The 12 Best Shot List Tools, Apps and Software in 2026

1) Quick Answer: The Best Shot List Tools in 2026

Our pick for the best shot list tool in 2026 is Storyflow, our own product: attach your script or open the board that holds your storyboard, and its AI drafts the shot list, one numbered entry per camera setup, beside the storyboard and the call sheet PDF. It is first on one stated basis: how much of the list the tool writes for you. Choose StudioBinder instead when you need the best shot list software for a crewed production, with setups grouped into shooting order and call sheets sent and tracked. Shot Lister is the best on-set app, and Google Sheets is the free spreadsheet for a one-off shoot.

A shot list is written in story order and shot in setup order. You write it scene by scene, the way the audience will watch it. You shoot it grouped by location, by lighting setup, by which actor is on the clock. A shot list that only exists in story order forces the assistant director to re-sort it in their head on the day, and that is where shoot hours quietly disappear.

I have built shot lists for documentary shoots and interview-led productions where the schedule was tight and the location was rented by the hour. The pattern that holds is this: the shot lists that worked were the ones that already existed in shooting order before the day began. Section 3 explains the two orders, and the table in section 4 scores every tool on six criteria, including the ones other tools win.

Which Tool Should You Use to Make a Shot List for a Video Shoot?

Use Storyflow to make the shot list, because the slow part of the job is writing the rows, and its AI writes them from the script, storyboard or brief you already have. Pick something else on one of these conditions:

• You need call sheets sent to the crew and tracked: StudioBinder.
• Your AD runs the floor from an iPhone or iPad: Shot Lister, with the list planned in Storyflow or StudioBinder beforehand.
• The budget is zero and the shoot is one day: Google Sheets or Excel.
• Your script is locked and you want breakdown, schedule and budget from it: Filmustage or Celtx.
• The client approves storyboard frames first: Boords.

All 12 Shot List Tools: Our Pick First, Then the Rest by Job

Storyflow is first because it is our pick, and it is our product. The basis is one criterion: how much of the shot list the tool writes for you from a script, storyboard or brief. The other eleven are not ranked against each other by a total score. Each is listed with the job it is best at, starting with the two a crewed shoot is most likely to need.

1. Storyflow: our pick. Best for drafting a shot list with AI from a script, storyboard or brief, on one board with the rest of the shoot
2. StudioBinder: best production suite, with setup grouping and call sheets it sends and tracks
3. Shot Lister: best on-set shot list app for running the day
4. Celtx: best script-to-shot-list tagging inside a writing suite
5. Filmustage: best AI script breakdown, with shot data on generated storyboard frames
6. Boords: best storyboard-to-shot-list flow with client review
7. Yamdu: best full production management platform
8. Notion: best database shot list with sortable views
9. Google Sheets: best free spreadsheet baseline
10. Airtable: best relational shot list linked to scenes, locations and gear
11. Milanote: a visual shot list of cards and reference images
12. Trello: a simple kanban shot tracker for the shoot day

Shot List App, Shot List Software or Shot List Maker: Which Do You Need?

People search for the same job under several names. Here is what each usually means and which tool fits.

For the storyboard that feeds the shot list, see What is a Storyboard? The Complete Guide. For the wider toolkit, see The 12 Best Pre-Production Tools in 2026.

2) Comparison Table: 12 Shot List Tools at a Glance

Prices were read from each vendor's own pricing page on October 10, 2026. Where a page showed no price that day, the table says so and quotes no figure. Storyflow, our own product, is listed first as our pick; the other rows follow in the order of the list in section 1, and no total score is published. The per-criterion scores are in section 4.

Frequently Asked: Which Shot List Tools Are Most Trusted, Best Rated, and Fairest on Price

Which shot list tools are the most trusted on a working set?

StudioBinder and Shot Lister. StudioBinder is trusted because its shot list has the layout an AD, a DP and a producer have all seen before, with setups grouped and the day's time totalled. Shot Lister is trusted for the other half of the day: it is the app that runs on a phone at the monitor, tracks what has been covered, and shows whether the day is still achievable. Between them they own the two moments a shot list is actually used. Storyflow is not the tool a crew reads from at the monitor, and this article does not claim it is.

Which shot list tools are the most innovative?

