When I started out in the film business 7 or 8 years ago, I watched the crew guys use a "slate" between each take (a digital slate that was synched up with the film camera). I understood the principle: keep audio and picture easily matched together. But I didn't understand what they were doing beyond that. And now that I'm shooting my own stuff (as of 3 months ago) I notice that there are various timecode options in programs like Avid Xpress...but I'm not really sure what purpose they have anymore. Why would I bother slating now? Sound is perfectly synched in my DVX100A (unless I record to a separate DAT, which I just wouldn't do at this point). Is the slate and even timecode dead?
Death to slating
- Thread starter sean90291
- Start date
Lawsuit_Boy
Veteran
seems like it at this point, but I think timecode is still a very important thing to keep in mind. It can save your butt sometimes.
Also, a slate is an important way of visually recording information, such as lense/filters used, take, roll, scene, etc etc. I agree thought that with video, especially when recording audio in camera, the importance of syncing is becoming less and less. They make slates now that don't even have clappers, but rather they just serve as a way to visually identify certain information when editing.
mikkowilson
Steadi-Guru
I still use a slate on all my narative shoots if possible.
Of course it helps sync when recording outboard (DAT, multitrack, etc..)
It's also handy for syncing multiple cameras when jamming isn't an option.
It's got that all important visual information of every shot.
It also, for some stragne reason, improves the quality of the production - time spent slating means time spent considering each shot.. no "oh just let it roll" stuff.
It's fantasic working in NLE with it too. Get those Roll-Scene-Take numbers in there, and note them on the shooting log. - I frame up the slate before I roll camera so the first frame of each shot is the slate, nice and big. Then when I capture I re-name the files to match the roll_scene_take data. - Drop them into the NLE. the log tells me exactly what's good, and all the thumbnails have the shot data visible in them - even in windows explorer in "thumbnail" mode I can read the slates. Never ever need to ask "wait, what's this shot?"
SO handy.
- Mikko
Of course it helps sync when recording outboard (DAT, multitrack, etc..)
It's also handy for syncing multiple cameras when jamming isn't an option.
It's got that all important visual information of every shot.
It also, for some stragne reason, improves the quality of the production - time spent slating means time spent considering each shot.. no "oh just let it roll" stuff.
It's fantasic working in NLE with it too. Get those Roll-Scene-Take numbers in there, and note them on the shooting log. - I frame up the slate before I roll camera so the first frame of each shot is the slate, nice and big. Then when I capture I re-name the files to match the roll_scene_take data. - Drop them into the NLE. the log tells me exactly what's good, and all the thumbnails have the shot data visible in them - even in windows explorer in "thumbnail" mode I can read the slates. Never ever need to ask "wait, what's this shot?"
SO handy.
- Mikko
its funny cause when we where shooting stuff with the HVX we found out we are getting one more step to slate extinction.. like you cant tale slate with the HVX after you stop recording... well you can, but it gets put into its completely new folder.
I hate slates.. but they have saved my ass.. and if you do any sort of proxy or conform, the other editor is gonna want them.
I hate slates.. but they have saved my ass.. and if you do any sort of proxy or conform, the other editor is gonna want them.
Blaine
Mr. Hollywood
When I tape straight to the Quickcapture (external HD) I don't log and capture. I just copy the clip from the QC to my external HD on the computer. The naming convention for the QC is not good. It just gives you an alpha-numeric name for each clip. When editing time comes, that's not much help. By slating, I get all the information I need to properly identify each clip right at the front of the clip so I don't have to watch the whole thing to figure out what I've got. Of course, sometimes on the set, using a small crew and pushing to get the shots slating doesn't happen as religiously as it should. Then, I'm watching the clip with the script next to me to figure out what scene it was that we were shooting.