Storyboards vs Shot Lists — and How to Run Both in One Table

A storyboard shows what the frame looks like. A shot list says how you'll actually capture it: shot size, camera, duration, order. Small crews need both, but almost never have time to maintain two documents.

The common failure

The storyboard lives as a PDF from an iPad app. The shot list lives in a spreadsheet. They drift apart by day two, and on set nobody knows which one is true.

One table that does both

CREA's free shot list tool is built around that exact problem:

• Import your storyboard PDF — it slices the pages into frames and pairs them into the table automatically.
• Sketch pads in aspect ratio — draw compositions directly in the cell, at the ratio you're shooting.
• Reference videos per shot — attach a clip so you're not fumbling with your phone on set.
• Animatic playback — the table plays itself in order, timed by each shot's duration.
• One-click PDF — a clean export for your DP or client, with your name on it.

Free, trilingual, and connected to your call sheet — the scene table pulls from here, so nothing is typed twice.