What a shot list covers
A shot list is a numbered list of every clip a creator needs to film for one video. Each line names the shot type, what happens in it, roughly how long it runs and where it sits in the edit. For UGC it doubles as a checklist, so the editor never finds a missing product close-up after the creator has moved on.
A storyboard shows the same plan as pictures in sequence; a shot list is text and is built for ticking off while filming. Script lines tell the creator what to say. The shot list tells them what the camera should see while they say it, plus the cutaways and b-roll to grab separately.
Using one with remote creators
UGC creators usually film alone, at home, with no director. The shot list replaces the director. Keep it to eight to twelve lines, mark which shots are mandatory and which are nice to have, and ask for each clip as a separate file which lets whoever edits reorder shots or cut alternate versions.
Pair it with the script. The UGC script template splits a video into hook, problem, demo and call to action; the shot list then assigns a framing to each beat, such as a selfie angle for the hook and an overhead for the demo.
Example for a skincare video
1. Selfie, creator holds the jar to camera and says the hook, three seconds. 2. Close-up of the lid twisting open. 3. Texture shot, finger scooping the cream. 4. Applying it in the mirror. 5. Overhead of the jar on a bathroom shelf. 6. Talking to camera about how skin feels the next morning. 7. Three seconds of the creator smiling, no talking.
Shots 2, 3 and 5 are b-roll that can be reused across every ad in the batch, which is why they are listed even though the script never mentions them. Shot 7 gives the editor a clean background for an end card.
Common mistakes
Listing shots the creator cannot physically get, such as a slow push-in without a gimbal, or a second person's hands when they film alone. Write for one phone and natural window light unless you are paying for more.
Forgetting orientation and length. If the list does not say vertical, with each clip at least five seconds and a beat of stillness at both ends, some files will arrive horizontal or trimmed too tight to cut.
How it's used
Shot list for the serum batch is attached. Shots 1, 4 and 6 are mandatory; the rest are b-roll we will reuse across all six ads.
Second creator skipped the texture close-up again. Can we bold it on the shot list and move it to the top?