Shot Designer

Overview

Shot Designer is a camera-blocking and scene-planning app for directors and directors of photography coordinating movement, shots, and production design. It suits productions that want diagrams and shot lists to stay connected as plans change, rather than maintaining them separately. Its strongest appeal is that joined workflow; its main constraint is that the free version only keeps one scene and does not provide file management, exports, or sharing.

Key features

Shot Designer can move cameras automatically as characters move in a diagram. Its integrated shot list also updates when the diagram changes, and edits to the shot list flow back into the diagram. That two-way link is useful during prep, when blocking decisions and shot plans often shift together; it is less compelling for someone who only needs a static storyboard.

Real-time animation of characters and cameras gives crews a way to preview scene rhythm. The Director’s Viewfinder supports major camera formats and records the lens used for a shot, adding camera-planning context to the blocking work. Set and lighting design tools, production-drawing imports, templates, and a prop and furniture library broaden the app’s reach into pre-production.

Shot annotations, scene layouts, and team collaboration are supported. Pro adds PDF, JPG, and Excel exports, emailing of diagrams and shot lists, file management, scene syncing across devices, and team sharing of scene folders through Dropbox. Scene Freeze is also included in Pro.

3D animation, script integration, voice recording, and speech synthesis are planned features, not current capabilities. The maker says it may process account, order, activation, device, and usage data; operational usage logs are generally retained for up to 14 days. It says payment providers handle card processing and the company does not see or store full card details. Security measures may include encryption, access controls, password hashing, logging, security reviews, and reputable infrastructure providers. Support and privacy inquiries go to [email protected].

Pricing

Free costs nothing. It allows one scene at a time, with the current scene staying saved, but has no file management, export, sync, or team sharing. It is a reasonable fit for an individual planning one scene at a time; anyone managing multiple scenes or handing plans to collaborators will hit its limits quickly.

Pro Upgrade costs $19.99, paid once as a billed in-app purchase. It adds file management, the Mac/PC version, syncing and team sharing, PDF/JPG/Excel export, and Scene Freeze. The one-time price makes it the practical choice for ongoing production work that needs reusable files or collaboration; the free tier remains the lower-commitment option for single-scene planning.

Platforms

Shot Designer supports iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. The Pro upgrade includes the Mac/PC version, while syncing across devices is a Pro feature.

Who it's for

Directors and cinematographers planning camera blocking, shot lists, and scene movement are the clearest fit. Production teams that also need set and lighting design resources may benefit from the included templates, drawing imports, and prop and furniture library. It is a weaker choice for users who need a multi-scene workflow without paying for Pro, or whose central requirement is one of the planned tools such as script integration or 3D animation.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Diagram and shot-list edits stay synchronized in both directions, reducing the burden of keeping two planning records aligned.
• Pro: Real-time character and camera animation helps preview scene rhythm before filming.
• Pro: Viewfinder, lens records, and production-design resources bring camera and set planning into the same app.
• Con: The free tier is capped at one saved scene and excludes file management, exports, and team syncing, limiting its usefulness for a continuing production.
• Con: Collaboration, cross-device syncing, and the Mac/PC version require the paid upgrade.
• Con: Script integration and 3D animation are not current features.

Alternatives

For a broader set of storyboard-focused choices, see Storyboard Software. Consider StoryTribe if unlimited projects and 10 shots per project on its free plan matter more than Shot Designer’s linked blocking diagram and shot list; its free exports are watermarked. Mari is an option for non-commercial use on Linux or Windows, with its free plan limiting exports to 4K and 16-bit per channel and disabling Python scripting.

Previs Pro may suit iOS, macOS, or web users focused on animatics; its free plan allows one animatic per project and watermarks exports. Boords is worth considering for web-based storyboard and script work, with a free solo plan for one user and unlimited storyboards and scripts. Krock.io is another web-centered option, with a free tier for one user, one workspace, and two projects.

Storyboarder is free and open source for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Cineboard is a web-based alternative. Storyboard That is another web option, with a free plan capped at two storyboards per week and watermarked downloads.

Verdict

Choose Shot Designer if you are a director or cinematographer who wants camera blocking, shot lists, and movement previews to work as one planning system. The connected diagram and shot list are its clearest advantage, while the one-scene free cap makes Pro necessary for sustained project work. Look elsewhere if storyboard creation alone is your priority or if you need multi-scene file management without an upgrade.