Storyflow and Filmustage. Storyflow's AI reads a script as a PDF, Final Draft, Fountain or Word file, or the storyboard already on your board, and drafts one entry per camera setup with scene-first numbering, which removes the retyping between the script and the list. Filmustage reads a screenplay and tags cast, props, locations and wardrobe automatically, and its AI storyboard frames arrive with camera, lens and frame rate attached. Boords deserves a mention for turning a pasted script into frames with a shot list that carries camera angles.

Which shot list tools are known for fair and transparent pricing?

Google Sheets is free with a personal Google account, and a spreadsheet shot list is a legitimate answer for a one-day shoot. Shot Lister prints every price on its home page: Pro at $15.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Boords lists four tiers and a free plan with 5 active storyboards. Filmustage says its non-AI tools, shot lists and call sheets included, are on the free plan. The least transparent on the day we checked were Yamdu, whose pricing page loaded without plans, and Celtx, whose page showed plan names without amounts. StudioBinder's pricing page also loaded without plans, though its support article lists Indie at $49 a month for 2 users. Storyflow is paid-only during early access from $7.99 a month billed annually; its Free plan launches before the end of 2026, and anyone a paid member invites to a board joins free now, so the DP and the AD cost nothing to add.

Which shot list tools are the highest rated?

It depends on the criterion, and the table in section 4 shows all six. Storyflow has the highest score for drafting the list for you (10 of 10), which is the basis this page uses to put it first. StudioBinder and Shot Lister have the highest score for structure, meaning how well a tool holds both orders (10 each, against Storyflow's 6). StudioBinder and Yamdu lead on sitting beside the rest of the plan, Boords on sharing, Shot Lister on the shoot day and Google Sheets on price. If your list is already written and all you need is to run the day, take Shot Lister and skip the rest.

Where is Storyflow not the right answer?

Running the list on set from a phone with the day retimed live (Shot Lister), sending call sheets and tracking who confirmed (StudioBinder), a stripboard that recalculates and Day Out of Days reports (StudioBinder, Yamdu, Filmustage), and character-consistent rendered storyboard frames (Boords, or an image generator such as Krea or Runway). Storyflow builds and holds the plan the shot list comes out of. It lays the call sheet out as a PDF; sending it and chasing confirmations is another tool's job.

What Goes On a Shot List: The Eleven Columns

Every shot list tool in this article is a different opinion about the same eleven columns. Knowing them makes tool choice concrete, and makes a spreadsheet a real option when the shoot is small.

1. Shot number. Scene and shot, usually 12A, 12B, 12C. The number is the shot's name for the whole production, including in the edit.
2. Scene. The scene number from the script, so the list can be re-sorted into setup order and back without losing story position.
3. Shot size. Extreme wide, wide, medium wide, medium, medium close-up, close-up, extreme close-up. The single most useful column, because scanning it down a scene shows instantly whether the coverage is flat.
4. Angle. Eye level, high, low, over the shoulder, POV, Dutch. Cheap to note, expensive to discover missing.
5. Movement. Static, pan, tilt, dolly, track, handheld, gimbal, crane, zoom. This column drives the equipment list and the time estimate more than any other.
6. Lens. Focal length, and whether it is prime or zoom. Matters for continuity and for the camera package you actually rent.
7. Subject. Who or what is in frame. This is the column that makes the list sortable by actor availability.
8. Description. One line of what happens. Not the script's action line rewritten, just enough to identify the shot at 6am.
9. Equipment. Anything beyond the base package: slider, filter, practical light, second body.
10. Estimated time. Minutes for the setup and the takes. Sum it per location and you have the schedule; skip it and the day overruns.
11. Notes and status. Continuity reminders before the shoot, covered or not covered during it.

Here is one filled row, column by column, with which columns a short film can skip:

A shot list with columns 1 through 5 is enough for a short. Adding 6, 7, and 10 makes it schedulable. Column 11 is what turns the list into the record the editor works from. For a copy-ready version with a filled example and templates by type of shoot, see the shot list template for a video shoot.

Building the List From the Script

The order that works: read the scene and mark the beats, decide the master, add coverage for each beat, then add the inserts and cutaways last. Coverage decisions are per beat rather than per scene, which is why a scene with three emotional turns usually needs more setups than its page count suggests. The full method is in How to Make a Shot List for a Film or Video Shoot.

