Plan every shot from the script you already wrote.
EnsembleWriter turns each scene heading in your screenplay into a scene on your shot list. You fill in the shots: size, angle, movement, lens, who is in frame, and an overhead plan of where the camera and actors stand. Then export it for the day.
Start a Shot List →Free account holds five shots. Pro is $10/mo for unlimited.
One scene, five shots.
Two siblings in a diner booth. She pushes a set of car keys across the table and he will not take them. Here is how that scene reads as a shot list, the same way EnsembleWriter lays it out.
| Shot | What we see | Size | Movement | Lens | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical: 1A | Wide of the booth Maya slides in across from Theo. Empty diner behind them. |
Wide | Static | 24mm | 20 min |
| Important: 1B | The keys Her hand pushes the keys across the table and stops. |
Insert | Static | 50mm | 10 min |
| Critical: 1C | Over Maya onto Theo He looks at the keys, not at her. |
Medium close-up | Static | 50mm | 15 min |
| Important: 1D | Reverse onto Maya She waits him out. |
Medium close-up | Static | 50mm | 10 min |
| Optional: 1E | Push in on Theo Slow push as he slides the keys back. |
Close-up | Dolly in | 85mm | 25 min |
Every shot gets a plan like this. The blue wedge is what the lens sees, so a 24mm is wide and an 85mm is narrow. Drag the camera or an actor to move them, and drag the ring to turn the camera. Your gaffer can read it at a glance and your actors know where to stand.
From screenplay to shot list.
- Write or import your script. Type it in the editor, or import a PDF or Fountain file. Scene headings are picked up automatically.
- Open the shot list. Each scene heading is already a scene. Add shots by hand, or have EnsembleWriter draft a first pass from the script so you have something to react to.
- Shape every shot. Set the size, angle, movement, lens and equipment. Mark what is critical and what you would cut if you lose the light. Move the camera and actors on the overhead plan.
- Export for the shoot. A PDF with each shot beside its diagram, a CSV for your spreadsheet or scheduler, or a call sheet with running times per scene.
Everything your crew asks about on set.
Camera
Shot size, angle, movement, framing, lens and equipment. The lens drives the width of the wedge on the plan.
Story purpose
One line on why the shot exists. It is the first thing to read when the day runs long and something has to go.
Priority and time
Critical, Important or Optional, plus setup complexity and minutes. Each scene totals its own running time.
Characters and props
Who is in frame and which props need to be there. Characters show up on the plan in their own color.
Department notes
Lighting, audio, continuity and VFX, added only on the shots that need them.
Shared with your crew
Invite your director, DP or AD to the script and you all work on one list. Changes show up for everyone right away.
Your shot list should not drift from your script.
A shot list kept in a spreadsheet starts going stale the day someone rewrites a scene. Here the scenes come from the screenplay itself, so the list and the pages stay side by side. Reorder shots by dragging, move one into another scene, rename a scene, and it all saves as you go.
If you want a head start, the first pass is a draft, not a decision. Anything you change by hand is kept when you draft a scene again. New to shot lists? Read the shot list example first, or download a free shot list template for a spreadsheet.
Common questions.
-
Is the shot list maker free?
A free account holds five shots, which is enough to plan a short scene or try the whole workflow, exports included. Pro is $10/mo and removes the limit.
-
Do I need a finished screenplay first?
No. The shot list follows your scene headings, so a few scenes are enough to start. You can also add scenes and shots by hand for footage that is not in the script.
-
Can I import a script I wrote somewhere else?
Yes. Import a PDF or a Fountain file, and its scene headings become the scenes of your shot list.
-
Can my DP and director work on the same shot list?
Yes. Everyone invited to the script works on one shot list, and edits show up for everyone within a moment. Two people changing different shots both keep their changes.
-
What formats can I export?
PDF with a blocking diagram beside each shot, CSV for Excel, Google Sheets or scheduling software, and a call sheet PDF with running times per scene.
Plan your next shoot.
Start a Shot List →Runs in your browser. Nothing to install.