Camera Shots

Hi everyone,

In my last post, I shared our production checklist. I want to use this blog to expand a bit on one of the critical items on that list – the shot list. When creating the shot list, I researched to make sure I understood all the components. I quickly realized that taking the time to think through a shot list helps organize the whole filming process. According to StudioBinder, a shot list is a document that "maps out everything that will happen in a scene of a film, or video, by describing each shot within that film or video" (Maio, 2024).

As you can see from the quote above, an invaluable resource I discovered is StudioBinder, which offers a comprehensive suite of tools for filmmakers. Their tool covers all aspects of pre-production, production, and post-production. While their services aren’t within our budget, their articles and examples have been incredibly helpful. For instance, their shot list templates provide a clear structure that inspired our own planning. ​

Creating a shot list will make us more efficient. As StudioBinder put it, "Shot lists are especially critical in managing and preparing for film scenes" (Maio, 2024). So, no matter how tempted we might have been to just wing it, we knew that not having one would ultimately lead to a disjointed mess. ​Below is the shot list we've created for our project. It’s definitely a work in progress and I’m sure it will evolve as we continue to move forward.

Right now, what I’m trying to think through is how to best execute the sequence between Alessandra and Davis when find out their acceptance statuses. It will be a tricky dynamic to get right. We will have to focus on visual cues (Alessandra getting in but Davis not knowing), facial expressions, the use of cutaways between Alessandra getting accepted and Davis finding out his fate. We will have to figure out how the pacing of that piece of the opening. The shots we choose will be critical.

References:
Maio, A. (2024, September 26). What is a Shot List? Examples and a Brief Definition. StudioBinder. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-shot-list-example/