A shooting script is a script that is noted and numbered to provide all production crew from the Director on down with a blueprint of the order of the story. Shooting scripts often include:

• Scene numbers
• Draft date and/or draft number
• Production company information
• Watermarks
• Key camera angles
• Important music cues
• Editing notes (such as cuts)
• Any other necessary Directors notes to guide production

For instance, check out this section of the shooting script for Inception, written by Christopher Nolan and distributed by Warner Bros.

It’s likely that the crew shot scenes #37 and #38 on completely different days, possibly months apart. The official scene numbers help the crew organize the schedule and group scenes with the same cast and location to be shot together.

A shooting script is different from a conventional screenplay or spec script in that a traditional screenplay usually doesn’t contain any elements that indicate how it will be shot or directed.

Screenwriters are encouraged to avoid including camera angles or any other major filmmaking decisions in their early drafts since their screenplay is simply meant to communicate the story effectively without “directing on page.”

A shooting script is very different from the sorts of scripts most Screenwriters write. Check out this helpful video breakdown on screenplay format and the differences between shooting scripts and spec scripts.

Every once in a while, news comes out about a Director who has filmed their project in chronological order. But that is incredibly rare. For economy of time and financial resources, most movies are filmed out of order.

That being said, imagine the confusion if a production crew tried to film scenes out of order with the original screenplay! That’s why a shooting script clearly labels each scene heading with a number, so that when scenes are shot out of order, the crew still knows what part of the script the scene corresponds to.

¹ As mentioned, time is a significant consideration. Even the most modest film can have expenses that go into the thousands of dollars on a daily basis.

If a production can shave off a week or even a day by shooting all relevant scenes in the same location in a single block of time — rather than taking down the set and then coming back weeks later to rebuild it — that’s exactly what they’re going to do.

Schedules might also necessitate the order of a shooting script. Consider the coordination that has to go into films with a large ensemble cast. Especially if the Actors are in high demand, they may have a narrow window in which they can be available for a shoot. For that reason, the Director and Cinematographer may have to reorder certain scenes to accommodate their schedules, all considerations that will go into a shooting script.

Another major factor that can influence a shooting script is location. Outside of trying to save time, a particular location, such as those abroad, might necessitate that the Director and the rest of the production crew reorder the shooting script.

For instance, let’s say that a production is expected to run three months. However, there’s a need to film in a certain location where winter is approaching. To avoid inclement weather, the production might decide to film there first with the hopes of getting the shots they want without having to worry about snow or colder temperatures.

Availability for certain locations could also impact how the shooting script is ordered. Especially popular destinations, such as the Eiffel Tower or Empire State Building, might require that productions use their venues only on certain dates. All these considerations will go into how the final shooting script looks.

Aside from ordering scenes, shooting scripts often contain additional notes from the Director, often with the script’s action descriptions. This could include desired camera angles, or specific music cues. These notes allow the Director’s vision to be clearly communicated with the crew during production.

It’s for all these reasons that even seasoned Screenwriters may not have a clear idea of what a shooting script is — because they don’t write it! Unless the filmmaker in question is a Writer-Director hyphenate, the person who is responsible for writing the story must eventually hand off their screenplay so that the Director and Cinematographer can reshape it for production.

However, when the Writer of the script is indeed also the Director on the project, there might be more latitude in terms of what is used as a shooting script. As Writer-Director Sarovar Banka explains:

“I do create a shooting script, but sometimes I will jump straight to a shot plan or storyboarding. My feature A Decent Arrangement was somewhat unusual because I knew I would be directing it. So from my early drafts, my script ended up being a typical script with also some notes on how I envisioned it as a Director. I wrote these notes and ideas as I was writing the script.”

When it comes to making a good shooting script, clarity is key. Filmmaking is an expensive business, so there should be no confusion regarding the order of the scenes being shot.

