How Do You Build Your Director’s Shot List?

[Maura]

When planning your visuals, what’s your process for creating a shot list? Do you start with storyboards, go scene by scene, or build it around emotion and pacing?

Share your tips, tools, and how your shot list helps bring your vision to life on set! 😀

[Christine]

I’ve only directed on one series, so far, The Blacklist (for NBC) but did 7 of their episodes and i was their alternating script supervisor for all 10 seasons and have a 30 year career as Script Supervisor on films, tv, commercials, and industrials and also served as Script Supervisor on The Sopranos for all their seasons.

The Blacklist was a 3 camera show, for the most part. Later in the series, to save money, we were asked to specify which scenes could be shot with fewr cameras.

As for shot listing, it always starts with story. I read the script 1st just to enjoy it, then I read it a 2nd time to get a sense of any themes, to see the character and story archs, and to get a sense of the tone. The 3rd time I read it, I start to envision the potential blocking of characters, and types of shots that will best tell the story. Once I see sets and locations, I can see if my blocking will work and feel right and where I can stage cameras to get those key shots I need to tell the story, including considering transitions, and what my other 2 cameras will be able to cover to help minimize set ups and male my daya efficient.

I’ll then use the set plans and location photos to draw up overheads depicting actor positions/movement and camera placement. I color code my cameras per set up (for instance, the 1st 3 camera set ups might be blue, the 2nd red, turn-arounds a 3rd color, etc)

I then list those shots as 1A, 1B, 1C, Then 2A, 2B, 2C, and so on. I’ll indicate any movement (tracking, booming, dollying in/out, steadicam, slider, jib or crane, durch angle, etc) any specialty shots & equipment needed. When I number the shots: 1, 2. 3, etc, I try to list in the shooting order (with consult from DP) and I’ll indicate which shots are priorities and which are if-time-permits.

I also note any special lenses, filters, lighting notes, vfx, or special effects.

I write all this up on a facing page in my script. I keep a 2nd copy of them on a ring so in scene order so I’ve got a quick reference to all my visuals I can flip through as I block and rehearse scenes. I prefer a hard copy as opposed to being digital, I just find it faster to access what I’m looking for on set. However, for my initial script breakdown, I like Scriptation so my notes transfer easily with revisions. My overhead floorplans, I do on paper. I can check off what I’ve done and jot any quick notes I need if plans change on the day.

Possibly, on another series, I’d tweek how I do things based on how that series works.

– Christine Gee

[Kim]

Thank you Christine!

[Don]

Christine’s process and materials are perfect. These surely give her a deep understanding of the scenes. I recommend, somewhat glibly, that a director seldom open that binder of preproduction materials and rely more on the blocking rehearsals. While preparing all of these materials, the Director is a lone, capricious, omniscient god with a pencil or an iPad. However, on the day, many other artists are involved– principally the actors. Plus, there’s physics and biology: the earth turns, lunch has its soporific effect, etc. It’s much better to have your plans guide the much better movie that you’ll make by noticing reality than to try to pound reality to make an inferior copy of your plan. Practically, this means getting the most essential shots or aspects that tell the emotional story from your plan, and working out the actual flow and practicalities with your collaborators.

[Kim]

I really enjoyed watching the Blacklist. It’s interesting that you went from Script Supervisor to Director. I usually hear from Cinematographer to Director.

[Jon]

My perspective is primarily from the perspective of a cinematographer on small independent films. But I’ve found on projects of that size, often a lot of the preproduction on shot lists goes out the window pretty quickly unfortunately. This is primarily because of the variables encountered on projects like this. Locations dictate a lot of the options, as does blocking and of course time. I still think it’s a worthwhile endeavor, it helps to give me an idea of the directors’s visual storytelling. These shot lists also help with very specific or unique shots that we’ll put extra effort into. But on smaller, long form projects, there is often a lot of need for flexibly, and to not get to tied to your shot list or storyboards. I can’t tell you how often, a storyboard looks great, but isn’t possible in our location. Shot lists are more flexible, but blocking and time often times dictate our shot options, so the shot lists can vary significantly from what gets shot.

[Author]

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