Shot List Generator

How the shot list generator works

List your scene as plain beats, one per line, and set a target length. The shot list generator turns each beat into a numbered shot, then allocates your runtime across those shots so the timeline adds up exactly.

Duration is shared evenly across the beats, with any leftover seconds spread onto the opening shots. A 30-second video over five beats gives six seconds each; an awkward total never leaves a shot at zero seconds.

Each shot is then assigned a shot size, a camera move, and a camera angle from a fixed cinematic vocabulary. The framing rotates so the edit varies, and the final beat lands on a close-up for a clean emotional or product payoff.

What you get per shot

The output is two things at once: a numbered table you can read at a glance and a copy-ready prompt for every shot. The table gives a director the plan; the prompts give a video model the brief.

Each table row carries a shot number, a timecode range, a duration, the shot size, the camera move, the angle, and the beat text. That is enough for an editor or a Playcut AI actor to film the scene without guesswork.

Every per-shot prompt folds your optional subject and environment together with the assigned framing, camera language, lighting, and style. Paste it straight into a video model, or refine it first — it is a starting point, not a lock.

Sequencing, not frame counting

A frame counter answers one question: how many frames is X seconds at a chosen frame rate. This shot list generator answers a different one: how do I split a scene into shots and give each a clear visual job.

Reach for sequencing when you are planning the cut — deciding how many shots a 30-second ad needs, how long each runs, and how the framing should change beat to beat. That is the step before any frame arithmetic.

Once the sequence is set and you need exact frame totals for an editor or an export setting, hand the durations to the storyboard frame counter to convert seconds into frames at 24, 30, or 60 fps.

Why a varied shot list beats one long take

Short-form video lives or dies on pacing. A single locked-off take loses the scroll fast, while a sequence of shots with changing framing keeps the eye moving and the message landing.

Rotating shot sizes — a wide to establish, a medium to follow the action, a close-up for the payoff — gives an edit rhythm without any extra effort from you. The generator builds that rotation in automatically.

Varying the camera move per shot does the same for energy. A push-in, a tracking shot, and a static beat read very differently, and a plan that mixes them produces a far more watchable result than one move repeated.

The cost reality of producing a shot list as video

Booking a live shoot to cover a five-shot scene means a creator day, a location, and an editor, which routinely runs into four figures before media spend. Testing several versions of the same scene multiplies that fast.

Rendering the same shot list with reusable AI actors changes the math. Playcut plans start at $9/mo (Hobby, 500 credits) and $29/mo (Pro, 2,000 credits), with Studio at $79/mo and Agency at $149 per seat, as of 2026-05.

Credit packs never expire — 600 credits for $9, 2,500 for $35, or 5,000 for $65. So the workflow is simple: plan the scene here, then render each shot in the Playcut video generator and assemble the cut.

Shot list generator FAQ

Is this shot list generator free?

Yes. It runs entirely in your browser with no signup, no card, and no usage cap. The sequence is built on your own device, so nothing is uploaded and nothing is metered.

How does it decide how long each shot is?

It divides your target length evenly across your beats, then spreads any leftover seconds onto the opening beats so the timeline sums exactly to the target. Thirty-two seconds across five beats becomes 7, 7, 6, 6, 6.

Does it use AI to write the prompts?

No. It is a deterministic sequencer, not a live language model. It assigns framing and camera language from a fixed cinematic vocabulary, so the output is a structured scaffold you refine before you shoot.

What can I export?

Copy the full shot list as text, copy any single shot's prompt, or download the whole plan as CSV or Markdown. The CSV opens in any spreadsheet; the Markdown drops into a doc, Notion, or a call sheet.

How do I turn the shot list into a finished video?

Treat each prompt as a brief for one shot. Render them with reusable AI actors in the Playcut studio, then assemble the clips into a cut — variant testing becomes a same-day task instead of a shoot.