The path each tool gives you: Storyflow drafts the setups with AI from an attached script or the storyboard on the board. Filmustage generates storyboard frames from the script with camera and lens data on each. Celtx and StudioBinder build the list as you tag lines of the script. Boords turns a pasted script into frames with a shot list attached. A spreadsheet, Notion, Airtable, Milanote and Trello all start blank, which is faster than it sounds when you know the eleven columns.

3) The Two Orders

A shot list exists in two orders, and the gap between them is where shoot days are won or lost.

Story order is how the audience experiences the film. Scene 1, shot 1. Scene 1, shot 2. The wide, then the medium, then the close. You write the shot list this way because this is how you think about coverage: scene by scene, beat by beat.

Setup order is how you actually shoot. You do not move from scene 1 to scene 2 because the story does. You shoot every shot in the kitchen before you move the lights to the hallway. You shoot every shot the lead actor is in before they leave at noon. You shoot the exterior while the sun is still right. Setup order is grouped by location, by lighting, by talent availability, and it looks nothing like story order.

Here is the rule that decides tool choice. A shot list tool's real job is translating between the two orders. You build the list in story order because that is how coverage is planned. You hand the crew a version in setup order because that is how the day runs. A tool that only holds one order forces a manual re-sort, usually in the assistant director's head at 6am, and that re-sort leaks time and misses shots.

Tools handle the translation in three ways:

• The number carries one order and the row carries the other. Storyflow numbers every shot scene-first (12A, 12B) and writes the rows in shooting order when it knows your locations or lighting, so both orders live in one list. Shot Lister keeps the shot list and a separate schedule you reorder.
• Grouping. StudioBinder groups shots into camera or lighting setups and lets you drag the setups into the most efficient order.
• Views. Notion and Airtable keep one set of rows and show them sorted or grouped either way, once you have built the views.

Tools that hold one order only are builder tools when that order is the story (Boords, Milanote) and runner tools when it is the setup (Trello). Both kinds are useful; neither is the whole job.

Step One of Making a Shot List: Choose Your Tool

The first step in making a shot list is choosing where the list will live. There are four formats, and the right one depends on how many setups you have and who else needs to read the list.

Tools for Each Step of Making a Shot List

The method has six steps whichever format you choose. This is what each leading tool does at each one.

Storyflow does steps 2 and 3, the slow ones, for you. StudioBinder and Shot Lister are stronger at steps 4 to 6 on a crewed shoot. A spreadsheet does every step by hand, which is fine for 12 setups and painful for 60.

4) How We Evaluated These Tools

Six criteria, chosen for someone who has to make the list and then shoot from it. Our pick, Storyflow, which is our own product, is first on this page because of the first one. The other five are shown so you can choose by the job you have:

1. Drafts the list from what you already have. Does the tool turn a script, storyboard or brief into setup-level rows without retyping? Writing the rows is the slowest part of making the list, and this is the criterion our pick is based on.
2. Two-Orders fit and structure. Scene-first numbering, a fixed vocabulary for size, angle and movement, setup grouping, a time per setup, and a way to get from story order to setup order without rebuilding the list. Translating between the two orders is what the tool does on the day, and it is where StudioBinder and Shot Lister beat Storyflow.
3. Sits beside the rest of the plan. Are the script, the storyboard, the schedule and the call sheet in the same place as the list?
4. Sharing with crew and client. A link a client can open, and a way for the crew to comment.
5. Usable on the day. Ticking off setups, reading and retiming the list on a phone or tablet.
6. Price for a solo filmmaker and a small crew. A published entry price and a free way to start.

Each tool gets a score out of 10 on each criterion, set from the vendor's own product and pricing pages on October 10, 2026, and Storyflow's from its current shot list workflow. No weighted total is published: a total depends on the weights, and the right weights depend on your shoot. This is a comparison of documented features, not a timed test.

How to read the table: each cell is a score out of 10 on that one criterion, and the cells are not added up. Storyflow is our product and it is listed first because it has the highest score on the first column, drafting the list (10, against 7 for Filmustage and Boords and 5 for StudioBinder). It does not lead any other column. It scores 6 on structure because its tables cannot be sorted, filtered or grouped into setups, so a new shooting order means asking the AI to rewrite the rows, and 6 on price because there is no free plan yet. StudioBinder and Shot Lister lead on structure, StudioBinder and Yamdu on sitting beside the plan, Boords on sharing, Shot Lister on the shoot day and Google Sheets on price. If structure, the schedule and call sheets matter more to you than a drafted list, StudioBinder is the tool to choose. StudioBinder, Celtx and Yamdu score 5 on price because each offers a free way to start but showed no price on its pricing page when checked.

