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Shots are the individual camera angles and scenes that make up your sequences. Kitsu helps you manage shots through every stage of production.

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What are Shots?

A shot represents a single camera setup in your production:
  • Organized into sequences (scenes or groups of related shots)
  • For TV shows, organized by episodes and sequences
  • Each shot has technical specs (frames, resolution, FPS)
  • Shots progress through tasks (Layout, Animation, Lighting, Compositing)

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The Shots Page

The Shots page displays all shots in the current production, organized by sequence.

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Search and Filtering

Find shots quickly using the search bar: 
e01 s01 anim=wip
This finds shots in Episode 1, Sequence 1 where Animation is “WIP”. Filter Syntax:
  • By sequence: Type the sequence name (e.g., seq010)
  • By episode: e01 or episode name
  • By task status: layout=wip, anim=approved
  • Combine filters: seq010 anim=wip lighting=todo
Use the Filter Builder for visual query construction.

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Saved Searches

Save complex queries:
  1. Build your search criteria
  2. Click the save icon
  3. Name your search
  4. Access it from the saved searches list
Searches can be organized into filter groups and shared with your team.

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Creating and Managing Shots

Only Managers and Supervisors can create, edit, or delete shots.

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The Manage Shots Modal

Click Manage Shots to access the shot creation interface: Create Episodes (TV Shows only):
  • Add new episodes to your production
  • Set episode names and numbers
Create Sequences:
  • Add sequences to episodes (or directly to the project)
  • Name sequences (e.g., “SEQ010”, “Opening”)
Create Shots:
  • Bulk create shots with naming patterns
  • Example: SH0010-SH0020 creates shots SH0010, SH0011…SH0020
  • Or create individual shots one at a time

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Editing Shots

Click a shot name to edit:
  • Name: Shot identifier
  • Description: Shot action or notes
  • Nb Frames: Length of the shot
  • Frame In/Out: Starting and ending frame numbers
  • FPS: Frames per second
  • Resolution: Output resolution (e.g., “1920x1080”)
  • Max Retakes: Limit on revision rounds

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Inline Editing

Many fields can be edited directly in the shot list:
  • Click on nb_frames, description, or metadata fields
  • Changes save automatically
  • Frame In/Out updates recalculate Nb Frames

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Shot Organization

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By Sequence

Shots group automatically by sequence. Click a sequence name to filter to only those shots. Add Sequence to Playlist: Click the button next to a sequence name to add all its shots to a playlist for review.

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Sorting

Sort shots by:
  • Name (shot number)
  • Sequence (groups by sequence, then by shot)
  • Frame count
  • Task status
  • Time spent or estimation
  • Custom metadata
Click column headers to sort. The current sort displays in the sorting info bar.

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Display Options

Customize your view:
  • Big Thumbnails: Larger preview images
  • Show Assignations: Display assigned artists
  • Show Infos: Show technical data and metadata
  • In/Out Timecode: Display timecode instead of frames
  • Department Filter: Filter by department

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Working with Tasks

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Validation Columns

Each shot row shows task status across the pipeline:
  • Click a task cell to view task details
  • Status colors indicate progress
  • Avatars show assigned artists
  • Hover for task information

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Creating Tasks

Bulk create tasks:
  1. Select shots (use Shift+Click for ranges)
  2. Click Create Tasks
  3. Choose the task type (Layout, Animation, etc.)
  4. Select scope: all shots or selected only
  5. Click Confirm

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Delete All Tasks

Remove all tasks of a specific type:
  1. Click the column header menu (…)
  2. Select Delete All Tasks
  3. Type the task type name to confirm
  4. Choose all shots or selection only
Task deletion is permanent and removes all comments, previews, and time tracking data.

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Import and Export

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CSV Import

Import shots from spreadsheets:
  1. Click Import
  2. Upload your CSV file
  3. Map columns:
    • Required: Sequence, Name
    • Optional: Description, Nb Frames, Frame In, Frame Out, FPS, Resolution
    • For TV shows: Include Episode column
  4. Review the import preview
  5. Click Import to create shots
Existing shots update; new shots are created.

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EDL Import

Import shots from editing software:
  1. Click Import EDL
  2. Upload your EDL file
  3. Select naming convention:
    • Match shot names
    • Match sequence names
    • Case sensitive or insensitive
  4. Kitsu creates/updates shots with:
    • Frame In/Out from EDL timecodes
    • Nb Frames calculated automatically

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CSV Export

Export your shot list:
  1. Click Export
  2. Kitsu generates a CSV with:
    • Sequence and shot names
    • Technical specs (frames, FPS, resolution)
    • Metadata
    • Task statuses and assignations
    • Time tracking data
Filename includes date, production, and episode (for TV shows).

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Import Thumbnails

Bulk upload shot thumbnails:
  1. Click Import Thumbnails
  2. Select image files
  3. Name files to match shots (e.g., SH0010.jpg)
  4. Kitsu matches and uploads automatically

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Frame Management

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Calculate Frames from Previews

Automatically set Nb Frames from preview files:
  1. Click Get Frames from Previews
  2. Select which task type’s previews to use
  3. Kitsu reads video duration and sets Nb Frames
Useful after importing layout or animation previews.

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Frame In and Frame Out

When you set Frame In and Frame Out:
  • Nb Frames calculates automatically: Frame Out - Frame In + 1
  • Updating either In or Out recalculates Nb Frames
  • For paper productions, frame math is disabled

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Shot History

View how a shot has changed over time:
  1. Click the History icon on a shot
  2. See all edits with:
    • What changed
    • Who made the change
    • When it occurred
Useful for tracking technical spec changes.

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Metadata and Custom Fields

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Adding Metadata Descriptors

Managers can add custom fields:
  1. Click Add Metadata
  2. Configure the field:
    • Name and type
    • Options for lists
    • Default values
  3. Field appears for all shots

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Editing Metadata

Click metadata cells to edit values inline. Changes sync immediately. Use metadata for:
  • Complexity ratings
  • VFX requirements
  • Location information
  • Special notes or flags

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Shot Sequences

Sequences group related shots:

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Sequence Stats

Click a sequence name to see:
  • Total shots in sequence
  • Combined frame count
  • Task completion status
  • Time spent and estimates
Click Add Sequence next to a sequence to add all shots to a playlist.

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Deleting and Restoring Shots

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Soft Delete

Deleting a shot with tasks marks it as canceled:
  • Hidden from normal views
  • Data preserved
  • Can be restored

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Hard Delete

Shots without tasks are permanently deleted.

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Restore

Restore canceled shots:
  1. Find the shot (appears faded)
  2. Click Restore
  3. Confirm restoration

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Best Practices

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Shot Naming

  • Use consistent padding: SH0010 not SH10
  • Include sequence prefix: SEQ010_SH0010
  • Avoid special characters
  • Consider future shots when numbering

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Frame Specifications

  • Set Nb Frames early for scheduling
  • Update as editorial changes
  • Use Frame In/Out for conform
  • Keep FPS consistent across production

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Task Management

  • Create tasks for entire sequences at once
  • Assign artists by department
  • Set estimations for scheduling
  • Track time for productivity analysis

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Sequence Organization

  • Group logically (by location, action, etc.)
  • Use consistent sequence naming
  • Keep sequences manageable (20-50 shots typical)
  • Break up very long sequences

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Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Shift + Click: Select shot range
  • Ctrl/Cmd + Click: Toggle selection
  • Escape: Clear selection

Tasks

Update shot task status and add comments

Assets

See which assets are used in shots

Playlists

Build shot reviews and dailies

Scheduling

Plan shot production timeline

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