Free Shot List Template for Film (CSV)
A free shot list template for film, short films and video production. It is a plain CSV, so it opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers or anything that reads a spreadsheet. There are two versions: a blank one to fill in, and a sample shot list with a complete scene already planned so you can see how each column is used.
Download the Template
Blank template (CSV)Sample shot list (CSV)
In Google Sheets, use File > Import > Upload. In Excel, open the file directly. The sample is the diner scene from our shot list example, where each shot choice is explained.
What Each Column Is For
| Column | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Code | Scene number plus a letter, such as 1A. Goes on the slate. |
| Scene # | The scene's number in the script. |
| Scene Heading | INT. ALL-NIGHT DINER - NIGHT. Copied from the script so the list reads on its own. |
| Title | A few words to call the shot on set: "The keys", "Reverse onto Maya". |
| Description | What we see, in a sentence. |
| Story Purpose | Why the shot exists. Read this first when deciding what to cut. |
| Shot Type | Wide, full, medium, medium close-up, close-up, extreme close-up, insert. |
| Angle | Eye level, high, low, overhead, Dutch, over the shoulder, POV. |
| Movement | Static, pan, tilt, dolly in or out, handheld, Steadicam, crane. |
| Lens | Focal length, such as 24mm, 50mm or 85mm. |
| Equipment | Sticks, slider, dolly and track, gimbal. |
| Characters | Who is in frame, separated by semicolons. |
| Props | Anything that has to be in the shot. |
| Priority | Critical, Important or Optional. |
| Est. Minutes | Setup and shooting time. Sum it per scene to check the day. |
| Notes | Lighting, sound, VFX or continuity, when a shot needs them. |
Delete the columns you will not use. A two-person shoot rarely needs Equipment or Story Purpose. A bigger crew will want all of them.
How to Use It
- Put every scene heading from your script in the sheet, in order, one block of rows each.
- For each scene, start with the one shot the scene cannot do without, then add coverage around it.
- Give every shot a code (1A, 1B, 1C) and fill in size, angle, movement and lens.
- Set a priority and a time on every shot, then total the minutes per scene.
- Sort by setup rather than story order for the shoot day, so the camera turns around as few times as possible.
The shot list example covers each of these steps in more detail.
Short Films, Documentary and Video
The same template works across formats with small changes:
- Short films: use it as is. Most shorts fit on one sheet, and the time column matters more than ever when you have one or two days.
- Documentary: swap Characters for Subject and add a Location column. Many shots will be wishes rather than plans; mark them Optional.
- Music videos and commercials: replace Scene Heading with the song section or the beat of the spot.
Beyond a Spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is fine until the script changes. Then someone has to notice which rows belong to the scene that moved, and a spreadsheet cannot show you where the camera stands.
EnsembleWriter keeps the shot list inside the screenplay, so each scene heading is already a scene on the list. Every shot has these same columns plus an overhead blocking diagram you can drag, your crew can edit it with you, and it exports back to CSV, to a PDF, or to a call sheet.
Write or import your script, then open Shot List in the sidebar. A free account holds five shots.
Start a Shot List →