Making a shot list?
- Thread starter Evan S
- Start date
Scottdvx100
Veteran
Make a list as you visualize the scene. Make notes on your script. Master wide. MCU of Joe. Over shoudler of Frank. CU of gun, etc.
That's your shot list. Yo ucan add a comment next to each as to what you're tryign to show as a reminder to yourself. You can also noye which line or section you want to cover from this angle. You can organize that into a shooting order by grouping by camera setup or staging setups.
An easy example is to shoot the whole master shot, then one actor all the way through, and then the other actor all the way through.
You might list alternate angles or inserts that you would like if time permits. Star the shots you have to have and don't star the optional versions.
The main poitn of a shot list is to make sure you don't forget anythign and that you have the necessary shots to edit the film. It's also useful for going over with your dept. heads.
That's your shot list. Yo ucan add a comment next to each as to what you're tryign to show as a reminder to yourself. You can also noye which line or section you want to cover from this angle. You can organize that into a shooting order by grouping by camera setup or staging setups.
An easy example is to shoot the whole master shot, then one actor all the way through, and then the other actor all the way through.
You might list alternate angles or inserts that you would like if time permits. Star the shots you have to have and don't star the optional versions.
The main poitn of a shot list is to make sure you don't forget anythign and that you have the necessary shots to edit the film. It's also useful for going over with your dept. heads.
Bigmagic
Well-known member
Coverage is what he's saying go thru your script line by line and visualize what shot you want.
Example (poor mans)
Medium two shot, put a line here on your script indicating the shot)
Frank "Hey Joe what's up"
Joe "Whaaats up"
Close up of Frank(same as above)
Frank " Can I buy you a beer"
Over the shoulder of Frank(ditto)
Joe "You bettcha"
And so on and so forth. You likely won't have the camera movements already on your script which is better because you'll want to decide for yourself. I hope this is enough visualization. Good Luck
Example (poor mans)
Medium two shot, put a line here on your script indicating the shot)
Frank "Hey Joe what's up"
Joe "Whaaats up"
Close up of Frank(same as above)
Frank " Can I buy you a beer"
Over the shoulder of Frank(ditto)
Joe "You bettcha"
And so on and so forth. You likely won't have the camera movements already on your script which is better because you'll want to decide for yourself. I hope this is enough visualization. Good Luck
david_kuznicki
Well-known member
Bigmagic said:
Not to plug anything, of course, as I don't work for them...
But I've found Frame Forge to be invaluable for storyboarding. It works far better than a simple shot list. If you know someone good with Lightwave/Maya/whatever, see if they can help, as well.
www.frameforge.com
David Kuznicki
Production Manager, WGTE-TV30
negativeDP
New member
Every director has their own personal format of making a shot list, but I really recommend talking with your DP or camera man, unless you're shooting it yourself, that kind of defeats the purpose. Only reason I say that is I've worked with a director who edited the movie in his head and wanted every shot, shot, in the way it was in his head, not talking to me about it at all, very confusing and well, it doesn't work that way! The best advice I can say is get a basic vision in your head, know you're probably going to want a master shot, probly CU, MD, maybe a two shot, or maybe the scene calls for OTS shots. Great! Now, what you're really going to want to think about is the shots that count. Do you have any artistic or crazy shots you want to get? Write those ones down, talk to you DP about it, make sure those shots you want get in the bag. Oh yeah, and if you're shooting your shots on a tripod, when you switch sides, i.e., when you shoot all the lines of one actor and go for coverage of the other, make sure the camera is the same distance, use a tape measure. It just looks better, matter of a opinion though. And one last thing, don't get too caught up in your shots. Make sure you're getting the best performance from your actors. At the end of the day, it's more important that you get a good performance than lots of coverage. Doesn't matter what angle you shoot it at, a camera can't hide bad performance.
david_kuznicki
Well-known member
negativeDP said:
Absolutely! Truer words have never been spoken.
But, that being said... many of us (myself included) are working under compressed time frames & with microbudgets. That sometimes shrinks preproduction to "whatever I can accomplish before the morning that we start shooting," and I think that has to be recognized.
Hell, I can't count the number of shoots that I've been on where I didn't meet the camera op until (literally) that morning. It's one of the reasons I rely so heavily on storyboarding.
David Kuznicki
Production Manager, WGTE-TV30
GraBird
Member
I like to come up with a shot list as a guide, if only to estimate the shooting schedule. 5/8 of script pages might take 15 minutes or 45 minutes or more, depending on how many different shots I plan to do and the setups related to those needs.
Here's a piece of script that I'll borrow from Goodfellas.
