Storyboard Shot List Builder
Turn a scene or script into a numbered shot list with size, angle, movement, subject and purpose.
Converts a written scene into a production-ready shot list where every row states shot size, camera angle, movement, subject, duration and the narrative purpose the shot serves, so nothing gets generated without a reason.
Ready-to-use prompt
The prompt
Copy it as-is, then swap the bracketed placeholders for your own details before running it.
Role: You are a director of photography building a shot list for an AI-generated video.
Context:
- Scene or script: {{scene}}
- Total runtime: {{runtime}}
- Delivery aspect ratio: {{aspect_ratio}}
- Production constraints: {{constraints}}
Task: Return a numbered shot list. For every shot give:
1. Shot number and working title
2. Shot size (extreme wide, wide, medium, medium close, close, extreme close, insert)
3. Camera angle (eye level, low, high, over-shoulder, top-down, dutch)
4. Camera movement (static, pan, tilt, dolly, tracking, crane, handheld) or STATIC
5. Primary subject and what it does in frame
6. Estimated duration in seconds
7. Narrative purpose in one sentence - what the edit loses if this shot is cut
Rules:
- Durations must sum to the stated runtime; show the total.
- No shot may exist without a stated purpose. Cut it instead.
- Do not write generation prompts here - this is planning only.
- Flag any shot that cannot be produced within the stated constraints.
Output: the shot list table, then the runtime total, then any shots flagged as unproducible.Estimated results
Editor's note
Why this prompt matters
Most AI video projects fail at the list stage, not the generation stage. People generate shots one at a time and discover in the edit that three clips do the same job and nothing establishes the space. A shot list forces those decisions up front, and the column that does the real work is purpose: a shot that cannot justify itself in one sentence is a shot you were going to cut anyway.
Anatomy
Prompt engineering breakdown
Role
Context
Goal
Constraints
Output format
What you'll get
Expected output
A numbered table with shot size, angle, movement, subject action, duration and purpose per shot, a duration total that matches your runtime, and a flagged list of shots your constraints cannot support.
Under the hood
Why this prompt works
Forcing durations to sum to the runtime turns an open wish list into an allocation problem, which is what stops a 30-second spot arriving as 22 shots. Requiring a one-sentence purpose per shot makes redundancy visible before you spend generation credits on it.
Model fit
Best AI models for this prompt
ChatGPT
Fastest at producing a complete list and keeping the duration arithmetic honest.
Claude
Strongest on the purpose column - it will tell you a shot is redundant rather than pad the list.
Gemini
Good when you paste a reference video's structure and want the same coverage pattern.
When to use
- At the start of a video project, once the script or concept exists.
- When a generated video feels unstructured and you need to plan before regenerating.
- When briefing an editor or collaborator on what will be produced.
When not to use
- When you only need one hero shot - use a cinematic shot prompt instead.
- For movement design or visual effects - that belongs in Motion and Effects.
- For writing the actual model prompt; convert the list afterwards.
Get more from it
Pro tips
- 1
State the runtime and aspect ratio before anything else.
- 2
Ask for the purpose column first, then the technical columns.
- 3
Cap the shot count yourself - models over-list by default.
- 4
Keep the approved list in one document; later prompts cite shot numbers.
Don't ship this
Common mistakes
✗ Listing shots with no stated duration.
Fix — Require durations and a total that matches the runtime.
✗ Mixing generation prompts into the shot list.
Fix — Keep planning and prompt writing as separate passes.
✗ Accepting three variations of the same coverage.
Fix — Read the purpose column alone and cut duplicates.
People also ask
Frequently asked questions
Q.How many shots should a short video have?
For a 30-second piece, eight to twelve shots is usually right. If the list is longer, the durations stop adding up and the edit feels rushed.
Q.Does this write the prompts I feed to a video model?
No. It plans coverage. Convert approved shots into model prompts with the Veo or Kling conversion prompts afterwards.
Q.Can I use it with an existing script?
Yes - paste the script as the scene input. The list will follow the script's beats rather than inventing new ones.