a table describing each shot in technical detail. Most professional shoots use both: the storyboard answers 'what does the camera see?', the shot list answers 'how do we capture it?'. They're complementary, not redundant.
How many rows should a shot list have?+
It depends on the scene and your shooting style. A dialogue-heavy scene might need 8-12 shots (master plus coverage). An action sequence can run 30-50 shots. As a rule of thumb, indie shorts average 60-120 total shots; commercials run 8-30 per spot; feature films typically have 800-1500 shots. The template scales — add rows as needed.
What's the best format for a shot list?+
Tabular, printable, and on a single page per scene if possible. A4 landscape with 18-22 rows fits one scene cleanly. Avoid spreadsheets that require scrolling on set — your AD will be working from a printed page or a tablet, and they need to see the whole scene at once.
Can I generate a shot list from my screenplay?+
Yes. StoryBirdie reads your screenplay (Fountain, PDF, or DOCX) and generates a first-pass shot list with shot size, camera movement, and blocking metadata for each scene. You edit the generated rows instead of inventing them from scratch. Free credits on signup cover a short scene end-to-end.

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