shoot-outline-writer

Shoot Outline Writer

What This Skill Does

Generates a structured shooting outline — organised by scene or sequence — listing locations, interviewees, interview topic areas, and B-roll requirements, so the director and crew know exactly what needs to be captured on each shoot day.

When To Use This Skill

• After a story has been approved and you are planning the shoot, before writing a full scene-by-scene shooting script
• When you have a list of contributors and locations but need to turn them into a logical shooting order
• When briefing a crew who are joining mid-production and need a fast overview of what the film is trying to capture
• When preparing a pre-shoot document to share with a series producer, executive producer, or broadcaster for approval before committing to travel

What You Need To Provide

Required:

• Project title and a one-paragraph description of what the documentary or film is about
• List of locations to be filmed (names, brief description of each)
• List of interviewees or contributors (name, role/relevance — no identifying personal details needed)
• The key story beats or topics the film must cover

Optional:

• Preferred shoot order or logistical constraints (e.g., contributor only available on a specific day, location only accessible at certain times)
• Whether sequences are observational, interview-based, or reconstruction
• Intended final film length and format (e.g., 52-minute broadcast documentary, 3-part streaming series)
• Any known B-roll gaps that need to be filled

How the Assistant Approaches This

1. Reviews the story beats and maps each one to a location or contributor, grouping elements that can be captured together to minimise travel and crew time
2. Structures the outline scene by scene, assigning each scene a location, a primary purpose (interview / observational / B-roll), the relevant contributor(s) if any, and a list of B-roll shots needed to cover or illustrate that scene in the edit
3. Adds a brief notes column to each scene flagging logistical considerations — access requirements, time-of-day sensitivity, equipment needs, or editorial risks (e.g., "contributor may be reluctant to discuss this topic — prepare alternative question set")

Output Format

A structured outline document, suitable for sharing with the crew and executive producer. Organised as:

• Project header: title, director, shoot dates (if known), total scenes
• Scene-by-scene table or numbered list, each entry containing:
  • Scene number and title
  • Location
  • Sequence type (interview / observational / B-roll / reconstruction)
  • Contributor(s) if applicable
  • Key topics or interview areas (bullet points, not scripted questions)
  • B-roll list (specific, visual — e.g., "workers entering the building at shift start" not "general workplace footage")
  • Notes (access, logistics, editorial flags)
• Outstanding items list at the end: anything still unconfirmed (locations not yet scouted, contributors not yet confirmed, clearances outstanding)

Tone is functional and direct — this is an operational document for crew, not a creative treatment. Length scales with project complexity; a 52-minute documentary typically produces 8–14 scenes.

Quality Criteria

• Every story beat from the input is mapped to at least one scene
• B-roll lists are specific and visual — no vague entries like "relevant footage"
• Logistical notes flag realistic production risks, not generic cautions
• Outstanding items list is present even if empty
• No real person's full name, real location address, or identifiable production appears in the example
• Outline is structured so a crew member reading it cold knows exactly what to capture in each scene

Example

Input

Project: "Hands on the Land" — a 52-minute documentary following three smallholder farmers across one growing season, exploring how independent food producers are adapting to changing weather patterns and market pressures.

Locations:

• Hilltop Farm (arable, uplands) — primary location, multiple visits
• Valley Floor Farm (market garden, lowlands)
• Regional farmers' market (town centre)
• Agricultural college research greenhouse

Contributors:

• Contributor A: arable farmer, Hilltop Farm, 60s, third-generation
• Contributor B: market gardener, Valley Floor Farm, 30s, first-generation
• Contributor C: agricultural researcher, college greenhouse
• Contributor D: market stall holder and buyer, farmers' market

Story beats to cover:

1. Introduction to each farmer and their land
2. The challenge of unpredictable rainfall — how each is coping
3. Selling direct vs. selling through distributors
4. What the next generation of farming might look like

Shoot order constraint: Contributor C only available week of 14 April.

Output

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SHOOT OUTLINE Hands on the Land — 52-minute documentary Director: TBC | Shoot dates: TBC (Contributor C window: w/c 14 April) Total scenes: 11

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Scene 1 — Hilltop Farm: Opening portrait Location: Hilltop Farm — fields, farmyard, farmhouse exterior Type: Observational / Interview Contributor: Contributor A Topics: Family history on the land; what a typical day looks like; emotional relationship with the farm B-roll:

• Contributor A walking field boundaries at dawn
• Close-ups: soil texture, crop rows, hands on fence posts
• Wide establishing shots of the upland landscape in morning light
• Farm equipment in use or at rest in yard Notes: Aim for golden-hour light if schedule allows. This scene sets the film's visual register — spend time here.

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Scene 2 — Valley Floor Farm: Opening portrait Location: Valley Floor Farm — polytunnels, kitchen garden, access track Type: Observational / Interview Contributor: Contributor B Topics: What drew a first-generation farmer to market gardening; the learning curve; community around it B-roll:

• Contributor B harvesting into crates
• Polytunnel interiors — plant rows, irrigation lines, condensation on plastic
• Hand-written crop planning board or notebook Notes: Contrast with Scene 1 — smaller scale, more intensive, younger energy.

