Hello Everyone,

Its Josh here from Loveridge Designs, this week on “Getting into it with Loveridge Designs” We are going to cover why shot lists are an essential piece of the production process.

A shot list is one of the most valuable assets designed to ensure the production process is smooth and effective. The more planning that is put in before a shoot, the easier it becomes on shoot day. Your shot list is basically a schematic of the video or film’s visual structure. It includes the raw components you need to meticulously compose the product, just like an engineer will never consider constructing a building without schematics.

So what’s in a shot list?
A shot list’s content varies from project to project. A shot list would include the scene number, followed by the shot number, in simpler terms. This makes things simpler to manage where and when a given sequence will appear during the whole project creation process.

A shot list is produced by having a meeting with all key production representatives and reviewing the project’s vision / goals and timelines that need to be met. The director and cinematographer will consult and analyze which shots will better express the mood and atmosphere of the piece when working through the script’s chapters. The shot for that sequence would then be identified on the shot list after this has been decided upon. For every scenario in the project, this process is then rinsed and repeated.

Including thorough comments about the shot, the feeling it is attempting to express, and what part of the narrative it reveals is always a good practice. It’s essentially a simple description of why in the first place you’re having this clip. On a quick moving set, it is essential to have this information locked in place. This way, there is no rushing to the script when a new shot is getting closer, or shamefully questioning the director which portion of the script you are working on. With comprehensive notes, it is possible for everyone on the set to remain on target and focused during prodcution.

Thank you very much for taking the time to watch the video I hope you found it both informative and engaging,
Until next time.