Shot list

As a director, it is my responsibility to translate the written words of a script or outline into the compelling visual images that effectively tell my story. I can do this by focusing my audience's attention on the part of a scene that is most important at every moment.

I have started by creating a shot lists to help me look back at when I am creating the storyboard.

Organizing my project before I shoot would save me time during the edit stage.

Pan: Fixed camera position, horizontal movement.

Tilt: Fixed camera position, vertical movement.

Tracking shot: Camera moves with action in any direction.

Crane shot: Camera rises or descends.

Zoom: Fixed camera, optical motion toward or away from subject.

Dissolve: Transition with one shot fading out as another simultaneously fades in. While this is not actually performed during the shoot, it needs to be planned for in the edit.

Rack Focus: Shifting the focus from something in the foreground to something in the background, or vise versa.

XCU: Extreme close up. For people, maybe just the eyes.

CU: Close up, the subject fills the frame. Emphasizes detail. For people, this is a usually a head shot, with perhaps only the tops of the shoulders visible.

MS: Medium Shot, the subject seen from the chest up.

FS: Full Shot, the subject seen from head to toe.

WS: Wide Shot, the subject seen within the larger environment.

EWS (Extreme Wide Shot): The view is so far from the subject that he isn't even visible. Often used as an establishing shot.

(OSS)Over-the-Shoulder Shot: Looking from behind a person at the subject. Used to show two people speaking to eachother.

Point-of-View Shot (POV): Shows a view from the subject's perspective, to make the audience feel as if its them.

Weather Shot:The subject is the weather. Can be used for other purposes, e.g. background for graphics.

Noddy Shot: Usually refers to a shot of the interviewer listening and reacting to the subject.

Two-Shot: A shot of two people, framed similarly to a mid-shot.