Subtleties of the Slate

awesome.
I always enjoyed being on slate for film shoots. It's usually the most interaction with the talent... who i susually of fame on film shoots. As a result, I have hung with some very interesting folks.
 
That was great.

I hate doing that job though. One time I was working on a 16mm shoot as the 2nd AC. It was the first time I'd ever worked on a production with film and the 1st AC knew that. He told me that slating for film was just like what I had always done for digital.

In my experience, slating for digital was like this:

-Roll sound
-Speed
-Roll camera
-Speed
-*Slate goes here*

Oh, and I should mention that at a preproduction meeting, I overheard the DP ask the 1st AC if I was going to "f*ck anything up" on set (she'd never met me, but I'm 17 so I'm used to these kinds of comments).

So, everything is set up for the first shot of the film and we're about to roll.

-"Roll sound"
-"Speed"
-.......long pause........
-DP: "Do you know how to slate?"
-Me: "Yes."
-DP: "Ok then."
-.........long pause.......... (I'm waiting for the camera to roll but I'm supposed to slate now)
-The pissed off DP just rolls the camera without getting a slate
-I start slating then, wasting film
-DP: "CUT! Somebody teach this kid how to slate!" She rolls her eyes and walks away.


I guess in film, it's like this:

-Roll sound
-Speed
-Scene 9 Alfa Take 1
-Camera speeds
-*clap*

Oh well.
 
Drew Ott said:
That was great.

I hate doing that job though. One time I was working on a 16mm shoot as the 2nd AC. It was the first time I'd ever worked on a production with film and the 1st AC knew that. He told me that slating for film was just like what I had always done for digital.

In my experience, slating for digital was like this:

-Roll sound
-Speed
-Roll camera
-Speed
-*Slate goes here*

Oh, and I should mention that at a preproduction meeting, I overheard the DP ask the 1st AC if I was going to "f*ck anything up" on set (she'd never met me, but I'm 17 so I'm used to these kinds of comments).

So, everything is set up for the first shot of the film and we're about to roll.

-"Roll sound"
-"Speed"
-.......long pause........
-DP: "Do you know how to slate?"
-Me: "Yes."
-DP: "Ok then."
-.........long pause.......... (I'm waiting for the camera to roll but I'm supposed to slate now)
-The pissed off DP just rolls the camera without getting a slate
-I start slating then, wasting film
-DP: "CUT! Somebody teach this kid how to slate!" She rolls her eyes and walks away.


I guess in film, it's like this:

-Roll sound
-Speed
-Scene 9 Alfa Take 1
-Camera speeds
-*clap*

Oh well.
Click to expand...

Hahaha! Sounds like what happens in my nightmares!

The one thing I've come to realize is that every DP or Director likes the slate numbering system / execution slightly different then another. It's always a stressful first day for a 2nd AC
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
Hahaha! Sounds like what happens in my nightmares!

The one thing I've come to realize is that every DP or Director likes the slate numbering system / execution slightly different then another. It's always a stressful first day for a 2nd AC
Click to expand...

That's what I've learned as well.

Each director or DP also seems to think that their method is the "correct" method.
 
Funny. Loved it.

And yeah. For film you roll sound, call the slate, then camera rolls and slate is marked. Mostly to conserve film. Since film is more expensive than digital mediums.

Easy mistake though. At least you understand the fundamentals. I've been on shows when they never call it (dual system sound). The hit the slate and let it jerk down so you don't have a mark point. Let the sticks bounce. Hit the slate multiple times while they wait. Don't understand "slate up or slate down". Don't understand that if we can't see the slate, it's worthless. Forget to change numbers on the slate. Forget to put in the slate when we call for tail slate. Being too quiet, slamming the slate so hard we think someone got shot. Or forget they have to slate at all.

It's a hard job that for some reason a lot of people can't seem to grasp. Haha.
 
Always bothered me, what does Slate ^ and v mean? What's the difference, importance - in clapping it upside down?
 
On everything I've done, saying "Slate up" and "down" meant physically moving the slate up and down to get it in frame. Which surprisingly is a task sometimes. It becomes a constant back and forth because people don't understand subtle movements.

As per clapping upside down, there are two different ideas of tail slating (the only event the slate is upside down for). One is you clap the slate right side up and flip it upside down after the clap to signify the tail slate. Or you clap it upside down and keep it upside down. I don't quite know which way is right. I've seen it done both ways.

But an upside down slate signifies a tail slate that came after the take, because of a fault or convenience, or because it's impossible to get a slate in at the start of the shot.
 
Mattykins said:
On everything I've done, saying "Slate up" and "down" meant physically moving the slate up and down to get it in frame. Which surprisingly is a task sometimes. It becomes a constant back and forth because people don't understand subtle movements.

As per clapping upside down, there are two different ideas of tail slating (the only event the slate is upside down for). One is you clap the slate right side up and flip it upside down after the clap to signify the tail slate. Or you clap it upside down and keep it upside down. I don't quite know which way is right. I've seen it done both ways.

But an upside down slate signifies a tail slate that came after the take, because of a fault or convenience, or because it's impossible to get a slate in at the start of the shot.
Click to expand...

I don't do EITHER of those.

For tail slate, this is what I do, unless told otherwise:

Move into the frame at an appropriate distance, declare a tailslate while holding the slate open and upsidedown (closed if MOS). After giving it a half-second of on screen time, I flip it right-side up and clap down as normal.

pS: something I usually do for the extra mile, if there is room, is that I write TAILSLATE on the slate upside down, so when I step in with the inverted slate, it will read TAILSLATE rightside up. Then I flip it over and clap. It is a little patronizing to the editor but whatever.
 
I have yet to meet an editor who complains that extra info on the visual track is patronizing...I bet they love you for it.
 
And fingers in the sticks is to show the scene is shot MOS, with no sound. To save the editor searching for the sound in the edit.
 
There are multiple variations of a tail slate. I've seen and done the one you are talking about too sans the writing on the slate. I forgot about it though.

I don't think any of them are inherently wrong. Just that the slate is, at some point, upside down.
 
I guess some people, out of courtisy to the editor choose to hold it the right way up so its easier to read, and then turn it. I usualy clap it upside down for the tail slate.
 
Funny story - I had a classmate who *really* hadn't gotten the idea behind how a slate works for you...shooting an outdoor scene he marked a shot from about 150-200' in front of the camera, where the slate was all-but-invisible *and* inaudible...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top