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Scene 3 — Rainfall challenge: Hilltop Farm Location: Hilltop Farm — fields (ideally during or after rain) Type: Observational / Interview Contributor: Contributor A Topics: Specific seasons when weather caused crop failure or complications; what changed in the last decade; adaptations made B-roll:

• Rain falling on crops or bare soil (schedule-dependent — have a rain contingency plan)
• Drainage channels, dry-stone walls, any water management infrastructure
• Archival or personal photos of past flood or drought damage (if Contributor A can provide) Notes: Weather-dependent sequences — identify a clear-weather alternative for each shot if rain does not coincide with shoot dates.

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Scene 4 — Rainfall challenge: Valley Floor Farm Location: Valley Floor Farm — polytunnels and open beds Type: Observational / Interview Contributor: Contributor B Topics: How lower-lying land is affected differently; flooding risk; irrigation in dry spells; pest pressure linked to humidity B-roll:

• Irrigation equipment in use
• Any flood-protection measures (raised beds, drainage ditches)
• Close-up of weather app on phone or handwritten weather log Notes: Capture contrast with upland conditions from Scene 3.

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Scene 5 — The science behind the change Location: Agricultural college research greenhouse Type: Interview / Observational Contributor: Contributor C Topics: What data shows about regional rainfall patterns over 30 years; what farmers can and cannot adapt to; what research is underway B-roll:

• Greenhouse equipment, growing experiments, monitoring sensors
• Contributor C working with plants or data
• Any visualisations or charts available (confirm clearance before filming screens) Notes: MUST SHOOT w/c 14 April — contributor unavailable outside this window. Confirm access with college press office in advance. Check whether filming equipment in labs requires special permission.

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Scene 6 — Farmers' market: Selling direct Location: Regional farmers' market, town centre Type: Observational / Interview Contributor: Contributor D; Contributor B (if selling that day — confirm) Topics: Why direct sales matter financially and emotionally; relationship between farmer and buyer; what customers understand (or don't) about food production costs B-roll:

• Market stalls being set up before opening
• Transactions, conversations between stall holders and customers
• Produce on display — colour, texture, variety
• Wide shot of market in full swing Notes: Confirm market trading hours. Check whether market operator requires filming permission. Aim for a busy trading period — not last hour when stalls pack down.

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Scene 7 — Distribution vs. direct: Contributor A's experience Location: Hilltop Farm — farmhouse kitchen or farm office Type: Interview Contributor: Contributor A Topics: History of selling through distributors; why that changed or stayed the same; the economics; what is lost or gained selling direct B-roll:

• Invoices, order books (redact identifying information if shown on camera)
• Loading produce onto a vehicle for delivery Notes: Contributor A sells primarily through a distributor — this provides editorial counterpoint to Contributor B's direct-sales model.

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Scene 8 — The economics: What the numbers say Location: Valley Floor Farm or neutral location Type: Interview Contributor: Contributor B Topics: Actual margins; what price volatility means week to week; how they decide what to grow B-roll:

• Price boards, cash handling at market (with permission)
• Contributor B doing farm accounts or reviewing receipts Notes: Contributor may be reluctant to discuss specific income figures — prepare a question set that works with approximate ranges rather than exact numbers.

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Scene 9 — The next generation: Contributor B's view Location: Valley Floor Farm Type: Interview / Observational Contributor: Contributor B Topics: Whether they see a future in farming for people their age; what would need to change; what they would tell someone starting out B-roll:

• Contributor B with younger helpers or apprentices if present
• End-of-day routine — locking up, tools put away Notes: This scene carries emotional weight — schedule it when contributor is not rushed.

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Scene 10 — The next generation: Contributor A's view Location: Hilltop Farm Type: Interview Contributor: Contributor A Topics: Whether the farm will pass to the next generation; what they hope for; what worries them B-roll:

• Family photographs if offered (confirm clearance)
• Farm in late afternoon light — a more elegiac visual register Notes: This may be the film's emotional close. Give it time.

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Scene 11 — Closing observational sequences Location: All three farms (brief returns) Type: Observational (no interview) Contributor: None required B-roll:

• Season-change shots: growth, harvest, or dormancy depending on shoot timing
• Each farmer at work, unobserved — hands, faces, landscape Notes: These shots provide the film's closing montage. Capture without direction where possible — let contributors work naturally.

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OUTSTANDING ITEMS

• Shoot dates not yet confirmed — schedule around Contributor C's w/c 14 April window
• Filming permission: agricultural college press office — contact required
• Filming permission: farmers' market operator — contact required
• Contributor B's market trading schedule — confirm which weeks they attend
• Archival or personal photographs from Contributor A — access and clearance TBC
• Director and DOP not yet attached — visual approach to be confirmed before Scene 1 reconnoitre

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Known Limitations

• A shoot outline is not a shooting script. It does not provide scripted narration, shot-by-shot camera directions, or a final edit order. Use the scene-breakdown-writer skill to develop individual scenes into full scripted sequences.
• The outline assumes the story structure and contributor list are finalised. If either changes significantly after the outline is written, the document will need to be rebuilt from the mapping stage.
• B-roll lists identify what is needed, not what is achievable. Weather-dependent or access-restricted shots may not be obtainable — the outline does not solve those production problems, it only flags them.
• For multi-location shoots across several countries, logistics and shoot-order optimisation are beyond what this skill can calculate — a production manager should verify the proposed order against actual travel costs and schedules.

Related Skills

• scene-breakdown-writer
• shoot-schedule-builder
• location-brief-writer
• interview-question-generator