Music Video Shot List Template

What this is

A shot list is a spreadsheet-style plan that turns a song into a shooting schedule. Every row is one setup: what the camera sees, where it stands, what the talent does, and what timestamp in the song the shot is meant to cover. It is the difference between arriving at a location with a vibe and arriving with a plan.

This template gives you three things: a shot list row format that works for phone or camera, a call sheet you can send to anyone showing up on the day, and a gear checklist that stops the shoot from stalling because someone forgot the ND filter or a lens cloth.

It is deliberately format-agnostic. The same structure works for a one-location performance video shot on a phone in ninety minutes, and for a two-location narrative piece with a two-person crew and a full day. The scope changes. The document does not.

If you already have a treatment or a moodboard, the shot list is the next step. If you don't have those yet, write them first — a shot list without a concept is just a list.

When to use it

Start this document one to three weeks before your shoot day, at the same time you lock location, wardrobe, and crew. Fill it in as those pieces settle. Print it and bring it to set. Cross off shots as you complete them. The document exists so you never have to remember the plan while you are also performing, framing, and watching the clock.

Common mistakes

• Building the list around locations instead of the song — you end up with beautiful shots that cut against the track
• Overshooting the first location and running out of light for the second
• No cutaways planned, so the edit has nothing to cut to when a performance take goes soft
• Wardrobe not tied to specific shots, so continuity breaks between takes
• Forgetting to shoot a clean "name/title card" plate you can use for thumbnails and social cutdowns
• Ignoring audio for behind-the-scenes footage — you get great BTS and no usable sound
• Not shooting a full-song wide as a safety net in case coverage falls short in the edit

How to use it

1. Break the song into sections (intro, verse 1, hook, verse 2, hook, bridge, outro) with rough timestamps. Print the lyric sheet with those timestamps in the margin.
2. For each section, decide the primary visual idea — performance, narrative, or a mix. Assign a location to each section.
3. Fill in the shot list row by row. Start with your widest establishing shot per location, then medium, then close-up, then any inserts or cutaways. This is the order you will usually shoot in, because you can pull light and lens tighter as you go.
4. Add every cutaway and B-roll shot to the list explicitly. If it is not on the sheet, you will forget it.
5. Build the call sheet the night before. Include call times, addresses, contact numbers, and the shot count at each location so the day has a rhythm.
6. Pack the gear checklist the night before. Charge everything. Wipe every lens. Format every card.
7. On set, shoot the wide-safety pass of the full song first at each location before you commit to close coverage. If the day falls apart, you still have a video.
8. After each setup, glance at the sheet, cross off the shot, and confirm you got audio sync (clap or claim in-frame) if you plan to cut to music in post.

The blank template

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MUSIC VIDEO SHOT LIST
================================================================

PROJECT
Artist:
Song title:
Song length:
Director / Shooter:
Editor:
Shoot date(s):
Locations:
Delivery deadline:

CONCEPT (one paragraph)


SONG SECTIONS
0:00–0:__  Intro
0:__–0:__  Verse 1
0:__–0:__  Hook
0:__–0:__  Verse 2
0:__–0:__  Hook
0:__–0:__  Bridge / Breakdown
0:__–0:__  Outro

----------------------------------------------------------------
SHOT LIST
----------------------------------------------------------------
# | Timestamp | Location | Type (WS/MS/CU/ECU) | Camera move (locked/handheld/dolly/gimbal) | Talent / Prop | Wardrobe | Notes
--|-----------|----------|---------------------|--------------------------------------------|---------------|----------|------
1 |           |          |                     |                                            |               |          |
2 |           |          |                     |                                            |               |          |
3 |           |          |                     |                                            |               |          |
4 |           |          |                     |                                            |               |          |
5 |           |          |                     |                                            |               |          |
(add rows as needed)

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"SHOTS YOU ALWAYS FORGET" — CHECK BEFORE WRAP
----------------------------------------------------------------
[ ] Cutaways (hands, feet, jewelry, texture)
[ ] Walk-ins and walk-outs (entering / leaving frame)
[ ] Environment (sky, street signs, exteriors)
[ ] Product / name / logo shot (title card plate)
[ ] Reaction shots (crowd, extras, empty room)
[ ] A full-song wide-safety pass at each location
[ ] Vertical reframes of two or three key moments for social
[ ] A silent "clean plate" of each location (no talent) for the edit

