Docs Shot list
The shot list the story actually needs
A shot list written separately from the story is a list of things you thought of. A shot list generated from the beats is a list of things the video will not work without.
The problem it solves
Shot lists drift. You write one, the plan changes, and the list on your phone is now describing a video you are no longer making. Then you shoot to the list and wonder in the edit why nothing fits.
What it needs first
- A spine, and ideally a script. Shots are generated from what each beat needs to show.
How it works
- 1 Shots come from beatsEach beat states what it needs on screen, so the list is derived rather than remembered.
- 2 It travels with the projectThe list and the plan are the same object, so there is nothing to re-export and nothing to reconcile when the plan changes.
- 3 It is what gets checkedThe shot check reads your footage against this list, which is only meaningful because the list came from the beats.
What you get back
- A shot per line
- Each with a description of what to capture and, where it matters, an angle: wide, medium, POV.
- must_have
- Every shot is either a must or a nice-to-have. This is not decoration: the shot check reads it, so a missing must and a missing nice do not produce the same verdict.
- highlight
- An optional note for the shot that carries the beat, so the one frame you cannot come home without is marked as such.
What it will not do
- It cannot know your location. Treat generated shots as a starting list to edit, not a schedule to obey.
- A shot list is not a shoot plan. Order and logistics stay yours.
What it buys you
- No drift between what you planned and what you shot to.
- Every shot has a reason attached, which changes what you do when time runs short on the day.
- The list doubles as the checklist you get graded against that evening.
Under the hood
Shots are stored per beat. The alternative, a standalone list, is what creates the drift problem in the first place, so the app does not offer one.
Questions
Can I add shots that are not in the plan?
Yes. Add them to the beat they serve, and they become part of what gets checked.
Does it tell me camera settings?
No. It works at the level of what has to be on screen for the beat to land, not how to expose it.
What if I get a better shot than the one listed?
Coverage grades whether the beat is served, and the footage is read back as it is. A better shot that serves the beat is not a miss.
Shot list is one lens of Vanpelt Studio.