Creators & social
Instagram Reels Shot List Template
Reels reward polish more than most short-form platforms, and polish comes from having more clips than you need. The difference between a Reel that looks considered and one that looks thrown together is usually four or five extra insert shots.
This list covers the hook, the body, the transitions Reels leans on, and the cover frame most people forget until the moment they post.
Shots
17
Groups
4
Format
Checklist
The shot list
Hook
- 01Opening line to camera, three variants
- 02Visual hook in the first frame
- 03Motion opener — something entering frame immediately
Body
- 04Main content, full run-through
- 05Each beat isolated for cutting
- 06Close detail on the key moment
- 07Alternative angle of the same beat
- 08Before and after, framed identically
Transitions
Reels transitions need matched in/out pairs. Filming only half of one is the most common mistake.
- 09Hand swipe across lens — out of shot A, into shot B
- 10Spin or turn, matched at both ends
- 11Outfit or location change on a matched pose
- 12Object wipe — something filling the frame at the cut point
- 13Jump between two positions holding the same frame
Cover and extras
- 14Deliberate cover frame — shot as a still, not grabbed
- 15Clean vertical portrait for the grid
- 16Space-for-text composition
- 17Spare insert clips, six or more
Tips for this kind of shoot
- Every transition needs both halves. Film the exit and the entry back to back so the motion matches.
- Shoot the cover frame deliberately. A grabbed frame is soft and badly timed almost every time.
- Keep the subject in the middle third — the grid crop and the UI both bite at the edges.
Use this list on your next shoot
Storeyz keeps your shots in story order for planning and regroups them by location for the day — then you tick them off on your phone as you get them.
Questions
What size should I film Reels at?
Vertical 9:16. Keep your subject inside the central third so the square grid crop and the on-screen UI do not cut into them.