A shot list is a full list of all the shots in your trailer with detailed information for each of them (shot type, action etc.) Creative shot choices aside, it’s easy to forget that a shot list is a strategic document. Creating a shot list is essentially like creating a shooting gameplan for the day.
Here's our friend Darius with a reminder of the different shot types and angles:
Here are some top tips for writing a shot list:
...And here's a specific guide to shooting a dialogue scene:
Your a shot list needs to contain EVERY shot you plan to film for your trailer AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing. These additional shots are often close-ups, cutaways, alternative angles or similar.
We advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word to set out your shot list - you can find an example here. It makes sense to write your shot list by scene or location rather than a huge list of every shot in the trailer in chronological order. It's also important to remember that trailers require a range of shots from the whole TV drama series - so make sure your shot list reflects this.
Finally, although trailers are very difficult to create, there is some good news: there will almost always be a series of fast-paced shots towards the end of the trailer that get across the drama and emotion of the show. Make sure you plan these in your shot list! These often don't require context or dialogue - just something dramatic, emotional or visually striking. Plan it in!
Once complete, post the shot list to your Media 2 coursework blog.
Optional pre-production: Storyboard
Hollywood filmmakers will also storyboard every shot they plan to film. They use storyboard artists to create a visual representation of the shots they wish to film - and use it to communicate a visual plan to the film crew. If you work well visually or are artistic you may wish to create storyboards for key shots in your trailer. If so, storyboard sheets are available in DF07 or online here.
No comments:
Post a Comment