Tail Slate

[J.R. Hudson]

I know what it is, but why ?

 

[Mattykins]

Why is it a called a tail slate or why is it used?

Personally the only times I've tail slated was when we mis-slated in the beginning of the take. We couldn't place the slate at the start of the shot. Or we had a really emotional scene where we didn't want to snap actors out of it by shooting protocol.

I thought the slate entered upside down then was righted for the slate. But I guess some say it's upside down the entire time. I don't know.

I don't use it often, but it gets used.

 

[cyclone]

I've seen it used either when a piece of action happened so quickly that the camera had to roll immediately (no time for a slate and the 2nd camera assistant quickly filled it in while the scene rolled), or the framing was so critical and tight that it didn't allow for the slate to be framed up front. Tail slates are always upside down throughout. (i.e. not upside down, then right side up).

 

[J.R. Hudson]

That's what I thought

Thanks guys.

 

[Mattykins]

See, I had thought it was down the entire time. Then I was on set and got yelled at for tail slating upside down the entire time. Hmm.

 

[RyanT]

To my knowledge it's upside down all the way through. That's how I've always done and that's how everyones always showed me...

What I notice though is that 98% of the time the 1st AC will cut the camera no matter how important getting that tail slate is. As a 2nd I find myself constantly yelling out tail slate immediately after they call cut...Sort of frustrating.

 

[Cryogenic Filmworks]

(FMU) Tail slating is used when you have forgotten to slate at the beginning, was not it a position to slate in the beginning, or you messed up the slate at the beginning.

Scott Spears from indieclub.com has some INDIE FILM TECH TIPS on his website, one of which deals with slating.

 

[jimpatro]

Great segment by Scott there.

I'd add a couple of things:

The marker is called a mouse.

For HVX shoots have the slate in the shot before the camera rolls. This becomes a thumbnail that the editor can use to quickly identify a shot in a bin full of footage.

The 2nd or whoever is on clapper should have a path mapped out and a spot to quickly hit after slating. We want the noise and distraction to cease as soon as possible.

 

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Tail slate is upside down, so you can see it's a tail slate, then you turn it over so you can be easily read. At least that's what they did for the feature I was logging footage for.

And yeah you use it because you just had to roll without it at the beginning
- director just got the actors to that place, whispers roll camera, says "whenever you're ready" to the actors.
- you don't know exactly when the car will come around the corner that you're supposed to be shooting
- the just put the blood in the actors mouth and have to run off camera and shoot immediately because she can't stand having stage blood in her mouth.
- your waiting for noise to clear in a non locked down location and want to shoot the second the train passes to try to get the take in before another one comes.

Just some examples off the top of my head.

 

[cyclone]

I agree, RyanT...no matter how everyone tries to remember that the unfolding scene has yet t be slated, the 1st AC is so used to stopping the camera after "cut" is yelled, that often the scene never gets the tailslate. I remember the times on the set where "TAIL SLATE! TAIL SLATE!" is being screamed, but too late...the camera was switched off!

 

[RyanT]

Great segment by Scott there.
For HVX shoots have the slate in the shot before the camera rolls. This becomes a thumbnail that the editor can use to quickly identify a shot in a bin full of footage.

I try and do this for all shoots no matter what. It's just always nice to have.

 

[rogue_09]

I've seen it done both ways, upside down the whole time or flipped. I flip it so the info can be read properly. Different sets will adhere to different protocols, I guess.

Other situations than those already mentioned are when working with animals or children. Sometimes you just have to roll for a while and hope you get what you need out of them, so you just wait and slate at the end.

 

[DanHD]

Is the tail slate, or any slate for that matter, even neccessary for syncing sound anymore? I know with time code an all, slating is more of an option, not a neccessity

 

[ogi_sugatan]

Here in the PI we do "end slates" (that's how we call it over here) when:

1. we're shooting high speed. Simply put, film is too expensive to waste on ID-ing.
2. after a series of shooting different sequences, end slates shows the editor that's it's the end of a a particular sequence.
3. and, yes, the clapper forgot to write the right info on the slate. bummer.

I guess every production has their own special way of end slating.

 

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

For HVX shoots have the slate in the shot before the camera rolls. This becomes a thumbnail that the editor can use to quickly identify a shot in a bin full of footage.

Your editor must have fantastic eyes to resolute the writing on a slate from a P2 thumbnail. :shocked:

 

[jimpatro]

Yep!rogar-Evil(DBG):

 

[RyanT]

Your editor must have fantastic eyes to resolute the writing on a slate from a P2 thumbnail. :shocked:

If you set your FCP browser to display large thumbnails it's actually big enough to read a slate that filled the screen. I think he was talking more about FCP than the p2 thumbnails.

Either way, it makes it so you just have to double click to see the slate, not double click and scrub back and forth to find it.

 

[jimpatro]

Yeah, whether it's FCP or CS3 or whatever, bin thumbnail sizes can be adjusted.