Shooting Script

Production

Definition: A shooting script is the final, production-ready version of a screenplay that includes scene numbers, revision colors, and technical details needed by the production team. It is the version that gets distributed to department heads, broken down by the AD, and used on set every day of the shoot.

Understanding Shooting Script

A shooting script is not a writing document — it is a production document. Writers rarely create shooting scripts; the production team does, based on the locked final draft. The key differences from a spec script: numbered scenes (so the AD can reference "Scene 47" unambiguously), locked page numbers (new content on revision pages gets letters like 47A instead of reflowing), and colored revision pages (white for the original, blue for first revision, pink for second, and so on through the rainbow). Shooting scripts may also include camera angles, specific transitions, and technical notes that would be inappropriate in a spec. Writers should not format their spec scripts as shooting scripts — it signals inexperience. Numbered scenes and revision colors are earned by being greenlit.

Example in a Screenplay

47   INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT                           47

     Marcus enters through the loading dock. His flashlight
     cuts through dust particles.

                         MARCUS
               Hello?

     A SOUND from the second floor. He looks up.

47A  INT. WAREHOUSE - SECOND FLOOR - CONTINUOUS          47A

     Empty. But a window is open that was not open before.

Common Mistakes

Writers numbering scenes in their spec script — this is a production task, not a writing task. Adding camera directions to a spec to make it feel more "professional." Using revision colors or locked pages before a script is in production. Confusing the shooting script with the final draft — the shooting script is created from the final draft by the production team.