A couple questions when it comes to slating....

[Michael Solomon]

Hey guys, I have a couple questions in regards to slating procedure

1) When you tail slate: You start with it upside down, sticks sill seperated right? Do you call the slate before or after you flip it right side up?

2) When doing a multi cam shoot, does both A camera and B camera 2AC call their slates? Or does just the A Camera 2AC call it and then B-camera 2AC just says "B-Camera, Marker"
- Or is it just one 2AC that slates for both cameras?

3) When doing a multi cam shoot, is the shot number the same for both cameras? For example, it would be shot 24A on both A camera and B Camera

4) I typically skip I, O, and Z when it comes to lettering. Is this standard?

5) Is it "poor form" to have your body behind the slate assuming it's placed at the correct distance (i.e. 3.5 feet for 35mm) or should you hold it from the side.

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[nothing]

1) Start upside down, sticks separated, mark it upside down and then flip it. Don't forget to yell out "tail sticks" as soon as cut is called so nobody accidentally cuts too soon.

2) What do you mean by "call the slate"? If you mean saying the scene and take number aloud, then the 2nds shouldn't be doing that at all - the sound mixer should do that. Both 2nds should say their camera letter and "mark" or "marker" if doing separate slates, but common slates are acceptable if in tight quarters.

3) Yes.

4) That's up to the script supervisor as s/he is the one telling you what numbers go on the slate, but generally any letter that looks like a number is avoided.

5) No.

 

[RyanT]

1) Yes, usually with TC slates the sticks have to be seperated for the numbers to be rolling.

2) You should really get your sound guy to call the slates, usually the recordist has a little mic he can speak into and call the slate. Then each 2nd just says A mark and B Mark, or if one assistant can get them both you just say A B Common mark.

3) Yeah, same for both camera.

4) Z is questionable, I and O definitely...I think those are the only ones.

5) I don't think having your whole body behind the slate is conducive to a quick get away, no ones ever told me not to do it though.

I was an AC for a couple years so thats how I picked this up. Maybe someone who is a working AC now can correct me on some of this though.

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

Hey guys, I have a couple questions in regards to slating procedure

1) When you tail slate: You start with it upside down, sticks sill seperated right? Do you call the slate before or after you flip it right side up?

2) When doing a multi cam shoot, does both A camera and B camera 2AC call their slates? Or does just the A Camera 2AC call it and then B-camera 2AC just says "B-Camera, Marker"
- Or is it just one 2AC that slates for both cameras?

3) When doing a multi cam shoot, is the shot number the same for both cameras? For example, it would be shot 24A on both A camera and B Camera

4) I typically skip I, O, and Z when it comes to lettering. Is this standard?

5) Is it "poor form" to have your body behind the slate assuming it's placed at the correct distance (i.e. 3.5 feet for 35mm) or should you hold it from the side.

Thanks in advance guys!

From the various readings on 'slating', and BTS shots of slating, the 'upside down' slate is to mark the end of a shot, which a head end slate would be awkward.

The Shots are listed by scene numbers and A-Z for different shots in a scene, the form for Scene 2 would be 2, 2A, 2B... etc. that correspond for the first shot, second, etc.

In callouts, one would call the scene, the 'a-z' in some form of word form such as a == 'apple'... (if there's a list of 'official' words, that would be good, because they don't sound like the Radio call words...).

The Slate should have an area for 'camera number' if there are multiple cameras, and that should be part of the call out for that camera. Each camera gets a slate, so in editing, each camera can be aligned with the audio.

Here's some examples from "Inglorious Basterds"(2009)...

Recently I did some work for a quick and dirty shot, where someone had called out the mark... but the slate was no where visible on the clip I was working with, but the audio guy, having planted a Zoom came by the camera and made a 'hand clap'... it was barely audible... but that was the 'mark' for the audio clip I was handed...

This is an example of 'bad' slating... I matched up the audio to the video by lip reading action, then later realized the little tiny 'puah..' was the audio guy's 'clap'... as heard from the zoom plant...

 

[jax_rox]

This is how I'd advise my 2nd:

1. Start upside down then flip and hit it. Call it before you flip, and make sure you also say 'tail slate' or 'tail sticks'.

2. You'd have the same shot/take number, so you'd just need one AC to call it, and then have an 'A mark' and 'B mark'. In Aus, 2nds will call it rather than the sound guy, so I know where you're coming from.

3. ^

4. I've advised 2nds to do the same thing when training newbies. Always check with your scripty though.

5. I've never specifically advised against it, but I can't recall a time when I've have a 2nd do it. Possibly because of escape routes. I'd assume it makes it harder to shine flashlights through/on as well.