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You’ve planned out the story concept, the script and you've set a budget -
now comes time to break your script down into the respective shots.
Take each scene in turn and think about how it should be portrayed on camera.
This might be best done with the core members of the crew,
but you'll definitely you’ll want to have the director of photography or your camera operator involved.
Consider the location, lighting, cast and props. With regards to the camera,
you’ll want to consider the framing of the shot,
keeping in mind any dynamic angles to enhance the storytelling.
Establishing shots are important as they tell the viewer the context of the scene,
and on the other end, you have close-ups, which give the viewer a much more intimate view
of characters or objects to focus their attention on.
It’s also important to keep in mind your capacity to execute.
So, don’t plan an aerial shot unless you’re budgeting to hire a helicopter or a drone!
Now if you're on a tight budget then another option for establishing shots
or cutaways is to source stock footage.
Now there's a host of high-quality libraries online, but always check to be sure that you're
purchasing correct usage licenses for your intended distribution.
Now that you know the shots that make up your film you can compile a shotlist.
This is important as it allows everyone on set to keep track of exactly what has been completed.
Give each shot a unique name – for example ‘scene 3, shot A’
so everyone can easily identify them.
Shotlister is a great app for the iOS that can make this process a lot easier.
We’ve also included a shotlist template in the entry pack –
you get it for free when you register for the My RØDE Reel contest.