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The shot list that turns one day into forty assets
The difference between a shoot day that produces a month of content and one that produces four usable files is almost always this document.
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Shot list
One row per shot, grouped by set-upSet-up 1 — [lighting and background description]
1.1 · Hero wide · static · product centred on plinth · for launch film open + PDP hero
1.2 · Macro detail · slow push in · texture of the cap · for Reel hook + listing image 3
1.3 · Pack rotation · turntable, 360° · for product page spin
1.4 · Stills: front, back, both sides, top · for marketplace listing
Set-up 2 — [next lighting and background]
2.1 · Hands opening pack · handheld, eye level · for unboxing Reel
2.2 · Pour / application · 120fps slow motion · for ad hook variation A
2.3 · Reaction, over shoulder · for ad hook variation B
Coverage to capture on every set-up
Vertical 9:16 pass of the hero frame
Clean plate with no product (for compositing and text placement)
Ten seconds of extra runtime at head and tail of each take
Stills of the final lighting set-up (so we can rebuild it for the next drop)
Running order
Hardest hero shot first
All shots sharing one lighting set-up together
Anything involving food, liquid or ice last, or with backups ready
Wrap buffer: 45 minutes for pickups and anything missed
The standard shot types
| Shot | What it shows | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Hero wide | The product, complete and clear | Film opening, product page hero |
| Macro detail | Texture, finish, material, mechanism | Ad hooks, listing images, trust |
| In-use | A person using it in context | Ads, lifestyle gallery |
| Scale reference | Size against a hand or known object | Listings, reducing returns |
| Unboxing | What arrives and in what order | High-intent social, PDP |
| 360 / rotation | Every side continuously | Product page spin |
| Clean plate | Empty set with no product | Compositing, text overlays |
| Reaction | A face responding to the product | Ad hooks, UGC |
The rules that keep a day on schedule
- 1
Group by lighting, not by product
Moving lights is slow; swapping products is fast. Shoot everything that shares a set-up together, even if those shots belong to different deliverables.
- 2
Shoot the hero first
The most difficult, most important shot happens while everyone is fresh and there is still time to solve problems. Never leave it until after lunch.
- 3
Capture vertical on everything
Even when the deliverable is 16:9. Reframing a 16:9 master into 9:16 always costs composition; a dedicated vertical pass takes thirty seconds during the shoot.
- 4
Leave a pickup buffer
Forty-five minutes at the end for the shots you realise you need. Days without a buffer become reshoots.
Frequently asked questions
How many shots can you realistically get in a day?
For product-only work, six to ten lighting set-ups with three to six shots each — roughly thirty to fifty distinct assets. Add talent, food or location changes and that number falls sharply, which is why the running order matters so much.
Who writes the shot list, the client or the crew?
We write it from your brief, then you review it. You know which SKUs and features must be covered; we know how long each set-up takes and what will realistically fit in the day.
Should the shot list be locked before the shoot?
Locked as a minimum, not as a maximum. Everything on the list must be captured before anyone improvises. Some of the best frames come from experimenting in the last hour, once the required shots are safe.
Do photographers and videographers need separate lists?
One list, two columns. Stills and motion usually share lighting set-ups, so planning them together is what makes a combined shoot day efficient rather than two half-days.
Have something worth filming?
Tell us what you are launching and we will come back with ideas, a plan and a quote within two working days.