----------------------------------------------------------------
GEAR CHECKLIST
----------------------------------------------------------------
Camera / Phone
[ ] Camera or phone (charged, storage cleared)
[ ] Backup camera / second phone
[ ] Extra batteries (x2 minimum)
[ ] Memory cards / cloud offload plan
[ ] Phone rig or cage
[ ] Small tripod / gorillapod
[ ] Gimbal (if using) — charged and balanced

Optics
[ ] ND filter (for outdoor daylight)
[ ] Microfiber lens cloth (x2)
[ ] Wide adapter or second lens if used

Lighting
[ ] One small LED panel or ring light
[ ] Diffusion (a white sheet works)
[ ] Reflector or white foam board

Audio (for BTS, not song sync)
[ ] Wireless lav or on-camera mic
[ ] Headphones for monitoring
[ ] Playback speaker (small bluetooth) for talent to lip-sync to

Playback
[ ] Song file on the playback device
[ ] Backup of song file on a second device
[ ] Sync method decided (clap in-frame or timecode)

Set kit
[ ] Water and snacks for everyone on set
[ ] Gaff tape
[ ] Sharpie
[ ] Small first aid
[ ] Trash bag (leave locations cleaner than you found them)
[ ] Cash for parking / tips

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CALL SHEET
----------------------------------------------------------------
Date:
General call time:
Shoot wrap target:
Weather / sunset time:

CREW
Name          Role                Contact         Call time
_____________ ___________________ _______________ __________
_____________ ___________________ _______________ __________
_____________ ___________________ _______________ __________

TALENT
Name          Role                Contact         Call time   Wardrobe
_____________ ___________________ _______________ __________  __________

LOCATIONS
1) Address:                                Arrive: __:__  Wrap: __:__
   Parking / access notes:
   Point of contact on site:
2) Address:                                Arrive: __:__  Wrap: __:__
   Parking / access notes:
   Point of contact on site:

NEAREST HOSPITAL:
NEAREST BATHROOM (per location):

NOTES / RISKS:

Completed example — phone-only performance video, one location

================================================================
MUSIC VIDEO SHOT LIST
================================================================

PROJECT
Artist:            Julian Reyes
Song title:        "Late Bus"
Song length:       2:48
Director / Shooter: Julian Reyes (self) + friend on second phone
Editor:            Julian Reyes
Shoot date:        Saturday, 2:00pm–6:00pm
Locations:         Rooftop of Julian's apartment building
Delivery deadline: 12 days from shoot

CONCEPT
Straight performance video. Golden hour on the roof. Two phones —
one locked wide on a tripod running the full song every take, one
handheld for movement and closeups. No narrative, no extras. Feel:
patient, cinematic, warm.

SONG SECTIONS
0:00–0:16  Intro (no vocals, sparse)
0:16–0:48  Verse 1
0:48–1:04  Hook
1:04–1:36  Verse 2
1:36–1:52  Hook
1:52–2:20  Bridge
2:20–2:48  Outro

----------------------------------------------------------------
SHOT LIST
----------------------------------------------------------------
# | Timestamp | Location  | Type | Camera move        | Talent/Prop        | Wardrobe   | Notes
1 | 0:00–2:48 | Rooftop N | WS   | Locked (tripod)    | Julian, full body  | Black tee  | Safety wide, full song, every take
2 | 0:16–0:48 | Rooftop N | MS   | Handheld           | Julian, chest-up   | Black tee  | Verse 1 focus, room to sway
3 | 0:48–1:04 | Rooftop N | CU   | Handheld           | Julian, face       | Black tee  | Hook — get 3 clean takes
4 | 1:04–1:36 | Rooftop E | MS   | Handheld, orbit    | Julian             | Black tee  | Rotate opposite direction each take
5 | 1:52–2:20 | Rooftop W | WS   | Locked, low angle  | Julian silhouette  | Black tee  | Sun behind him, bridge
6 | 2:20–2:48 | Rooftop N | ECU  | Locked             | Eyes only          | —          | Outro closer
7 | any       | Rooftop   | CU   | Handheld           | Hands, chain, ring | —          | Cutaways
8 | any       | Rooftop   | WS   | Locked             | Empty rooftop      | —          | Clean plate for title card
9 | any       | Rooftop   | WS   | Handheld pan       | Skyline            | —          | Environment / establishing

"SHOTS YOU ALWAYS FORGET" — all checked before wrap.

GEAR CHECKLIST — packed:
Two phones, tripod, gorillapod, ND filter for the primary phone,
two microfiber cloths, small bluetooth speaker for playback, water
for two people, one power bank, gaff tape.

