{"id":89038,"date":"2017-04-28T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-04-28T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=89038"},"modified":"2017-04-27T14:10:52","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T19:10:52","slug":"improve-video-production-with-shot-lists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/improve-video-production-with-shot-lists\/","title":{"rendered":"The Video Producer’s Secret Weapon: the Shot List"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every professional video production relies on a shot list. Here’s why you should too.<\/h2>\n

Cover image via Shutterstock<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Years ago, when I first started directing, I remember being annoyed by assistant directors\u00a0and producers<\/strong> who wanted to see a shot list. I thought,\u00a0Isn\u2019t what we\u2019re going to shoot obvious from our storyboards?<\/em> I was so wrong, because it isn\u2019t obvious.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Storyboards are visual guides<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0that help everyone plan, in a general way, the work they’re responsible for. In prep, storyboards are very useful for designing expensive action and VFX sequences<\/strong> \u2014 the studio wants to see what they\u2019re paying for, after all. And storyboards are useful during\u00a0preliminary budgeting and scheduling<\/strong>. Storyboards can form the basis for a shot list, but they are not a substitute for one.<\/p>\n

In live-action production<\/strong>, you can rarely edit a set of storyboards together and tell a compelling \u2014 or even cohesive \u2014 story. As the director, you have a number of shots in mind that will bridge or expand on a single illustration. It\u2019s these shots that you need to write down and share with your colleagues. Remember, film and video production is collaborative<\/strong>, and your team members are there to help you realize your vision. But they can\u2019t do this if you don\u2019t share it with them.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Shot lists help you plan the day. Each shot takes a certain amount of time, and if you have thirty-five of them in your head, you better let the AD know so they can help organize and budget the time<\/strong> to pull everything off. Then the DP deserves a look because there might be something on the list that doesn\u2019t quite fit the photographic plan<\/strong>. When you prioritize your shots, everyone understands what’s most important to you. As you may\u00a0know, things can and do get crazy on a shoot. Unforeseen weather or equipment issues can derail\u00a0your train of thought, so keeping\u00a0a list will remind everyone what remains to be shot \u2014 or re-thought, given the remaining daylight.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

On a TV show, there isn\u2019t enough prep time to draw storyboards. Shot lists become even more important because there are multiple directors in a season<\/strong>, and their shot lists give everyone a sense of their organizational skills and visual appetites.<\/p>\n

Finally, being the director means that someone has entrusted you with a tremendous amount of responsibility, both creative and financial. Thorough preparation\u00a0is the hallmark of a successful director<\/strong>. A detailed shot list informs everyone that you have thought a scene through and that this list represents the minimum amount of coverage you require to cut the scene together creatively. Chances are, your knowledge of the coverage will expedite the process and, in the end, buy you extra time for additional shots<\/strong> that will make the day and the scene even better.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Production images courtesy of the author.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Do shot lists improve your productions?<\/strong> Let us know in the comments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every professional video production relies on a shot list. Here’s why you should too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":89998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4519,3843,583],"tags":[1093,536,2897,1508,472],"class_list":["post-class-post-89038","post-class-post","post-class-type-post","post-class-status-publish","post-class-format-standard","post-class-has-post-thumbnail","post-class-hentry","post-class-category-cinematography-2","post-class-category-filmmaking-2","post-class-category-video-production-2","post-class-tag-cinematography","post-class-tag-filmmaking","post-class-tag-shot-list","post-class-tag-storyboards","post-class-tag-video-production"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Video Producer's Secret Weapon: the Shot List<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Every professional video production relies on a shot list. 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