Thanks to great ad-libbing by the actors, Scorcese was inspired to do a lot more with this scene. I have to imagine that much of this came from rehearsals, so the shots were revised and planned based on that. So maybe this is the shot list:
(You'll have your scenes numbered at this point, and somehow distinguish each shot. I sequentially letter each, but you could also number every shot from 1 to the end of the script; whatever works for you):
So when you slate, you'd do 86A, then 86B, then 86C, etc.
I'd do most of the shots all the way through the scene, so you can pick and choose the best reaction CU's and TWO-SHOTS, and fall back on the FS of the whole scene as needed.
So even though this was originally 2/8ths of a page (and with the ad-libbing from rehearsals it's probably really 2 full pages or more), you (Scorcese) now know that you've got 7 setups to do for this one scene, and you can plan accordingly.
As mentioned, you could be a lot less formal and just mark shot notes on the side of the script. For me, I like to make up a list like this just so I can identify each shot for slate purposes and also to make sure I get every shot I wanted. Everyone knows we already did A through E and G but we still have to get shot F.
Here's a piece of script that I'll borrow from Goodfellas.
Thanks to great ad-libbing by the actors, Scorcese was inspired to do a lot more with this scene. I have to imagine that much of this came from rehearsals, so the shots were revised and planned based on that. So maybe this is the shot list:
(You'll have your scenes numbered at this point, and somehow distinguish each shot. I sequentially letter each, but you could also number every shot from 1 to the end of the script; whatever works for you):
So when you slate, you'd do 86A, then 86B, then 86C, etc.
I'd do most of the shots all the way through the scene, so you can pick and choose the best reaction CU's and TWO-SHOTS, and fall back on the FS of the whole scene as needed.
So even though this was originally 2/8ths of a page (and with the ad-libbing from rehearsals it's probably really 2 full pages or more), you (Scorcese) now know that you've got 7 setups to do for this one scene, and you can plan accordingly.
As mentioned, you could be a lot less formal and just mark shot notes on the side of the script. For me, I like to make up a list like this just so I can identify each shot for slate purposes and also to make sure I get every shot I wanted. Everyone knows we already did A through E and G but we still have to get shot F.
David, after getting used to frame forge how long do you think it takes to storyboard one scene?
P!body
Well-known member
To me it has aways been a checklist to make sure you got a shot of everything you have concieved nessesary for a scene using the old mental pre-edit- pre visualize thing.
Also it's important to have enough coverage to make the edit work, becasue best laid plans and all that.
So planning that out in a format that is as detailed or complex as you want it in a word document would be good. Good Luck.
Also it's important to have enough coverage to make the edit work, becasue best laid plans and all that.
So planning that out in a format that is as detailed or complex as you want it in a word document would be good. Good Luck.
Owen
Photoshop Savant
I generally do my storyboards and then mark up the actual shooting script with notes that cross-reference storyboard frames. Sometimes I'll just type things out if it's simple enough and needs no real pre-viz... like this:
SR51 EXT SWAMP – Tom And Bob look for treasure at hole
Setups: 1 | Shots: 3
Notes: This follows scenes in OMP’s cabin.
Setup 1>>Shot of: Wide est of area (bush and empty hole) as Bob and Tom approach. Run scene.
>>Shot of: Closer shot near hole to see Bob when he kneels to look at hole and to see Tom when he falls and finds binoculars.
>>Shot of: Tight insert shot of Tom getting binoculars out from under bush.
SR2 EXT SWAMP NEAR HOLLOW TREE – Bob yells at Tom for misplacing wig and beard
Setups: 2 | Shots: 3
Notes: This immediately follows the sheriff’s pursuit of the robber through the swamp.
Setup 1>>Shot of: Wide est of tree. Pan down from branches to clearing. Bob and Tom are approaching the hole in the tree. Tom runs ahead and peers into the hole.
>>Shot of: Closer 2 shot tighter on tree. Run the rest of the scene. Bob pulls Tom out of shot at end of scene and we are left staring into the empty hole.
Setup 2>>Shot of: Crane shot down from tree to area next to hole. Tom enters. Run scene. Bob pulls Tom away at end. Crane down to see into hole.
SR8 EXT SWAMP NEAR HOLLOW TREE – Bob looks for wig at tree. Tom lies about not knowing
Setups: 4 | Shots: 4
Notes: This follows Tom spying on gang at creek. The next scene is EST. COLLINS HOUSE – NIGHT. Give this some time at the end to slow down.
Setup 1>>Shot of: Wide shot of tree and Bob looking around tree for wig. Tom enters. Run scene. Bob leaves Tom sitting on ground, sad.
Setup 2>>Shot of: Close on Tom for scene.
Setup 3>>Shot of: Close on Bob for scene.
