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A storyboard wall of pencil-sketched scene cards lit by a desk lamp in a dark studio, under the FXI Studio lockup

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AI Drama Shot-List Builder

A micro drama is won or lost in its coverage. Type the beat, say who is in the room and how fast it should cut, and get the shot list a director would board: wide, medium, close-up and insert, each with a camera move and a prompt the studio understands.

Short answer: a turn beat for two people inside cuts best as 6 shots (30 s of footage): close-up static shot, medium handheld shot, wide dolly out, insert tilt down, over the shoulder reverse tracking / walk-and-talk, close-up slow zoom in. Change the beat, pace or cast below and the list rebuilds.

How it works

Details
  1. 1Pick the beat and type what happens.
  2. 2Set tone, place, cast and pace.
  3. 3Copy the list or make shot 1.

Describe the beat

Story beat

The news that changes what they want.

94/280
Tone
Where
Who
Pace

Fast cut keeps only the shots the beat cannot live without. Slow burn gives the wide and close shots ten seconds to breathe.

Your shot list

Turn scene, family drama

6 shots · 30 s of footage

  1. 1. Close-up, Static shot

    5 s

    The news lands.

    Show prompt

    Close-up on the face, eyes sharp, locked-off static shot. Movement: hold one fixed camera position for the full clip. Speed: still and steady. Framing: keep the same angle, height, lens distance and composition. End: finish with the same framing and camera position. Scene: A daughter finds the letter her father never sent, and he walks in before she can put it back. Two people, inside. Look: warm practical lamps, soft window light, 35mm film grain, muted colour, shallow focus. Wardrobe: women in modest dresses or skirts, men in plain shirts and trousers. Vertical 9:16, 5 seconds, no on-screen text.

  2. 2. Medium, Handheld shot

    5 s

    The ground is not steady any more.

    Show prompt

    Medium shot from the waist up, handheld shot. Movement: hold the camera at human operator height with natural body movement. Speed: responsive and organic. Framing: keep the subject readable while the frame has subtle sway and micro-adjustments. End: finish with a natural handheld composition. Scene: A daughter finds the letter her father never sent, and he walks in before she can put it back. Two people, inside. Look: warm practical lamps, soft window light, 35mm film grain, muted colour, shallow focus. Wardrobe: women in modest dresses or skirts, men in plain shirts and trousers. Vertical 9:16, 5 seconds, no on-screen text.

    Open shot 2 in the studio

  3. 3. Wide, Dolly out

    5 s

    Small in a room that was theirs.

    Show prompt

    Wide shot, the whole space in frame with the people small in it, dolly out. Movement: move the camera physically backward in a straight line away from the main subject. Speed: smooth controlled retreat. Framing: keep lens direction and camera height consistent while more environment enters frame. End: finish in a wider composition. Scene: A daughter finds the letter her father never sent, and he walks in before she can put it back. Two people, inside. Look: warm practical lamps, soft window light, 35mm film grain, muted colour, shallow focus. Wardrobe: women in modest dresses or skirts, men in plain shirts and trousers. Vertical 9:16, 5 seconds, no on-screen text.

    Open shot 3 in the studio

  4. 4. Insert, Tilt down

    5 s

    What falls, or what is set down.

    Show prompt

    Tight insert on hands and the object, tilt down. Movement: rotate the camera downward from one fixed point. Speed: smooth constant tilt. Framing: keep the vertical subject or architecture centered as the frame travels downward. End: land on the lower target. Scene: A daughter finds the letter her father never sent, and he walks in before she can put it back. Two people, inside. Look: warm practical lamps, soft window light, 35mm film grain, muted colour, shallow focus. Wardrobe: women in modest dresses or skirts, men in plain shirts and trousers. Vertical 9:16, 5 seconds, no on-screen text.

    Open shot 4 in the studio

  5. 5. Over the shoulder, Reverse tracking / walk-and-talk

    5 s

    Walking away, and we go first.

