How to Use the Shot List Generator

01 —

The Core Workflow

1

Upload your script

Drag and drop your screenplay onto the upload zone, or click it to browse. The tool accepts PDF and DOCX / DOC files. If you've already started a shot list in a previous session, you can reload it by uploading a JSON file saved from the tool.

2

Click "Generate Shot List"

The parser reads your script and detects ACT headings and INT. / EXT. scene headings automatically. Each scene becomes a row in the Shot List overview tab. Standard screenplay formatting (Final Draft, Highland, Fade In) works best.

3

Switch to "Build Shot List" and add shots

The Build Shot List tab is your editor. The hierarchy of Acts → Scenes is pre-populated from your script. Inside each Scene you add Sequences, and inside each Sequence you add individual Shots. Fill in the fields for each shot — size, angle, movement, lens, and more.

4

Export when ready

Use the export buttons in the Build tab to save your work. Export PDF produces a colour-coded landscape table ready to print and hand to your AD. Export DOCX produces an editable Word document. Save JSON lets you save progress and reload it in a future session.

02 —

The 4-Level Hierarchy

Every shot list is structured as a four-level tree. The top two levels are parsed from your script; the bottom two are built by you in the editor.

Structure overview

🎭

Act e.g. ACT I, ACT II

→

🎬

Scene INT. / EXT. headings

→

🎞

Sequence A group of related shots

→

📷

Shot Individual camera setup

🎭

Level 1

Act

The top-level container. Acts are detected from lines reading exactly ACT I, ACT II, ACT III, etc. in your script. If no ACT heading is found, all scenes are placed under a default "ACT I". You can rename Acts in the editor.

🎬

Level 2

Scene

Scenes map directly to sluglines in your screenplay — any line beginning with INT. or EXT. (with or without a leading scene number). The full slugline becomes the scene title. You can rename or add scenes manually.

🎞

Level 3 — you create these

Sequence

A sequence is a logical grouping of shots within a scene — for example, "Arrival", "Confrontation", "Escape". Use the + Add Sequence button inside any Scene to create one. Sequences can be dragged to reorder them within the same scene.

📷

Level 4 — you create these

Shot

A single camera setup. Use + Add Shot inside a Sequence to create one. Each shot has fields for size, angle, movement, lens, subject, sound design, priority, VFX notes, description, and a director's note. You can also attach a reference image to any shot.

03 —

Shot Fields Reference

Each shot has 11 fields plus an optional image attachment. All fields are optional — fill in what's useful for your production.

Shot Size

The framing distance — from Extreme Close-up (ECU) through Medium Shot, Full Shot, to Extreme Long Shot. Select from the dropdown or type a custom value.

Angle

Camera height and tilt: Eye Level, Low Angle, High Angle, Dutch Angle, Overhead, Worm's Eye, or POV.

Movement

Camera motion: Static, Pan, Tilt, Dolly In / Out, Track Left / Right, Handheld, Steadicam, Crane Up / Down, Zoom In / Out, or Arc.

Lens

Focal length: Ultra Wide (14–20mm), Wide (24mm), Standard (35mm), Normal (50mm), Portrait (85mm), or Telephoto (135mm+).

Subject

Who or what is in frame. Free-text — type character names, props, or a brief description of the composition.

Sound

Primary audio intent: Dialogue, Ambient Only, Voice Over, SFX, Music, or Silent.

Priority

Flag each shot as must-have or nice-to-have. Useful for scheduling: if you run short on time, you can identify which shots are safe to defer.

VFX Note

Any visual effects requirement for the shot — green screen, wire removal, CGI extension, etc. Appears in the export so the VFX team can identify shots at a glance.

Description

A free-text field for your shot description — what happens in the shot, the action, the intention. This is the main note visible in the printed table.

DR Note

Director's private note. Thoughts on performance, mood, blocking, or anything you want to remember for the shoot. Included in exports.

Image

Attach a reference image — a storyboard frame, location photo, or mood reference. Images are embedded into the DOCX export. Use clear, well-cropped references for best print results.

Tip: You don't need to fill every field. Start with Shot Size, Angle, and Description. Add Movement and Lens when you're planning more precisely, and use Priority to triage your shooting schedule.

04 —

Editing & Reordering

Drag to reorder

Every Shot, Sequence, Scene, and Act has a drag handle on its left edge. Grab it and drag up or down to reorder. You can only drag items within the same level — shots within a sequence, sequences within a scene, and so on. Shot numbers update automatically after every reorder.

Adding items

Each level has an + Add button at the bottom of its container. Click + Add Sequence inside a Scene to add a new sequence, and + Add Shot inside a Sequence to add a new shot. New items are numbered automatically and placed at the end.

Collapsing levels

Click the title bar of any Act, Scene, or Sequence to collapse or expand it. Collapsing acts and scenes gives you a clean overview of the full structure when your shot list grows long.

Editing titles

Act, Scene, and Sequence titles are editable inline — click the title text to activate the input, type your new name, and click away to save. Scene numbers stay fixed; only the title text changes.

05 —

Saving & Exporting

Important: The Shot List Generator does not autosave to the cloud. Your work exists only in the browser. Always export a JSON file at the end of each session — uploading it next time will restore exactly where you left off.

📄 Save as JSON

Saves the complete shot list data as a .json file to your computer. To restore it, upload the JSON file using the same upload zone as your script.

Preserves all shots, fields, and images
Fast to load — no re-parsing needed
Use as a regular backup during long sessions

🖨 Export PDF

Generates a colour-coded landscape A4 table. Act and scene header rows appear in dark navy with gold text; shot rows alternate for readability.

All 12 columns included
Print-ready at A4 landscape
No internet required after page load

📝 Export DOCX

Generates an editable Microsoft Word document with the same table layout. Reference images attached to shots are embedded directly in the Word file — useful for sharing with ADs, producers, or department heads who need to annotate the document.

Embedded reference images per shot
Editable in Word, Google Docs, or LibreOffice
Landscape A4, matching the PDF layout

06 —

Tips for Best Results

Use standard screenplay formatting

The parser looks for sluglines beginning with INT. or EXT. and act markers reading exactly ACT I, ACT II, etc. Scripts exported from Final Draft, Highland 2, or Fade In in PDF or DOCX format parse best. Avoid scripts with heavy custom formatting or non-standard sluglines.

Group shots into short sequences

Keep sequences to 3–6 shots each. Shorter sequences are easier to reorder on the day and make the printed shot list more scannable for your crew. A good rule: one sequence per narrative beat within a scene.

Use Priority to build a shooting schedule

Mark every shot as must-have or nice-to-have before your shoot day. In the PDF and DOCX export, this column is clearly visible — your 1st AD can quickly identify which shots to cut if you fall behind schedule.

Save JSON frequently

The tool runs entirely in your browser with no server backup. Export a JSON file after every significant editing session. Keep dated copies (e.g. shotlist-v3-2025-03-22.json) so you can roll back if needed.

How to Use theShot List Generator