5) Quick Picks by Shot List Need

Best for building a shot list from a script: Storyflow. The AI drafts one entry per camera setup from an attached script, a storyboard on the board or a short brief, as a table or as shot cards.

Best production suite, and the pick for scheduling and call sheets: StudioBinder. Shot lists per scene, setups you group and drag into order, and call sheets delivered by email and text.

Best on-set app: Shot Lister. Built for the day itself, with Live Mode on an iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Best from a locked screenplay: Filmustage for an AI breakdown with a stripboard behind it; Celtx if you write there and want to tag shots in the script.

Best storyboard-to-shot-list flow: Boords. A script becomes frames with a shot list attached, and the client reviews the frames by link.

Best free shot list: Google Sheets for a basic spreadsheet, at no cost. Storyflow is paid-only during early access, from $7.99 a month billed annually, with a Free plan launching before the end of 2026.

Best low-cost stack: Google Sheets to build the list, plus Shot Lister's free download on set (up to two projects). Storyflow Plus ($7.99 a month billed annually) is the step up when you want the rows drafted for you.

Try it on a board

Build your shot list in both orders

Draft the list from your script with AI, numbered in story order and written in shooting order, without typing a row.

Generate a shot list→Browse templates

Pre-Production Board template →

6) Detailed Reviews: 12 Shot List Tools

1. Storyflow

Storyflow is an AI visual workspace: a canvas with notes, tables, documents, images and walls, and an AI agent that reads the board and builds onto it. Ask it for a shot list and it first asks three things: whether you want a table or a row of shot cards, how many shots, and where the frames on the cards come from. Then it builds one entry per camera setup, never one per scene, from what you gave it: elements you selected, a storyboard already on the board, or a script you attached as a PDF, Final Draft, Fountain or Word file. Shots are numbered scene-first (12A, 12B) from the script's own scene numbers, and the rows are written in shooting order when the AI knows your locations or lighting. If you just want the columns ready to go, start from the shot list template. On the canvas itself, the Shotlist template opens with the shot cards structured, and the Storyboard template keeps the frames the list derives from on the same board.

Best for: Filmmakers, producers and small video teams who write the shot list themselves and want it drafted from the script, next to the storyboard and the call sheet.

Verdict: Our pick, and our own product: first on this page for drafting the list, which is the basis of the order. It does not group setups, sort a table, recalculate a schedule or send call sheets, so choose StudioBinder for those, and choose Shot Lister for live on-set retiming.

Key features

• The table format has Shot, Size, Angle, Movement, Subject and action, Lens, Setup time and a Got it checkbox to tick on the day, and the columns change with the kind of shoot.
• The shot card format builds one wall per shot with a frame, coverage checklist, scene direction and equipment, joined by arrows in running order.
• Card frames come from web references (captioned "Reference"), your own images, empty placeholders, or AI generation on Pro and Max.
• The AI reads the board plus up to 5 documents and 3 other boards or folders you attach, and it never invents a date, call time, location or crew name.
• On the same board, the AI builds a storyboard, a script breakdown and a strip board, and lays out the shot list and a call sheet as designed pages you export as a PDF.
• A view-only link opens with no account (viewers sign in to comment), invited collaborators edit in real time, and presentation mode steps through the board one wall at a time.
• Through the MCP connector, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok can read your Storyflow projects and build the shot cards on your board.

Pricing

Storyflow is paid-only during early access; its Free plan launches before the end of 2026, and anyone a paid member invites to a board joins free now. Plus: $7.99/mo billed annually ($9.99 monthly). Pro: $14/mo billed annually ($19 monthly). Adds AI image generation and memory across conversations. Max: $39/mo billed annually ($49 monthly). Adds the Team Workspace with roles and permissions.

Pros

• The draft arrives as setup-level rows with your script's scene numbers, so you correct a list and skip typing one.
• The list sits beside the storyboard frames, references, strip board and call sheet PDF it belongs with.
• Collaborators a paid member invites join free, and a client opens the board by link.

Cons

• The canvas cannot sort or filter a table. Ask the AI to rewrite the rows when the order changes.
• No native phone or tablet app, no offline use and no live on-set mode. Shot Lister covers that.
• It does not send call sheets or track confirmations, and a strip board does not recalculate when a day moves. StudioBinder covers that.
• AI-generated frames need Pro or Max, and there is no free plan until late 2026.