    Show prompt

    Over-the-shoulder shot, one shoulder soft in the foreground, reverse tracking shot. Movement: move backward in front of the walking subject. Speed: match the subject forward pace. Framing: keep front-facing face and body framing stable as the background moves behind them. End: hold a clear front-facing moving composition. Scene: A daughter finds the letter her father never sent, and he walks in before she can put it back. Two people, inside. Look: warm practical lamps, soft window light, 35mm film grain, muted colour, shallow focus. Wardrobe: women in modest dresses or skirts, men in plain shirts and trousers. Vertical 9:16, 5 seconds, no on-screen text.

    Open shot 5 in the studio

  6. 6. Close-up, Slow zoom in

    5 s

    The decision, before the words.

    Show prompt

    Close-up on the face, eyes sharp, slow zoom in. Movement: slowly increase lens focal length toward a tighter frame. Speed: gradual and even. Framing: keep the main visual target readable as it becomes larger in frame. End: finish on a stable tighter composition. Scene: A daughter finds the letter her father never sent, and he walks in before she can put it back. Two people, inside. Look: warm practical lamps, soft window light, 35mm film grain, muted colour, shallow focus. Wardrobe: women in modest dresses or skirts, men in plain shirts and trousers. Vertical 9:16, 5 seconds, no on-screen text.

    Open shot 6 in the studio
Make shot 1 in the studio

Opens the studio with shot 1 filled in. Your first clip is free, and the camera moves here are the same ones the studio understands.

Embed this builder: <iframe src="https://www.fxi.studio/ai-drama-shot-list-builder/embed" title="AI drama shot-list builder by FXI Studio" width="100%" height="900" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>

How do you build a shot list for an AI drama?

  1. 1. Pick the beat and type what happens. Choose one of six beats (hook, who and where, spark, turn, climax, payoff) and write a sentence or two: who is in the room and what changes. The same six beats make up a Film Blueprint board, so one beat here is one scene there.
  2. 2. Set tone, place, cast and pace. Family drama, faith, holiday, fruit characters or thriller sets the look. Inside or outside picks the establishing move. One person, two or a group sets the coverage. Fast cut keeps four shots at 5 seconds; slow burn gives the wide and close shots 10.
  3. 3. Copy the list or make shot 1. Every shot carries a prompt with its framing, camera move, look and wardrobe. Copy the list into your notes, or open shot 1 in the studio with the prompt already filled in. Your first clip is free.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a shot list for an AI drama?
A shot list is the ordered set of clips that make one scene: the shot size (wide, medium, close-up, insert), the camera move, the length and why the shot exists. For AI video each shot becomes one generation, so the list is also your render plan and your budget.
How many shots does a micro drama scene need?
Four to six. A fast-cut beat holds four shots at 5 seconds (20 seconds of footage); a slow burn runs six shots with the wide and close-up shots at 10 seconds. The default scene here is 6 shots and 30 s.
Which camera moves work best for AI drama?
Moves with a clear start and end: dolly in for an ask, slow zoom in for a decision, handheld for a beat that is no longer steady, dolly out when a character is suddenly small in a room that was theirs. Whip pans and crash zooms are for the hook and the climax. Every move here uses the same camera vocabulary as the FXI Studio camera moves guide.
Does the builder use AI or spend credits?
No. The shot list is built from director templates in your browser. Nothing is sent to a model until you choose to make a shot in the studio, and the first clip there is free.
Why does every prompt mention wardrobe and 9:16?
Micro dramas are watched on phones, so every shot is vertical. The wardrobe line keeps the cast consistent and modest from shot to shot, which is the hardest part of AI continuity. Edit the prompt if your story needs something else.
Can I plan the whole film, not just one scene?
Yes. Board the film first with the free Film Blueprint (six scenes from a pasted story), then bring each scene here for its shot list. The beats are the same in both tools.