CALL SHEET
Date: Saturday
Call time: 2:00pm on the roof
Sunset: 7:41pm — shoot wraps at 6:30pm to catch light window
Crew: Julian (talent + director), Marcus (second phone / playback)
Nearest bathroom: Julian's apartment, 4B
Risks: Wind — bring gaff tape to secure the tripod.

Completed example — 2-location narrative video, small crew

================================================================
MUSIC VIDEO SHOT LIST
================================================================

PROJECT
Artist:            M. Okoye (feat. Vela)
Song title:        "Corner Store"
Song length:       3:22
Director / Shooter: Aisha D. (DP), M. Okoye (co-director)
Editor:            Aisha D.
Shoot date:        Sunday, 9:00am–7:00pm
Locations:         (1) Corner bodega on 4th & Grant  (2) Rooftop parking lot, 12th & Main
Delivery deadline: 3 weeks from shoot

CONCEPT
Narrative-performance hybrid. A late-night walk from the corner
store to a rooftop where the artist meets a small crew of friends.
Verses = walking, movement, isolation. Hooks = the rooftop, group
energy. Bodega owner is a real person — cast as himself.

SONG SECTIONS
0:00–0:20  Intro (bodega interior, ambient)
0:20–0:56  Verse 1 (walking, streets)
0:56–1:22  Hook (rooftop reveal)
1:22–1:58  Verse 2 (Vela feature, rooftop)
1:58–2:24  Hook
2:24–2:58  Bridge (group energy)
2:58–3:22  Outro (walking away, back to bodega door)

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SHOT LIST
----------------------------------------------------------------
# | Timestamp | Location | Type | Camera move       | Talent/Prop           | Wardrobe        | Notes
1 | 0:00–0:20 | Bodega   | WS   | Locked            | Bodega owner at reg.  | Owner: apron    | Ambient — no lip sync
2 | 0:00–0:20 | Bodega   | CU   | Handheld          | Cash + receipt        | —               | Insert, hands only
3 | 0:20–0:36 | Street 1 | MS   | Gimbal, tracking  | M. Okoye walking      | Grey hoodie     | Behind, then side
4 | 0:36–0:56 | Street 2 | WS   | Locked, low       | M. Okoye far, alone   | Grey hoodie     | Streetlights on
5 | 0:56–1:22 | Rooftop  | WS   | Handheld reveal   | M. Okoye + 4 friends  | Grey hoodie     | Hook — energy release
6 | 1:22–1:58 | Rooftop  | MS   | Locked            | Vela performs         | Vela: red coat  | Cover verse from 2 angles
7 | 1:58–2:24 | Rooftop  | CU   | Handheld          | M. Okoye + Vela both  | as above        | Hook — trade lines
8 | 2:24–2:58 | Rooftop  | WS   | Gimbal, orbit     | Full group            | as above        | Bridge, movement
9 | 2:58–3:22 | Street   | MS   | Handheld, follow  | M. Okoye walking back | Grey hoodie     | Outro
10| 3:20–3:22 | Bodega   | CU   | Locked            | Door bell, hand only  | —               | Final frame
11| any       | Both     | —    | —                 | Cutaways, hands, sky  | —               | Batch at end
12| any       | Rooftop  | WS   | Locked            | Clean plate, no cast  | —               | For title card

"SHOTS YOU ALWAYS FORGET" — check before wrap at each location.

CALL SHEET
Date: Sunday
General call: 8:30am (bodega); 3:30pm (rooftop); wrap 7:00pm
Sunset: 8:12pm

CREW
Aisha D.       DP / Director        555-0142    8:30am
Ren P.         Gaffer / AC          555-0177    8:30am
Jordan K.      PA / Playback        555-0169    8:30am

TALENT
M. Okoye       Lead                 555-0111    9:00am    Grey hoodie, black jeans
Vela           Feature              555-0125    3:00pm    Red coat, black tee
Bodega owner   As himself           on site     9:00am    His apron
4 friends      Rooftop crowd        —           3:30pm    Casual, dark tones

LOCATIONS
1) 4th & Grant bodega — arrive 8:30am, wrap 12:00pm.
   Owner cleared shoot; buy $50 in product as thank you.
   Parking: metered on Grant.
2) 12th & Main rooftop lot — arrive 3:30pm, wrap 7:00pm.
   Contact: building super, ext. 4.
   Access via freight elevator; bring COI.

NEAREST HOSPITAL: St. Vincent's, 6th & Union.
RISKS: Rain forecast 20%. Backup date: following Sunday.

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