Give every shot a purpose
CoverageState the information or story beat the shot carries. Remove views that repeat another shot without a clear reason.
Shot list template for a shootable scene plan
Start a shot list template from the scene, its story beat and your filming constraints. Ask Viralkey for clear framing, action and continuity notes in text, then review what the crew can capture with the location and equipment available. Related pages Project brief template with clear scope and decisions · What is cinematic framing? Plan what belongs in the shot · Photography illumination for a practical lighting plan
Write down what each shot must show
A shot list template helps you connect the script or idea to the images you need. Give each shot an identifier, a scene or location, framing, the action shown and any sound or continuity note. For a simple tea-making scene, you might need a wider view of the setup, a close view of the leaves, the pour and the finished cup. The list should explain why those views belong in the sequence. Viralkey can draft the text structure from your brief; the crew still chooses, rehearses and captures the shots. Open Agent · Project brief template with clear scope and decisions · What is cinematic framing? Plan what belongs in the shot · Photography illumination for a practical lighting plan
Plan from your own material
Start a shot list template from the scene, its story beat and your filming constraints. Ask Viralkey for clear framing, action and continuity notes in text, then review what the crew can capture with the location and equipment available.
Connect coverage to the story beat
Describe what changes in the scene and what the viewer must notice. The Agent can suggest coverage that supports that beat, such as a detail insert for an object the next shot depends on. Remove shots that repeat information without adding a useful view. A long list is not automatically a better plan if the sequence remains unclear.
Continue with a draft
Include instructions the crew can act on
Specify the framing, visible action, subject position and important sound. “Close view of the hand opening the latch” gives a clearer capture instruction than a broad mood label. Add movement only when it serves the moment and your setup can perform it. Equipment, lenses and camera settings remain production decisions, not promises made by a text draft.
Continue with a draft
Track continuity and practical limits
Identify the objects, wardrobe states, screen direction and actions that must match between views. Mark any setup change, difficult access or missing prop. If you need a shorter shoot, ask for essential coverage first and optional shots afterward. Review this plan with the people responsible for the location, safety and production schedule.
Continue with a draftPrepare and review your draft
Provide the scene and constraints
Supply the action, characters or subjects, location and intended edit. Include equipment limits, access restrictions and the time available. Name the important object or moment so the draft does not spend coverage on irrelevant details.
Draft the shot list in a usable text structure
Ask for shot ID, scene, framing, action, sound and continuity notes. Request essential shots before optional coverage. Read the proposed sequence against the script or idea and remove directions that cannot be captured in your setup.
Review the plan with the crew
Confirm shot purpose, subject positions, props, permissions and safe access. Arrange the filming order to suit the actual location and setup. A text list does not book a crew, operate a camera or certify that a shot can be filmed safely.
Adapt the list to the production task
A product demonstration needs usable detail
List the views that explain the product’s actual operation: the overall item, the user’s action and the detail that proves the step happened. A container demonstration might need the opening, the contents and the closed result. Use the real item and verified claims. Add a continuity note if the fill level or object position changes between shots.
Continue with a draftA conversation needs spatial consistency
Establish where people sit or stand and which direction they look. Include a wider view when the viewer needs to understand the relationship, then specify the closer coverage needed for the exchange. Note eyelines, hand positions and relevant props. The camera plan should support the dialogue and preserve understandable screen direction through the edit.
Continue with a draftA small crew needs an order it can execute
Separate story order from capture order. You may group shots by location or setup while preserving the identifiers used in the intended edit. Mark wardrobe, prop and lighting states before rearranging the list. Ask the Agent to explain its proposed grouping, then confirm the practical decisions with the crew rather than treating the draft as a fixed schedule.
Continue with a draftCheck the plan before the shoot
Use these notes alongside the script, location and crew discussion.
Use distinct shot identifiers
OrganizationKeep identifiers stable when you rearrange capture order so the crew and edit notes refer to the same view.
Describe visible action
DirectionSpecify what happens in frame. Replace vague atmosphere-only instructions with a clear subject and action.
Track object and subject states
ContinuityNote positions, wardrobe and props that must match. Check any change before switching to another setup.
Separate essential coverage
PriorityMark shots needed for a coherent edit before optional inserts or variations when production time is limited.
Confirm real production limits
FeasibilityDiscuss access, equipment, permissions and safety with the responsible people. A draft list does not verify these conditions.
Questions and answers
Useful fields include shot ID, scene or location, framing, visible action, sound and continuity notes. Add capture priority or setup information when the production needs it. Use only fields the crew will actually consult.
Review your next draft
Your text opens in Agent as a draft. Review it there before sending; this page does not start generation.