Cheap Clapboard

bpotter

bpotter

Well-known member
Or: "How I learned to stop worrying, and love the hand clap.".

We were using simple hand claps to sync cameras, until we found ourselves with actors holding pizza. I would have had someone step in, but all of the lights, tripods etc were blocking the way. Nothing special here, just a funny clip. If you listen carefully, you can hear my saying "crap" as I realize the problem at hand.

Whenever I teach on film making I always ask the question to the class: "What is film making?" After a few answers I'll tell them "Film making is creative problem soliving".

http://www.thesamenamenetwork.com/CheapClapboard.wmv
 
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bpotter,

Very cute clip. Unfortunately your post causes me great concern. You mention that you teach film making. Do you teach your students the minimum acceptable equipment required to make a movie? Way too often I see people go out and buy a DVX100 or more, and think that's all they need. They don't know about microphones lights and flags and sandbags and SLATES (cost: $30 on ebay, value: priceless). And the value of slates is not just for synching sound. It tells you the basic scene and take information that makes editing that much more easy. I use Vegas for editing, and I am very strict (when directing) that the slate must be in front of the camera before it rolls. This is because when I batch capture a tape (something Vegas is very good at) in my media bin I see slates, so I know immediately which file is which. Because I always have a script supervisor to log my takes and keep notes and handle continuity.

So, if you teach your students all these things, that's great. If not, I fear they are missing out on a lot.

I'm sorry if I seem to be picking on you. I'm not, specifically, since I have never taken a class from you. But, your post just hit a raw nerve.

The best way to learn how to make movies is to learn the all of the details of the process first. Then you can decide if there are parts of the process you can eliminate or reduce.

Phil
 
Yes I totally agree...."Slate before you take" will cut down guessing when in post..It's hard enough to edit, let alone trying to figure out what scene and take was done. I also always slate scene and take in audio along with the visual clapper board in case some information didn't get on tape, which does happen occasionally as the shoot gets late into the day due to fatigue.
 
i sow that method on allot of porno , the problem they didnt cutout the smacks and from some reason always kept it in:shocked:
 
Thanks for the comments.

ptalsky: I don't feel like you're picking on me. I would like to respond to your comments, though.

I understand where you are coming from as far as teaching proper fundamentals to inexperienced users. To clarify, on this shoot we had two dvx100a's, arri lights, boom mics, field monitor, DVRack, two people taking timecode, sand bags, flags, storyboards, shooting schedule, etc.

All this to say that unfortunately all of that is off camera and the lack of a slate is not (or something like that.)

One thing I must disagree on:
"The best way to learn how to make movies is to learn the all of the details of the process first. Then you can decide if there are parts of the process you can eliminate or reduce."

The best way? I really don't think there is any BEST way in filmmaking. In fact, I think there are very few hard and fast rules. I personally believe that actually shooting is the way to go. That is not to say that we should learn while being paid. I mean that what you learn in a classroom or what you are taught while not on the field is just theory until you're in the field.

Finally, you can't "learn all the details of the process" before you start to shoot. 90% of the details of the process are when you are actually in the thick of it. Actually producing media for a year or two straight is worth any four years in a film school.

Just my opinion.
 
They only problem with doing it that way is that you really cant be frame accurate. Due to the angle, and the fleshy nature of human hands, it's hard to see just where exactly the clap is. You can get cheap dumb slates for around $20. I would use one of those.

-Dave
 
I am definatley grabbing one after this. I was able to get a good sync from the hand claps, though.
 
Totaly agree with Phil on this. If a person is shelling out good money to be trained in filmmaking then they need to be taught the way it is done by the big boys. Studio films don't get all that equipment and hire all those people to waste money. All of these processes have a reason. Of couse once we learn why we do these things, we can make a decision to bypass certain things to better fit our means and goals.

Bascially you need to understand the rules before you learn why and when to break them.

OTOH, if you want to apply the R. Rodriguez's guerilla style of filmmaking without going to a proper school then they are using the money they would have paid to a school to learn thru trial and error.

But if I am paying you money to learn, teach me the traditional style of filmmaking. Unless, of course, that is how the class is advertised; ie, "Guerilla filmmaking on low/no budget".

On a related topic, I once had to sync a 16mm film where they thought snapping fingers on camera would work. :( My first job in the business ever was as an assistant editor and I once spent 3 weeks just syncing the DAT to picture on a production where the director thought if he just slated "some" takes it would be fine. The camera and sound notes were often non-existent and wrong too. I would spend an hour trying to sync to a plosive P only to find out I was syncing the wrong take.

Cheers
 
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