Beginner9 min

Write a Script and Shot List with Claude

Generated clips are only as good as the description you feed the generator. A shot list is the bridge between a vague idea and a precise prompt. We will use Claude Opus 4.8 to turn one sentence into a structured, shootable plan.

Step 1: State the idea in one line

Keep the brief tiny. One sentence of intent plus the format. For example: a 20 second vertical ad for a cold brew coffee brand, calm and cinematic. The model fills in the rest, and you correct it.

Step 2: Ask for a shot list, not a screenplay

A screenplay gives you dialogue. A shot list gives you camera, subject, motion, and lighting per shot, which is exactly what a video generator needs. Ask explicitly for that table.

claude-prompt.txt
You are a video director. Idea:
A 20 second vertical ad for a cold brew coffee brand,
calm and cinematic.

Return a shot list of 4 shots. For each shot give me:
- shot number and duration in seconds
- camera (angle + movement)
- subject and action
- lighting and mood
- a one-line text-to-video prompt I can paste into Runway

Total duration must add up to 20 seconds.
Claude Opus 4.8 - shot list reply
You
Shot list for a 20s cold brew ad, calm and cinematic.
Agent
Shot 1 (5s) - Slow push-in on a glass of cold brew, ice settling, soft morning window light. Prompt: 'cinematic slow dolly push toward a tall glass of iced cold brew on a wooden table, condensation, warm morning light, shallow depth of field'.
Agent
Shot 2 (5s) - Top-down pour of milk swirling into coffee, high-key kitchen light. Prompt: 'overhead macro shot of milk swirling into dark coffee, slow motion, clean bright lighting'.

Step 3: Trim to what you can afford

Every generated clip costs credits and time. Four shots is plenty for a first short. If the model gives you eight, cut it to the four that tell the story.

Watch the duration math
Most generators cap a single clip at 5 to 10 seconds. If a shot needs to be 15 seconds, plan it as two clips, or the generator will silently shorten it.

Result: a four-row shot list saved as 02-shotlist.md, each row carrying a ready-to-paste prompt. You have not generated anything yet, and that is correct. Planning first is what separates a clean first project from a pile of unusable clips.

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