The AI shot list generator page shows the workflow, and the shot list software page describes Storyflow's side in more detail.

2. StudioBinder

StudioBinder is a production management suite, and its shot list and storyboard tool is the reference point for crewed shoots. Import a script and each scene gets its own shot list. Shot Tagger adds a shot from a line of action or dialogue you select, and each shot carries specs for size, movement, lens, frame rate, angle, sound and location. You group shots into camera or lighting setups and drag the setups into the most efficient shooting order, with banners for company moves and meal breaks and a running time total for the day.

Best for: Productions that want professional shot lists inside the same suite as the stripboard and the call sheet.

Verdict: The strongest production suite here, the best structure for the Two Orders, and the tool to choose over Storyflow when you need setup grouping, a schedule and call sheets sent and tracked. You write the shots yourself.

Key features

• A shot list per scene from an imported script, plus Shot Tagger.
• Setup grouping with drag-and-drop ordering and time totals.
• View-only links, invited collaborators who comment, and a customizable PDF.
• Progress the crew follows on a phone during the day.
• Call sheets delivered by email and text, with tracking that shows which were viewed and confirmed.

Pricing

StudioBinder's pricing page showed no plans when loaded on October 10, 2026; its own Indie plan article lists Indie at $49 a month for 2 users. Its call sheet page describes the software as free to use, with some features on paid subscriptions.

Pros

• Setup grouping is exactly the story-order to setup-order translation this page is about.
• Shot lists connect to the rest of a production suite, including call sheet delivery.
• A layout professional crews already know.

Cons

• No AI drafting is described on its shot list page: the script gives you a list per scene and you add the shots.
• More suite than a solo shooter needs for a one-day job.
• Prices and plan limits could not be confirmed when checked.

For the rest of that field, see the best StudioBinder alternatives.

3. Shot Lister

Shot Lister is the on-set shot list app, the one many people mean when they search for "shot lister" or "shotlister". It is built for the day itself: a shot list with a shot-by-shot, minute-by-minute schedule, and a Live Mode that shows how the day is running to the minute and lets you reorganize the plan while shooting.

Best for: Directors and first ADs who run the day from an iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Verdict: The best on-set shot list app. Plan and share the list elsewhere, run it here.

Key features

• Shot list and shooting schedule built shot by shot.
• Live Mode for retiming the day while you shoot.
• Pro adds script import, storyboards, Scriptation sync, episodes for TV, an Apple Watch app and crew sync for up to 10 people.
• Studio syncs up to 80 crew and attaches videos to shots.

Pricing

Free download from the App Store; creating more than two projects needs Pro. Pro is $15.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Studio is $24.99 a month for 10 users, $44.99 for 20, $64.99 for 40 and $94.99 for 80.

Pros

• Live Mode retimes the day while you shoot.
• The annual Pro price is low for a professional tool.
• Numbering and scheduling follow set conventions.

Cons

• Its site links iOS and macOS downloads only, so Android and Windows users are left out.
• No AI: you type the list, or import the script on Pro.
• No client-facing board around the list.

Storyflow's Shot Lister alternative page compares the two directly.

4. Celtx

Celtx is a screenwriting suite with production planning attached. Its shot list starts in the script: highlight text, shot-tag it, and Celtx fills the shot with the script information. A menu sets size, frame, extra angles and camera movement, and Celtx compiles a shot list for each shoot day that you send as a PDF.

Best for: Writer-directors who draft in Celtx and want shots attached to the script.

Verdict: A solid script-to-shot-list pipeline. Shots trace back to the lines they cover.

Key features

• Shot tagging from script text.
• Shot presets for size, frame and movement.
• Daily shot list PDFs.
• Storyboards, breakdown, scheduling, budget and call sheets elsewhere in the suite.

Pricing

The Celtx pricing page showed plan names without dollar amounts when checked on October 10, 2026: a free plan with 1 seat and 1 project, Writer, Writer Pro and a Team tier for 3 to 15 members, with shot lists and production planning shown as optional add-ons on the two Writer plans.

Pros

• The shot list connects to the script it came from.
• One suite from screenplay to shoot day.

Cons

• Shot lists are an add-on on the Writer plans.
• No AI drafting or shot reordering is described on its shot list page.
• References and client-facing boards live elsewhere.

