Slate - Say What?

J

Jon Oskar

Well-known member
Hi,

So what is it the should be written on a slate and how? i know there are already lots of fields on there, but what is relevant to DV? How does this work in relationship to a shot list, and what should a shot-list look like? Im talking about real world Indy film making applications, not the Hollywood way.

many thanx

Jon
 
All the same stuff as film, at least that's how I do it:

Project Name
Director Name
Photographer Name
Day/Time
Reel Number
Scene Number
Take/Series Number
Framerate (usually written in lower half of the "scene" field)
Channel 1 and/or Channel 2 audio designation

For the things that remain the same throughout the shoot, I try to use P-Touch lables.
Also, I gaff tape a powder puff on the end of the dry erase marker to use as an eraser.
 
Anyone know where I can find some slates on the internet, any links? I tried improvising but it is more trouble than it is worth.
 
I'm just starting out... so everything I say might be total BS. But for my productions... slating every shot is a complete waste of time. That's because:

1) I direct from behind the camera, plus I'm the editor: hence the ONLY person handing the footage.
2) I pause between takes, creating "clips"
3) Vegas recongnizes those clips during capture process. If I label tape "Zombie Tape A", it will sequentially number the clips.
4) I can then create folders for each page of the script, or each location, or whatever.
5) Vegas lets me see first frame of clip. If I DON'T start it with a slate, 9 out of 10 times I can recongnize the scene and drop it in the right folder.
6) My DV tape inserts are labeled with Project Name, DP (if I have one), Date, Reel Number, Frame rate.

I usually have just a weekend with my actors/actresses to do short films so I have to move fast, fast, fast to get the coverage I need. If an actor phucks up, pause..., "CUT!", "Lets do it again"..... reset, "RECORDING!" unpause "ACTION!"...or "Whenever you're ready" I usually don't have to look hard for the good takes. It usually the last or second to the last when I try to do one for safety.

I don't waste my time sorting out bad takes anymore... I dump the tape and relax.... THEN I delete the unusable (I didn't say bad) takes out of my folder.

Lately I combine my shot list with my schedule. Just so that no one asks my repeated questions and slows me down. I provide copies of them to my talent and crew. It goes something like this:

7-12 pm INT Warehouse - DAY: Bad Guy tortures Hero
Talent: Bad Guy, Hero, Thug 1, Thug 2, Love Interest
Shots: CU whip, Establishing shot, Villian threatening, Love Interest pleading, Hero says "cool" line, Villian takes whip, Thugs laugh, Hero's reaction, etc.

12-12:30 Lunch

12:30- 2:30 pm INT Warehouse - NIGHT: Buddy finds Hero
Talent: Buddy, Hero
Shots: Shadowy Wide shot of Hero, CU Hero scarred face looking up (sound done in post),...

And so on. I also put times when we do makeup, change locations.... whatever... all time are estimations. Now talent and crew know what shots we are doing and when... and the talent can scram... and know when to come back after sipping mocha lattes

This post will probably flame other to tell you/me that this method IS NOT the way to do it, or my style is totally unconventional. But it works for me after learning from my mistakes. Hope this post helps you on your future productions :-)
 
coffee said:
panther0271, I work with pretty much the same exact method as you! lol, good to hear that I'm not the only one!
Click to expand...

Whew! Was worried I'd be the odd ball 'round these parts! Thanks coffee...
 
The only thing that is nessecery is "whatever works" for you.

I have a slate.. sometimes I use it (generally when dooing dramatic/properly scripted "film style" projects.. and defiantly if I'm recording to DAT [duh]) but most of the time ("video" type projects) I just go the video/broadcasting road.. bars on the head of the tape and let'her roll! Mark good shots mid tape with a flash of bars or black, Stick a lable on the end when it's ready.

Story: When I shot a recent project on HDV, and then dumped to actually edit (and produce) in regular DV, of course my TC points could have very easily been lost.. it was VERY nice to have that first frame of the video (including the thumbnail in WindowsXP!) be the slate, with nice big Roll/Scene/Take data that I could even read just from the file browser.
Combined with the shooting logs (with matching data and best takes marked), I had the first 2 mintues of the final version edited and trimmed in about 10mins!

- Mikko
 
I also don't slate on scripted shoots. A PA writes down the timecode with the scene information, and if it's good/flubbed/"print"/whatever.

During post-production another PA re-writes the file-names with the shot-number-version. During editing it's simply a matter of going through the notes and lining up the good takes.

Slates sound cool though, and sometimes you want the psychological impact of it -- especially if the client drops in :) .
 
We had logging PAs on the last show we did for each camera position and producer. These people were all equipped with ScriptBoys jammed down from the CineAltas.

The HDV cameras all were set to freerun time-of-day, taking shots of an open slate or the ScriptBoy in a pinch at the top of each continuous take. For multiformat scenes where no timecode slate was available, we used an old-fashion slate. Our logging PAs took extensive notes throughout each take - largely negating the need for classic logging after the fact. Triple *** denoted high-interest comments or action, while all other pertinent notes simply had the timestamp next to them.

The low-tech irony of the situation was not lost on us to have almost every available F900 and HDV camera in the SouthEast pointed at a simple slate for synchronization. The post-production coordinator tells me that they are relying heavily on this system as TC is all over the map with the uprezzed HDV to HDCam (40 minute loads).

We tested jamming timecode to Ch2 on the HDVs among other methods - nothing worked as dependably as the good 'ol slate. Regardless of how the technology advances for logging, we will be using classic slates in all of our productions for the foreseeable future.

e
 
As long as you are recording audio seperate to video, or multiple videos, you will need something physical to generate a unique image and sound for sync. That is a slate.

- Mikko
 
I shot a narrative project with my DVX for the first time last weekend, and had every take slated, and t/c logged.

Mostly to streamline transferring footage, and to provide for re-synching if audio and video got unlocked during editing.

And, I guess, carryover habits from shooting 16mm.
 
I just has the oppurtunity to work as an editor, and slates help. Timecode is great for only one thing, time. But, as stated before, there is other info to be had. And I don't want to see a framerate burn when shuttling thru. Just at the head.

Long live the clapper.
 
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