When watching a film, viewers often aren’t aware of the many different types of shots that might be used for even a single scene. But it can be a truly eye-opening experience to count them. Especially in modern cinema, camera shots have become more varied, which is all the more reason why they must be noted on a shooting script.²

For the production crew, the shooting script is very much like an architectural blueprint. From it, they must be able to understand how the film is going to be “built.” So while reordering scenes to group them according to location is important, so too is breaking down each scene shot by shot so that every frame is accounted for and ordered in the most economic fashion.

That means that typically all long shots will be filmed together if they’re for the same scene. So too with medium shots, close-ups or any other kind of shot. Most professional shoots will also have the running time for each shot noted on the shooting script.

Having this information detailed out is essential to the production running smoothly without any confusion about what set-up the crew is expected to get ready.

Hand in hand with noting the shots used in each scene is highlighting where special effects might be required. Special effects have gone from being a relative novelty in films to standard tools used in not only large summer blockbusters but also quiet character pieces.

But as common as they might have become, the professionals who understand how to film and execute them are still an absolute necessity on set. That is why blocking out where a special effect will be used is critical to a film’s success.

An On Set Visual Effects Supervisor or Coordinator must be present to ensure that the scene is shot in accordance with what will be needed later on in post-production. If a day of shooting comes where that expert is missing, it could have serious ramifications once that footage gets into the hands of the people who are creating the visual effects.

There’s the old adage of “we’ll fix it in post,” but it can be a quite expensive correction to make. That’s why having a well-detailed shooting script is often a make or break production tool.

In a similar vein, the shooting script should also designate where special stunt work might be done. Just as with any special effects, stunt work should never be attempted without the appropriate experts present. That means both the Stunt Person to perform the stunt — as opposed to the Actor they may be stepping in for — and the Stunt Supervisor to make sure that the stunt is carried out in a safe manner.

Making sure that these designations are clearly marked in a shooting script is key to a production that goes off without injury or other issues.

Much has been said about the where and how of shooting scripts. Equally important is the “what” — what is the audience going to see? What are they going to hear?

This could include production design, the costumes the Actors will be wearing, specific music tracks, and even notes on acting details.³

A common refrain regarding the importance of preparation has already come up for shooting scripts and making sure the production design team understands what is required of it is no exception.

That is why noting what will need to be built or bought for each scene is a fundamental consideration when drawing up a shooting script. Especially sets that might take time to build or those that play a particularly important role in a scene should be discussed well ahead of the day they will be required for the shoot.

The same holds true for costumes, and given how much time it can take to create an intricate period dress or superhero outfit, knowing in advance what will be required from day to day and scene to scene can help to ensure that there are no time-consuming or expensive hiccups throughout production.

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of a shooting script… with one minor disclaimer. Rarely does a project not change course during production. It could be because of weather. Or perhaps the Screenwriter is asked to come in and rewrite a scene.

Or a financial backer withdraws their support and certain costly locations can no longer be used. Anything and everything can happen on a production, which is why flexibility and fluidity as it pertains to a shooting script is critical.

This is why the shooting script usually isn’t written until late in the process. If the crew develops a shot list or storyboard using the numbered scenes of an early draft as a reference, then large rewrites will completely throw off the numbering.

That’s why some shooting scripts include the word “OMITTED” when scenes are removed. They want to preserve the numbering order that they’ve already been working with while still communicating that a scene is no longer needed.

For example, in the 04/03/02 shooting script for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets written by Steve Kloves, 30 scenes are designates as “omitted.”

One such scene is pictured below.

Regarding his own project and shooting script, Banka notes:

“I think what we had was worthwhile as a blueprint, but there were so many production constraints and changes that often we would decide to cover a scene completely differently. Still, I think it’s a good idea to be as prepared as possible so that you can use that as the basis of your work.”

Important words of advice to keep in mind for any filmmaker. Be as prepared as possible, which is why a shooting script is a fundamental filmmaking tool.

And while a production might have to adjust to one or more unexpected circumstances, the shooting script can always be the blueprint from which a creative professional can reroute their filmmaking course.