5. Filmustage

Filmustage is an AI pre-production platform for the stretch between a locked script and the first shooting day. Its AI tags cast, props, locations, VFX and wardrobe in the script, a stripboard and drag-and-drop calendar handle the schedule, and its AI storyboard generates frames from the script, each with camera, lens, lighting and frame rate attached. Storyboards and shot lists are listed among its tools on every plan.

Best for: Producers and ADs who start from a finished screenplay and want breakdown, schedule and budget from it.

Verdict: The strongest AI breakdown here, with shot data arriving on storyboard frames. It suits scripted work with a locked draft.

Key features

• AI script breakdown, full on the paid plan and partial on the free one.
• Stripboard scheduling, Day Out of Days and conflict checks.
• AI storyboard frames with camera, lens and frame rate.
• Budget categories built from the breakdown and schedule.
• Call sheets from the schedule.

Pricing

Per its pricing page, checked October 10, 2026: a Free plan with 1 active project, all non-AI tools and a partial AI breakdown covering 20% of scenes. Director's Cut is from $49 a month, or $408 a year billed annually, with 1,000 coins per billing cycle for AI features.

Pros

• Removes the manual breakdown hour.
• Schedule, budget and call sheets come from the same script.
• Non-AI shot lists and call sheets are on the free plan.

Cons

• Built around a locked screenplay; a brand video with a one-page brief gets less from it.
• AI features spend coins.
• No client-facing board for references and moodboards.

6. Boords

Boords is a storyboard and animatic tool whose AI turns a pasted script, treatment or brief into frames, with a shot list that carries camera angles and scene descriptions. A saved library of characters, locations and props keeps frames consistent, and the animatic previews pacing with audio.

Best for: Teams that storyboard first and want the shot list to follow the frames.

Verdict: The strongest storyboard-to-shot-list flow with client review. Pair it with a runner tool for set.

Key features

• Script to frames and a shot list with AI.
• Reusable characters, locations and props.
• Animatic with audio, exported as MP4.
• Client review, version history and PDF export on every paid plan.

Pricing

Per boords.com/pricing, checked October 10, 2026: a free plan with 5 active storyboards, 3 active scripts and 8 one-off AI image credits. Solo is $26 a month billed yearly ($39 monthly) for 1 user. Pro is $50 ($75) for up to 5 users, Team $85 ($125) for up to 10 and Agency $165 ($250) for up to 30.

Pros

• Removes retyping between storyboard and shot list.
• The best client sharing score on this page.

Cons

• Story order only: no setup grouping or time per setup at the core of the product.
• Converting a script makes a snapshot, so later script edits do not update the frames.
• No schedule or call sheet.

7. Yamdu

Yamdu is a production management platform for film and media. You import a script and its AI suggests breakdowns for the departments to confirm, build a stripboard by dragging scenes, generate Day Out of Days reports, and create call sheets that it sends and tracks. Cast and crew, time cards, budgeting and a project calendar sit in the same system.

Best for: Larger productions that want the breakdown, schedule and call sheets in one platform.

Verdict: A capable production platform. Its home page did not name a dedicated shot list feature when checked, so confirm how shots are handled in a demo before choosing it for shot lists alone.

Key features

• Script import with AI-suggested breakdowns.
• Drag-and-drop stripboard and Day Out of Days.
• Call sheets with sending and tracking.
• Cast and crew hub, time cards and budgeting.

Pricing

Yamdu's pricing page loaded without plan prices when checked on October 10, 2026. The site offers a free start and a sales contact.

Pros

• The shoot plan connected to the whole production.
• Strong for larger, complex shoots.

Cons

• Heavy for shot lists alone, and the shot list itself is not documented on the pages we checked.
• No published price when checked.

8. Notion

Notion holds a shot list as a database. Each shot is a row, tagged by scene, location, setup and status, and you flip between story order and setup order by changing the sort or the grouping. It covers both orders well once built, at the cost of setup time.

Best for: Teams whose briefs, scripts and tasks already live in Notion.

Verdict: A capable database shot list. Expect to design the structure yourself.

Key features

• Database shot list with sorted, grouped and filtered views.
• Select properties for size, angle, movement and status.
• A page per shot for notes and references.
• 10 external guests on Free, unlimited guests on Plus and above; full Notion AI on Business.

