DSTACKEDFREE STARTER GUIDE
A SMALL START. SOMETHING TO BUILD ON.

Turn an idea into a shot list.

Give your next video a clear beginning, a visual change, and a reason to watch. Build a three-shot plan before opening your tools.

3 practical stepsAt your own paceNo sign-in needed
Illustrative sample footage. This guide is an exercise, not a breakdown of how the clip was made.
01

Pick one thing to say.

A short sequence works best when the viewer can follow one change. Start with a subject, a setting, and a feeling. Keep everything else out of the first version.

TRY IT

Write one sentence: A [subject] in [setting] goes from [starting state] to [ending state]. Example: a quiet desk becomes a workspace ready for a new project.

02

Give each shot a job.

Establish the scene, show the change, then land on the result. Choose a framing and duration for each shot. Describe visible actions instead of vague adjectives such as cinematic or epic.

TRY IT

Sketch three boxes. Under each, write what enters the frame, what moves, and where the viewer should look. Try a wide establishing shot, a close detail, and a final reveal.

03

Test the sequence on paper.

Read the shots in order with the sound off in your imagination. Check that the subject, lighting, and visual direction stay coherent. Resolve confusing transitions before spending time generating or shooting.

TRY IT

Copy the shot-list template and fill every bracket. Show it to someone without explaining your idea; ask what they think happens.

TAKE IT WITH YOU

Your starting template.

Copy it into your notes and fill it in as you go.

MY THREE-SHOT PLAN
Audience:
What should they feel?
Subject and setting:
Shot 1 (establish): [framing, action, duration]
Shot 2 (change): [framing, action, duration]
Shot 3 (resolve): [framing, action, duration]
Keep consistent: [subject, palette, lighting]
Final check: Does the sequence make sense without narration?
KEEP GOING

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