Free template
Shot list template
List every shot before the shoot: what it shows, how it's framed, where it happens and how long it runs. Print it blank, or fill it in here and take it with you.
Blank shot list to print
Running time 0 s of 8:00, add a length to each shot
- 01
- 02
- 03
Saved on this device as you type.
Krafto edits your clips for you, just by chatting. See how it works
Free, no sign-up. Nothing you type leaves this page.
What a shot list is
A shot list is the to-do list for a shoot. Each line is one shot you need to film: which scene it belongs to, how it's framed, whether the camera moves, where it happens, and anything you need for it.
On the day, you tick each shot off as you get it. When the light is going or someone has to leave early, the list tells you at a glance what's still missing.
Shot types and their short names
The abbreviations you'll see on shot lists, and when each shot earns its place.
| Short | Shot | What the camera sees | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| WS | Wide | The whole place, people small in it. | Opening a scene, showing where you are, big movement. |
| MS | Medium | Waist up. Most talking happens here. | Talking to camera, demos, most of any video. |
| CU | Close-up | Head and shoulders, for feeling. | Reactions, emotion, the line that matters. |
| ECU | Extreme close-up | Just the eyes, a hand, a detail. | Drama, texture, one detail you want noticed. |
| OTS | Over the shoulder | Past one person to another. | Conversations and interviews, showing who is listening. |
| 2S | Two-shot | Two people in one frame. | Two presenters, an interview set-up, a reaction together. |
| INS | Insert / detail | An object up close: the product, the step. | Product details, hands doing a step, anything people need to see clearly. |
| SCR | Screen recording | What's on a phone or computer screen. | Apps, websites, tutorials and software demos. |
| OH | Top-down | Straight down on a desk or table. | Cooking, crafts, unboxing, desk set-ups. |
| POV | Point of view | What the person sees, hands in frame. | Unboxings, walk-throughs, putting the viewer in your place. |
How to write a shot list
Go through your script or storyboard and write a line for every shot, numbered by scene: 1A, 1B, 1C for the first scene, 2A for the next. Write what the shot shows in a few words, plus its type, angle and movement.
Add the location and any props or gear the shot needs. A rough length helps you see how much footage the edit will have.
Then reorder for the day. Shoot everything in one place before you move, and group shots that share a camera set-up, even if they appear far apart in the finished video. The scene numbers keep the story order for the edit.
What goes in each column
| Column | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Scene | Where the shot sits in the story | 2 |
| Shot | How much the frame shows | Close-up |
| Angle | Where the camera looks from | Low angle |
| Movement | What the camera does during the shot | Push in |
| Description | What happens in the shot, in a few words | Sam opens the parcel and smiles |
| Location | Where you film it | Living room, by the window |
| Length | Roughly how long it runs in the edit | 4 s |
| Gear and props | Anything the shot can't happen without | Gimbal, the parcel, scissors |
Shot list or storyboard?
Use a storyboard to work out the story: what the viewer sees, in order. Use a shot list to plan the filming: what to capture, in the order that's quickest to shoot.
For a quick talking-head video a shot list alone is often enough. For anything with several locations, people or products, make the storyboard first and build the shot list from it.
Questions
Asked often
Last checked 2 October 2026
More free tools
Try these next
When you're ready to edit
Got every shot? Let Krafto cut them together.
Upload the footage, say what you want, and see the first edit.