Pricing

Per Notion's pricing page, checked October 10, 2026: a free plan for individuals, Plus at $10 per member a month billed annually ($12 monthly) and Business at $20 ($24).

Pros

• Sort freely between story and setup order.
• Familiar to teams already on Notion.

Cons

• Nothing is built for you: numbering, coverage and time per setup are yours to design.
• Full AI needs the Business plan, and it fills properties; it does not draft coverage.
• No on-set mode.

9. Google Sheets

Google Sheets is the free shot list every filmmaker has used, and Microsoft Excel does the same job. A row per shot, columns for scene, shot size, location and notes. It works, everyone can open it, and it sorts in a click. Its limit is that it holds one sort at a time, so flipping orders means re-sorting and losing the other view.

Best for: A one-off shoot with no budget and a list short enough to type.

Verdict: The right free baseline. It sits low on this page because it drafts nothing and holds nothing but the grid, not because it is a bad choice for a small shoot.

Key features

• Fully customizable columns, with dropdowns and a checkbox column.
• Sort and filter.
• Real-time collaboration and link sharing.
• A phone app for reading the list on set.

Pricing

Free with a personal Google account. Google Workspace for teams is billed per user; its pricing page showed euros when checked.

Pros

• Free and universally familiar.
• A one-click re-sort of a long list.

Cons

• Every row is typed by hand.
• No reference frames, storyboard or call sheet beside the rows.
• The list drifts from the script the moment the script changes.

10. Airtable

Airtable is a relational database that productions use for shot lists when shots need to link to scenes, locations and gear. Grouped views and filters make flipping between orders fast. Like Notion, it costs setup time.

Best for: Productions that want a relational shot list linked to scenes, locations and gear.

Verdict: Powerful for relational shot lists. Overkill for a single-day shoot.

Key features

• Linked tables for shots, scenes, locations and gear.
• Grouped and filtered views for both orders.
• Shared views and comments.

Pricing

Per airtable.com/pricing, checked October 10, 2026: a Free plan, Team at $20 per user a month billed annually and Business at $45.

Pros

• Relational links between shots and everything else.
• Fast grouping for setup order.

Cons

• You build the whole structure.
• Per-user pricing adds up for a crew.
• A database, not a visual shot list.

11. Milanote

Milanote builds a shot list as cards on a freeform board. Its shot list template comes with checklists, image placeholders and empty notes: each shot gets a to-do list, a reference image and a note for mood, lighting and composition. That suits the planning side of the work. The template page describes no sorting, grouping or timing, so the setup-order version is rebuilt by hand.

Best for: A visual, reference-led shot plan for a small shoot.

Verdict: A pleasant visual planner. It sits low on this page because nothing drafts the list and nothing turns it into setup order.

Key features

• Shot cards with reference images and notes.
• Boards shared with editors by email invitation, with comment threads and mentions.
• Export to PDF.

Pricing

Per Milanote's plans page, checked October 10, 2026: free with no time limit for 100 notes, images or links and 10 file uploads. The per-person plan is $9.99 a month billed annually or $12.50 monthly. The team tier is listed at $49 a month billed annually.

Pros

• Reference-rich shot cards.
• Easy to share for comments.

Cons

• No shot numbering, specs or time per setup built in.
• No setup-order view and no on-set mode.
• The 100-item free limit fills on a larger shoot.

12. Trello

Trello turns the shot list into a kanban board: each shot a card, each list a location or setup. It is a runner tool, naturally organized in setup order, with shots moving from "to shoot" to "done". It is weak as a story-order planning document.

Best for: Crews that want a simple board to track shots on the day.

Verdict: A workable setup-order tracker. Not a planning shot list.

Key features

• Kanban board with shot cards.
• Lists for locations or setups.
• Checklists, labels and due dates on cards.

Pricing

Per trello.com/pricing, checked October 10, 2026: Free for up to 10 collaborators per Workspace. Standard is $5 per user a month billed annually ($6 monthly) and Premium $10 ($12.50 monthly).

Pros

• Simple setup-order tracking.
• Cards move as shots are completed.

Cons

• No shot specs, numbering or timing.
• Nothing connects it to the script or storyboard.

7) Recommended Shot List Stacks

Stack 1: Solo Documentary or Indie Filmmaker. Storyflow Plus (the AI drafts the shot list from the treatment, $7.99 a month billed annually) plus Shot Lister's free download on set. Both orders covered for one monthly fee. The Pre-Production Board template sets up the wider plan around the list.

