If you’ve been to the movies lately or clocked a respectable number of Netflix hours, chances are you’ve seen a production that uses shot sequences. That’s because shot sequences make a production look more polished. They help producers add visual interest and illustrate the beginning, middle, and end of their narrative.

So, what is sequence shooting and how do you do it? Simply put, this technique is a way to construct a visual story by stringing together a series of different shots. There is no magic here, it’s about planning to get a variety of shots so that when you get to editing you’ll have more options to tell your story in the most compelling way possible.

Check out the video to see the three types of shots we always plan for and give it a try, the more you do it the better you’ll get at it.