How to Make a Shot List and Shooting Schedule for a Short Film

A shooting plan is the list that shows what each scene needs and what gets shot in which order. It has three parts: the breakdown (location, cast, props, costume), the shot list (which shot, what it tells, how long it takes) and the order. The most important rule: shooting order is not story order — scenes set in the same location are shot on the same day, even if one comes at the start of the story and the other at the end.

Why plan?

The worst place to think on a set is the set: everyone waits, the light goes, morale drains away. A plan moves the thinking to where it's cheap — the table. The most expensive sentence on a shoot day isn't “the camera's broken”, it's “so what were we shooting now?”

Breakdown: what does each scene need?

A short list for every scene: location, who's in it, which props, which costume. Example: “Kitchen · father, daughter · tea glass, newspaper · the father's old cardigan.” Write down every object the scene mentions — you'll need it again for continuity.

Order: group by location and cast

The logic of the order: group by location first, then by cast availability, then by light (day/night). The kitchen's morning scene and evening scene are done in one setup. The order follows what's possible, not the story.

The day plan and plan B

Give every shot a setup time plus a shooting time; the total tells you how many days you need. Aim for no more than 3–4 pages a day, and put the breaks in the schedule. For the most critical scenes, think of a backup: another location, another day, or a simpler solution that saves the moment.

How to do it

1. List the scenes — Reduce every scene in the screenplay to a single line.
2. Break it down — For each scene, write the location, cast, props and costume.
3. Write the shots — For each scene, note which shots you'll take and what each shot tells.
4. Estimate the time — Keep setup + shooting time realistic; on set everything takes longer than you guessed.
5. Put it in shooting order — Same location and same cast back to back; keep day and night apart.
6. Build the day — 3–4 pages a day, breaks included. Aim to finish in as few days as you can.
7. Write plan B — If a location cancels or the weather turns, what will you do — scene by scene.

Checklist

• Have you broken down every scene (location, cast, props, costume)?
• Is the shot list ready for every scene — which shot, what it tells?
• Have you put the scenes in shooting order: same location/cast back to back?
• Are you aiming for no more than 3–4 pages a day, with breaks in the schedule?
• Do you have a plan B for every scene?

Download as Word and PDF

Open the Word version and write straight over it; the PDF looks the same on every device and prints as it is.

Last updated: September 27, 2026