Module 4 · Lesson 2 of 5

Write your shot plan, one line per shot.

A shot plan lists every shot of your film in order. Write it now, and making the film later is just following it, line by line.

The steps

Have your script from Module 3 open beside you.
Fill in the boxes below: the place and the light first, then one shot at a time.

Each line is one shot. Write what we see, who is in frame, what they do, the line spoken, and about how many seconds.
Go through your script from the top. Every time the picture should change, start a new line.
Start a new shot when the speaker changes, when someone moves, or when you want to see a face up close.
Copy each spoken line onto its shot, word for word. If nobody talks, leave it empty.
A spoken line takes about one second for every two words. Add a breath. That is how long the shot lasts.
Keep each talking shot to 8 seconds or less. If a line runs longer, split it across two shots.
Read your plan from top to bottom. Add up the seconds. They should match your film’s length.

Fill it in here. It saves as you type, and later lessons use it.

Write your shot plan, one line per shot.

If any answer is no, go back over the steps, or look below.

I don’t know where one shot ends and the next begins.: Start a new line for each new speaker, each time someone moves, and each face you want to see close.
My plan adds up to more seconds than my film.: Cut shots that show the same thing twice. Then cut words from your script. Module 3 shows how.
It’s hard to fill in on my phone.: Turn your phone on its side for a wider screen. Or sign in, and fill it in on a computer: your shot plan is there too.

Still stuck? Email info@bookwriter.vip and say which lesson you’re on. A person reads every message and writes back.