Stack 2: Narrative Crew. StudioBinder (setups grouped, call sheets sent and tracked) plus Shot Lister Pro on set.

Stack 3: Storyboard-First Team. Boords (frames the client approves) plus Storyflow or StudioBinder (the crew's list in setup order) plus Shot Lister on set.

Stack 4: Zero Budget. Google Sheets to build the list and share it with the crew. Total: $0. Storyflow Plus is the step up when you want the rows drafted for you.

The pattern across every stack: one tool to build the shot list in story order, and a way to run it in setup order on the day. The shot list is also only one layer of film production planning, and the stack works best when the schedule and the script sit next to it. For the two documents the list feeds, see The 12 Best Film Scheduling Software Tools in 2026 and The 12 Best Call Sheet Software Tools in 2026.

8) Honorable Mentions

Tools that came up while checking this list, with what each vendor's own page said on October 10, 2026:

• Microsoft Excel. The same job as Google Sheets if your team lives in Office.
• CineFlo: a filmmaking app for shot lists, call sheets and location scouting on iPhone, iPad, Android and Mac. Free for 1 project; Pro is $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year. The Android answer to "shot list app".
• Shot Designer: a camera-blocking app whose shot list writes itself from the diagram. Free on one scene at a time; the Pro upgrade is listed at EUR 19.99.
• Cadrage: a director's viewfinder for iPhone and iPad that exports PDF shot lists from the frames you scout.
• Runway. Not a shot list tool. Its AI shot list guide explains how a shot list feeds frame and video generation.
• Frame.io. Not a shot list tool, but where the footage from the list gets reviewed; its free plan covers up to 2 members and 2 projects.

8b) ShotDeck: Reference, Not a List

ShotDeck is a searchable library of film stills, tagged by lens, lighting, colour, camera movement and framing. It is a subscription; its pricing page did not load when checked, so see shotdeck.com for the current price.

It is in this article because it is often named alongside shot lists and it does not build one. What it does is settle the argument a shot list cannot hold: you write "wide, cold, isolating" on the list, and everyone on the crew pictures something different. Pulling three reference frames and attaching them to the row removes that gap before the day.

Use it with a shot list tool, not instead of one. Search ShotDeck for the look, save the frames, and attach them to the shot rows in whichever tool from this list you are building in. Anywhere you can put an image next to a row will do.

The limitation. It is a reference library and a monthly bill, and if your work is documentary or unscripted, the value drops because you are not designing frames in advance.

9) Tools to Avoid for Shot Lists

• A shot list that lives only in your head. If the coverage plan is not written down, the crew is guessing and shots get missed.
• A storyboard treated as the shot list. A storyboard shows the frames; a shot list adds lens, movement, setup and timing. They are paired, not the same.
• A single-order spreadsheet you never re-sort. If the crew shoots from story order, the day runs inefficiently. Re-sort into setup order or use a tool that holds both.
• A printed shot list with no live version. The shoot changes; a paper-only list goes stale by lunch.
• A list left in a chat thread. An AI assistant can write a decent shot list, but a table in a chat cannot be ticked off or opened by the DP. Put it where the crew can reach it.

The Bottom Line

The best shot list tools in 2026 are the ones that get the rows written and then translate between the two orders. Storyflow is our pick and our own product, first on this page because its AI drafts the list from your script, storyboard or brief and keeps it beside the storyboard and the call sheet PDF. StudioBinder is the best production suite, and the one to choose instead when you need setup grouping, a schedule and call sheets sent and tracked. Shot Lister is the best on-set app. Google Sheets is the free baseline.

A shot list is written in story order and shot in setup order. Build the list scene by scene, then get it into setup order before the day begins, so the crew shoots from the order the day actually runs in.

For your next shoot, open the AI shot list generator, attach your script, and ask for one entry per setup in shooting order. Storyflow's plans are on the pricing page.

Author

Justkay Documentary Filmmaker and Founder of Storyflow

Justkay has built shot lists for documentary shoots and interview-led productions on tight, hourly-rate schedules. The Two Orders framework came out of watching shoot days leak hours because the shot list existed only in story order and the assistant director had to re-sort it on the fly. The tools here were compared from each vendor's own product and pricing pages on October 10, 2026; Storyflow is his product, and the scores that rank it are published in section 4.