Setup 4>>Shot of: Hand held. Follow Tom through woods into clearing near tree where Bob is searching.
SR51 EXT SWAMP – Tom And Bob look for treasure at hole
Setups: 1 | Shots: 3
Notes: This follows scenes in OMP’s cabin.
Setup 1>>Shot of: Wide est of area (bush and empty hole) as Bob and Tom approach. Run scene.
>>Shot of: Closer shot near hole to see Bob when he kneels to look at hole and to see Tom when he falls and finds binoculars.
>>Shot of: Tight insert shot of Tom getting binoculars out from under bush.
SR2 EXT SWAMP NEAR HOLLOW TREE – Bob yells at Tom for misplacing wig and beard
Setups: 2 | Shots: 3
Notes: This immediately follows the sheriff’s pursuit of the robber through the swamp.
Setup 1>>Shot of: Wide est of tree. Pan down from branches to clearing. Bob and Tom are approaching the hole in the tree. Tom runs ahead and peers into the hole.
>>Shot of: Closer 2 shot tighter on tree. Run the rest of the scene. Bob pulls Tom out of shot at end of scene and we are left staring into the empty hole.
Setup 2>>Shot of: Crane shot down from tree to area next to hole. Tom enters. Run scene. Bob pulls Tom away at end. Crane down to see into hole.
SR8 EXT SWAMP NEAR HOLLOW TREE – Bob looks for wig at tree. Tom lies about not knowing
Setups: 4 | Shots: 4
Notes: This follows Tom spying on gang at creek. The next scene is EST. COLLINS HOUSE – NIGHT. Give this some time at the end to slow down.
Setup 1>>Shot of: Wide shot of tree and Bob looking around tree for wig. Tom enters. Run scene. Bob leaves Tom sitting on ground, sad.
Setup 2>>Shot of: Close on Tom for scene.
Setup 3>>Shot of: Close on Bob for scene.
Setup 4>>Shot of: Hand held. Follow Tom through woods into clearing near tree where Bob is searching.
Lawsuit_Boy
Veteran
Personally, I really like to draw out fairly detailed story boards and describe each one, and then work out a shot list to go along with it. But if I'm in a pinch, or have no extra time, I map it all out in my head, spew out a shot list really quick, and shoot!
example:
these are from a comedic war short that I an now turning into a feature length drama. Production's set to begin in May. I hope it all works out.
I'm actually keeping a few of these though. Only wardrobe, hair, and location will be different.
example:
these are from a comedic war short that I an now turning into a feature length drama. Production's set to begin in May. I hope it all works out.
I'm actually keeping a few of these though. Only wardrobe, hair, and location will be different.
Chris Messineo
Veteran
I would be completely lost without my shot list.
I do mine in excel. I have columns for:
Scene
Shot
Version
Takes
Description
Framing
Angle
Dolly/Pan/Zoom
Location
Actors Needed
Props Needed
Focus Setting
Zoom Setting
Iris Setting
ND Filter
Time Code
Notes
By doing all of this in Excel it also makes it very easy for me to sort and shoot in an order that makes production run smoothly.
Chris
I do mine in excel. I have columns for:
Scene
Shot
Version
Takes
Description
Framing
Angle
Dolly/Pan/Zoom
Location
Actors Needed
Props Needed
Focus Setting
Zoom Setting
Iris Setting
ND Filter
Time Code
Notes
By doing all of this in Excel it also makes it very easy for me to sort and shoot in an order that makes production run smoothly.
Chris
HybridCreations
Well-known member
That's a great idea Chris. Excel sounds like the perfect program for this. Thanks for the list, I'll be making one up later.
-Ryan
-Ryan
Chris Messineo
Veteran
Happy to help.
Chris
Chris
oneinfiniteloop
Veteran
Yeah, I had my shot list this weekend for a video shoot and I still forgot stuff. I guess that happens when you only have 8 hours. Eh, they're still good though...
Chris Messineo
Veteran
oneinfiniteloop said:
I had a similar experience recently. That's why for my next shoot, I will be putting someone else in charge of the shot list.
Chris
HybridCreations
Well-known member
Hey Chris, I made a sheet up with those categories in Excel and showed it to a director friend of mine. He said, "That's not a shot list, that's some mutant hybrid franken-form covering 3 different departments." To which I replied, "Yeah, but do we have departments at the level we're at? No, we usually have a director, a DP and a producer keeping us on time." I think the things you included are very helpful and would definitely make the production go more smoothly as well as providing a great reference point Brings up an interesting argument about trying to run small productions like big ones. Oh well, to each their own I suppose, just thought I'd share.
-Ryan
-Ryan