A film moodboard and shot-list reference board that holds motion

Every film starts on paper and pictures before it starts on set. A director builds a lookbook, a DP collects lighting and lens references, the production designer pins textures and palettes, and everyone argues productively over a wall of images until the film’s look is agreed. That wall, the reference board, is one of the most important tools in pre-production.

The problem with most moodboard tools for film is that they only speak in stills. But the whole point of a film reference is often the thing a still can’t show: how a dolly move reveals a room, how the light shifts as a cloud passes, the rhythm of a specific cut. DarkRef is a free, cross-platform reference board that treats video as a first-class reference: you can drop a YouTube clip onto the board, trim it to the exact few seconds that matter (the web app can loop them), and, with DarkRef Pro, share the whole lookbook with your crew in real time.

The boards a production actually needs

“Film moodboard” covers several distinct reference boards, and DarkRef gives each one its own freeform canvas:

• Director’s lookbook: the tone, palette, and visual world of the film.
• Shot-list references: a frame (or a clip) that shows what each key shot should feel like.
• Look-dev & colour: grade references, contrast, and colour palettes per sequence.
• Lighting: setups, motivation, quality of light, time of day.
• Blocking & camera moves: how the camera and actors move, which is where video references earn their place.
• Storyboards & frames: boards and reference frames pinned in scene order.

Why film references need motion, not just stills

This is the feature that makes DarkRef fit film specifically. You can paste a YouTube link straight onto the board, and the clip plays in place, with custom start and end points. So instead of writing “that crane shot from around the middle of the film,” you set the clip to start and end on the precise five seconds of that crane move (the web app can loop it), and it plays right there on the board next to your shot notes.

• Trim to the exact moment (a whip pan, a rack focus, a lighting cue) with start and end points, and loop just those beats in the web app.
• GIFs keep animating on the board too, which is perfect for timing and short motion references.
• Links become clean preview cards, so a page of research doesn’t collapse into a pile of raw URLs.

We wrote a dedicated walkthrough on how to add a YouTube video to a reference board with custom start and end, because for motion-based work it’s genuinely the difference between describing a reference and showing it.

Building a shot-list reference board

A shot list is where the lookbook becomes a plan. Here’s a workflow that maps cleanly onto DarkRef’s canvas:

1. Lay out scenes in order. Give each scene or sequence its own cluster on the board, snapped into tidy rows so it reads top to bottom.
2. Pin a reference per shot. A frame grab, a clip trimmed to the move, or a lighting still that captures the intent.
3. Annotate with sticky notes. Drop a rich sticky note beside each shot for lens choice, camera movement, aspect ratio, or a lighting note. Formatted, not just one plain line.
4. Crop to the frame. Non-destructively crop a wide reference down to the composition you actually mean, without losing the original.

Because DarkRef is a freeform board rather than a spreadsheet, the shot list stays visual: you’re looking at the film, not reading a table.

Share the lookbook with your crew, live

A film’s look is a team agreement. The director, DP, gaffer, production designer, and colourist all need to see and shape the same references, and they’re rarely in one room at the right time. DarkRef’s live boards let you host the lookbook and bring the crew onto it together.

• Everyone on one board. Work the references at the same time and see each person’s cursor move live during a prep session or a remote look meeting.
• Roles that match a set. Give department heads editor access to add their own references, and give a producer or client view-only.
• View-only for the wider crew. Anyone you invite can open the board with a free DarkRef account to see the agreed look (on set, at the monitor, or on their phone), and viewing and joining are always free.

The whole real-time system is covered in the live boards launch update; hosting and editing live boards is part of DarkRef Pro.

On set and in prep, on every device

Prep happens at a desk; the shoot happens on your feet. DarkRef being native on Windows, macOS, and iPad and iPhone (plus a web app) means the lookbook you built in prep is in your hand at the monitor. With DarkRef Pro cloud sync, the iPad you bring to set shows the same board as the workstation you built it on. No exporting a PDF that’s out of date by call time.

Who each tool is best for

• DarkRef: you want a visual, motion-capable lookbook and shot-list board that works on every device and that your crew can build together. Free, with a flat Pro plan.
• Milanote: you lean heavily on written planning, scripts, and to-do structure alongside images.
• PureRef: you only need a stills board on a single desktop and never leave it (no mobile, no sync, no video, no collaboration).
• Miro / a whiteboard: you want a facilitated workshop tool and don’t mind per-seat pricing.

Honest note: what DarkRef doesn’t replace

DarkRef is a reference and lookbook board: it lives in pre-production and on set as a reference, not as a production pipeline. It doesn’t edit footage (that’s Premiere, Resolve, or Avid), it doesn’t draw or animate storyboards for you (that’s a previs or boarding tool), and it isn’t a scheduling and breakdown system like the tools you’d run a call sheet from. What it does is hold the film’s visual intent, stills and motion together, in one place the whole crew can see and shape. Bring your own boards and grade in the tools built for them; use DarkRef to agree on the look.

FAQ

Can I put video references on a film moodboard?

Yes. DarkRef lets you paste a YouTube link onto the board and the clip plays in place, with custom start and end points so you can show the exact camera move or lighting moment you’re referencing (the web app can also loop it). Animated GIFs also keep playing on the board, which is useful for timing and short motion references. This is what makes DarkRef fit film work, where the reference is often the motion itself.

How do I build a shot-list reference board?

Give each scene its own cluster on the board, pin a reference frame or a trimmed clip for each key shot, and add a rich sticky note beside it for lens, camera movement, aspect ratio, and lighting notes. Because DarkRef is a freeform canvas, the shot list stays visual, and you can crop any reference down to the exact composition non-destructively.

Can my crew see the lookbook without buying anything?

Yes. You can host a live board and invite your crew by email. Department heads can get editor access to add their own references, and a producer, client, or the wider crew can get view-only access. Viewing and joining a board is free for everyone; hosting and editing live boards is part of DarkRef Pro.

Does DarkRef work on set, on an iPad?

Yes. DarkRef has native iPad and iPhone apps as well as Windows and macOS, plus a web app. With DarkRef Pro cloud sync, the lookbook you built in prep is already on the iPad you bring to set, so what you show at the monitor is always the current version.

Is DarkRef a replacement for editing or storyboarding software?

No, and it isn’t trying to be. DarkRef is a reference and lookbook board. It doesn’t edit footage, draw storyboards, colour grade, or manage schedules. It holds your film’s visual references, including video, in one shared place, and sits alongside your editing, previs, and production tools rather than replacing them.

How much does DarkRef cost?

DarkRef is free to download and use on iPhone, iPad, Windows, macOS, and the web, including video and link embedding, image editing, sticky notes, and joining shared boards. DarkRef Pro is $1.99/month or $19.99/year and adds hosting and editing of real-time live boards plus cloud sync across all your devices.