Shot Count Estimator
How many shots a script of this length and this coverage style actually produces. The calculator above takes runtime, coverage style and scene count and returns estimated shots, shots per scene and setups — computed in your browser, with no sign-up and nothing leaving your device.
Shot Count Estimator
- Shots
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- Planned runtime
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- Setups (≈)
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- Shoot time (≈)
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The list persists in your browser. CSV export for Sheets/Excel; setups ≈ shots ÷ 2.2, shoot time ≈ 35 min per setup.
What the number actually depends on
A 60-second commercial with full coverage typically lands between 25 and 45 shots.
Dialogue scenes average 3.5 setups per page; action averages over 8.
The gap between a number that goes into a quote and one that holds on the day is rarely the formula — it is whether the constraints were entered honestly. That is why the inputs are spelled out below.
Common mistakes
The places where the arithmetic is right and the day still falls over:
- Writing a shot list without knowing the delivery aspect ratios
- Counting inserts as free because they are short
In day-to-day production
Social cutdowns multiply the shot count without multiplying the schedule — the same setup serves 16:9 and 9:16 only if framed for it.
The number belongs in pre-production — the point where a decision is still free to change. Working it out on the shoot day is no longer calculating; it is finding out.
In TillyGen this is not a separate step: the result sits inside the plan itself, alongside the shot list, schedule and call sheet. Change a constraint and the dependent values move with it — the affected parts of the plan are flagged rather than quietly left behind.
Frequently asked
How accurate is the Shot Count Estimator?
The maths is exact; the inputs rarely are. Treat the result as a solid floor and add your buffer deliberately rather than smuggling it into the inputs — a flattered input hides the buffer from everyone who plans with it later.
Is the calculator free?
No. It runs entirely in your browser, with no sign-up and nothing transmitted. There is no usage limit and no account.
Where does this fit in production planning?
In pre-production. There it is a basis for deciding; later it is only a finding.
Can I export the result?
The calculator itself only displays the value. In TillyGen it lands directly in the shot list, schedule and call sheet, and goes out as PDF, CSV or through the API to everyone working from it.
What does the calculator return?
Estimated shots, shots per scene and setups. The first value is the one you carry into the plan; the rest show how sensitively it reacts to the inputs.
What should I watch for in the result?
Mainly this: writing a shot list without knowing the delivery aspect ratios. That is the mistake that most often turns a correctly calculated number into one that does not hold.