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Reference Tools5 min read

ShotBook vs ShotDeck

ShotBook is a catalog of video references for editors and filmmakers. References are organized and tagged by editing and shooting technique. ShotDeck's page title calls it a cinematic image library, and its homepage (viewed October 30, 2026) opens with: "The library of film, one beautiful shot at a time." Below: what each one holds, how you reach a reference in each, and which one to open for the reference in front of you — a frame or a cut.

The short answer

ShotDeck's homepage (viewed October 30, 2026) describes "fully searchable high-definition movie images," each hand-tagged with, among other things, cameras, lenses, framing, lighting, color, and composition. ShotBook is a catalog of video references for editors and filmmakers. You can filter by category, pacing, transitions, hook type, production level, orientation, and effects. Many references are linked to tutorials for Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and CapCut.

What ShotBook is

ShotBook is a catalog of video references for editors and filmmakers. References are organized and tagged by editing and shooting technique. Search by editing technique, not by endless scrolling. You can filter by category, pacing, transitions, hook type, production level, orientation, and effects. Filter by transitions like Match Cut, Speed Ramp, and Whip Pan.

A ShotBook reference can include techniques, effects, and execution details. The catalog is hand-curated and human-reviewed. Many references are linked to tutorials for Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and CapCut. The reference shows what was done; the tutorial shows how to do it in the editor you already work in.

A board is an infinite canvas. Drop references, images, and text onto it. Trim a reference to the beat you mean. The fragment loops on the board. Take a frame from any video on the board and use it as a reference. Connect videos, stills, and notes into a scene or a timeline.

What ShotDeck is

ShotDeck's homepage (viewed October 30, 2026) opens with: "The library of film, one beautiful shot at a time." It addresses "directors, cinematographers, designers, ad folks, film students, and visual artists." Its help center (viewed October 30, 2026) says titles are selected from films, TV series, music videos, and commercials, and that its taggers "break down each title into individual shots and add detailed tags and information to each image." The homepage lists crew, genre, cameras, lenses, framing, lighting, color, composition, locations, and "emotion on the actor's face" among the tags.

Saved images go into decks. The help center (viewed October 30, 2026) describes them this way: "Decks let you save and organize shots for projects, research, or inspiration." A deck can have sub-decks, can be exported, and can be shared by entering the email address of another ShotDeck account with "Can view" or "Can edit" access. The homepage also describes a streaming integration with ReelGood for watching a film found on the site through a streaming service.

The pricing and sign-up pages (both viewed October 30, 2026) list yearly and monthly plans, gift subscriptions, educational discounts, enterprise and team pricing on request, and a two-week free trial with no credit card required.

Side by side

What a reference is

  • ShotBook: References are organized and tagged by editing and shooting technique.
  • ShotDeck: a still image from a film, series, music video, or commercial, tagged with cameras, lenses, framing, lighting, color, and composition, among other fields (homepage and help center, viewed October 30, 2026)

Finding a reference

  • ShotBook: You can filter by category, pacing, transitions, hook type, production level, orientation, and effects.
  • ShotDeck: search by its tags — crew, genre, cameras, lenses, framing, lighting, color, composition, locations, and emotion on the actor's face (homepage, viewed October 30, 2026)

Collecting what you found

  • ShotBook: A board is an infinite canvas. Drop references, images, and text onto it. Trim a reference to the beat you mean. The fragment loops on the board.
  • ShotDeck: decks and sub-decks of saved images; a deck can be exported and shared with another ShotDeck account as "Can view" or "Can edit" (help center, viewed October 30, 2026)

Access and price

  • ShotBook: There is a free tier; paid plans are monthly and yearly. Search the catalog and build a board on the free tier. Sharing by link and invitations come with a paid plan.
  • ShotDeck: a two-week free trial with no credit card required; yearly and monthly plans (sign-up and pricing pages, viewed October 30, 2026)

Which one to open

  • You need a frame: how a shot was framed, lit, and colored, and on which lens. Open ShotDeck; its homepage lists cameras, lenses, framing, lighting, and color among its tags (viewed October 30, 2026).
  • You need a cut, and the technique already has a name — a match cut, a speed ramp, a whip pan. Open ShotBook; the filters are listed under Side by side above.
  • You need to make it in your editor. Open ShotBook; the tutorials are described in the FAQ below.
  • You want to watch the film a shot came from. Open ShotDeck; its homepage describes a streaming integration with ReelGood (viewed October 30, 2026).
  • You are planning the scene around the reference. A board is an infinite canvas. Drop references, images, and text onto it. Trim a reference to the beat you mean. The fragment loops on the board.
  • You need to show it to a client. Send your client one link. No account needed to view. Sharing by link and invitations come with a paid plan. On ShotDeck, a deck is shared to the email address of another ShotDeck account (help center, viewed October 30, 2026).

FAQ

Is ShotDeck free?

ShotDeck's sign-up page offers a two-week free trial with no credit card required; its pricing page lists yearly and monthly plans, with gift, educational, and enterprise options listed separately (both pages viewed October 30, 2026).

Does ShotBook have a free tier?

Yes. There is a free tier; paid plans are monthly and yearly. Search the catalog and build a board on the free tier. Sharing by link and invitations come with a paid plan. Detailed video views are capped per day on the free tier.

What is a ShotDeck image tagged with?

Its homepage (viewed October 30, 2026) says every image is hand-tagged with "essential info like the crew, genre, cameras, lenses, framing, lighting, color, composition, locations, and even emotion on the actor's face."

What do I see when I open a ShotBook reference?

A ShotBook reference can include techniques, effects, and execution details. The catalog is hand-curated and human-reviewed. Many references are linked to tutorials for Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and CapCut.

Can I share a board or a deck with a client?

On a paid plan you can share boards via a public link — to view or to edit — and invite people by email. Send your client one link. No account needed to view. It is not a live-presence tool. You and the people you invite work on the same board, but you do not see each other's cursors. On ShotDeck, according to its help center (viewed October 30, 2026), you share a deck by entering the email address associated with the other person's ShotDeck account and choosing "Can view" or "Can edit"; "the person you're sharing with must have a ShotDeck account."

How do their reference formats differ?

ShotDeck's help center says its titles come from films, TV series, music videos, and commercials and are broken down into individual shots with tags for each image (viewed October 30, 2026). ShotBook is a catalog of video references for editors and filmmakers. References are organized and tagged by editing and shooting technique.

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