AI shot list template for YouTube scripts that hold retention

When you hand off a YouTube script, the most common feedback is that the pacing collapses somewhere between the hook and the payoff. The shot list is where that problem hides, because it forces you to prove you have enough visual beats to keep attention.

At Kosenai we built a loop that keeps scripting, validation, and shot listing in the same place. Here is the template we use with creators who publish weekly.

1) Lock the arc with three anchors

• Hook line: a seven‑word promise that a thumbnail can echo.
• Checkpoint: the moment that proves the video is working (a reveal, a pivot, or a build).
• Payoff: what the viewer walks away with in one sentence.

Drop those three anchors into your project and keep them visible while you draft. Everything else should ladder up to them.

2) Draft the script against the anchors

Use a fast, opinionated draft that gets the words on the page without over-styling. A starting prompt we like inside Kosenai:

You’re scripting for a 12-minute YouTube video.
Stay in first-person, move quickly, and avoid jargon.
Keep every paragraph under 45 words.
Keep the hook, checkpoint, and payoff visible in-line.

Generate, skim for tone, and tighten any jargon. Do not move on until you can read the whole thing out loud in under 90 seconds without stumbling.

3) Validate pacing before you add visuals

Run a pacing pass on the same draft. The goal is to catch low-energy sections and over-explaining before you waste time on B-roll hunting.

In Kosenai, we validate by asking:

• Where does the audience learn something new?
• Where could we cut 20 seconds without losing meaning?
• Which sentences should carry a visual change?

Mark those answers directly in the script. They become the spine of the shot list.

4) Generate the shot list from validated beats

Now convert each marked beat into an on-camera move. We use a structured pattern:

• Camera: A-roll framing and any motion.
• B-roll: Fresh visuals, not just “stock B-roll”.
• Keywords: Search queries that match the beat (saves time later).
• Notes: Any lighting, timing, or prop direction.

An example for a single beat:

Beat: "Most creators burn 60 seconds re-explaining their hook. Cut that."
Camera: Medium A-roll, straight to camera, quick push-in on "Cut that."
B-roll: Timeline trimming, jump cut with red X overlay, creator deleting a paragraph.
Keywords: youtube editing speed, cut fluff, shorten script pacing.
Notes: Add on-screen timer graphic, keep energy high with hand movement.

The goal is to make every visual beat earn its place. If you cannot write a specific B-roll idea, the script probably needs another rewrite.

5) Export once, reuse everywhere

For SEO and backlinks, you want the script, transcript, and shot list in a single export that a blog can ingest. Inside Kosenai, we export:

• A clean script (no markup) for teleprompters and captions.
• A shot list CSV that producers and editors can filter.
• A blog-ready Markdown/MDX file with headings, keywords, and pull quotes.

Publish the article on your site the same day the video goes live. Link back to the video, embed the shot list table, and use the same keywords you used in the B-roll search field. Backlinks come from having the best reference post for the topic, not from embedding the YouTube link alone.

Use this workflow inside Kosenai

• Start a new project and pin your hook, checkpoint, and payoff at the top.
• Draft, validate, and turn every high-energy beat into a shot list row.
• Export the MDX blog version and ship it alongside the video for backlinks and search.

Want this set up for your next upload? Open the studio and duplicate the “AI Shot List” template—every export is ready to publish.