timecode newbie

C

Cheesesailor77

Veteran
Hi, since I'll be doing my short in the next few weeks, I thought it would be nice to SOMETHING about timecode.

Everything I've shot so far i've just not worried about timecodes, slates, anything like that, but my last short (a really really short at that) was my first time shooting a narrative out of sequence, and in the editing room i sure wish I had slates telling wtf I was looking at.

So this time I wanna do it right. So if anyone can try to fill me in on how time code works and how I should use a slate, I would REALLY appreciate it.

THANK YOU!
 
Generally you use a slate at the begginging of every take of every shot.
You shoot the slate with teh camera, and read out the key information to the audio recording (even if it's in-camera)
The basic slate information is: The roll/tape number, the Scene number & letter, and the Take number.

So the 2nd take of the 4'th shot in scene 5, beeing shot on tape 3 woudl be: Roll3, Scene 5D, Take 2. - the D is the 4th letter in the alphabet and represents the 4'th shot in the scene.

This same information is written donw in the shooting log [which is listed in order shot, by timecode], along with the (approx) timecode during the slate read.
After the slate is read, you clap it to get your audio sync point, clear the frame, and then time to call action.

If you allready have the slate in frame when you roll camera, and then auto detect clips when capturing, your NLE will show you the slate as the thumbnail as the first frame of the clip.

This way you can you lok at the shooting log to find any scene.. just look it up based on the timecode. - Then of course you have the slate in the same place to copfirm visually (and on your audio track) the clip in question.

Be sure to have your camera in Rec-Run mode when shooting like this, and be VERY sure to to break timecode between shots. It's a good idea to stripe your tapes first (record bars for the entire tape in one shot.. this will give you continous timecode thorugh the tape with no breaks.)

- Mikko
 
thanks for the help. Now i have more questions:

when writing the scene and shot number, what determines a scene? a chane in location in the script? Do I just use my descrecion? What if I decide to add shots on set that we didn't plan for? how do I name those?

the shooting log. Where can I see one of these? Would you also write notes on this, like if it was a good take, if the sound was off, etc? can I have one person in charge of slate and shooting log, or that too much for one person, I mean would it take too long between each take?

I dont know what "Rec-Run" is. I don't even know where timecode is, how do I see it? How do I keep track of it? is there anything I have to do when I capture the footage?

Thanks Again!
 
Scene is anytime you change the camera setup or re-compose for a new shot.
Added scenes can be done with letters (10B) or you can space your scene #'s. That's up to you.

I just go itno a spreadsheet program and put date scene# take# timecode start stop description and notes.
Use paper tape to tape on back of slate.
You don't need to fill out description. Might just put CU (close up) or some other quick desc
You can circle the takes you like or under notes put good, etc.
Doesn't take long to write last few digits of tiemcode and take number.
Your camera should already be set correctly for tiemcode. Main thing to do is make sure to turn on the tiemcode display using the menus so you can see the timecode. (I think it's on by default). The after anytiem of powering down or reviewing a take on camera hit the Rec Check button. This will rewind to the end of the take and use the tiemcode that you last used. Make sure tiemocde is never 0 other than the first take on first tape. Ths is what happens when the camera is powered off and then back. It means the editing software will get confused since there will be multiple takes that have the same timecode, which is how the software ID the takes.
You don't need to prestripe on the DVX.

Do a test by shooting a few takes and then capturing so you can see how the process works.
 
when you say 'I just go itno a spreadsheet program and put date scene# take# timecode start stop description and notes.' do you mean that you do this before or after the shoot. Don't you do this on set? DO you mean you have a laptop you take with you to put the info in on set?

I'll will try to play with timecode and capture asap. In the mean time any additional details is still helpful. Thanks
 
This is to create your own log.
Print it out with the cells all outlined.
Take this printout and write down the info as you go. No need to duplicate info from the previous take.

Tape Scene Take Start End Description Notes
1 1 1 1023 1060 CU of Jay Too fast
2 1065 1120 Good
 
Heres a question:

How important is the Time code info. If I made a slate and log of Tape, Scene, Take, Description, and Notes, I would obviously be in better shape than in my last project, but do I really need the timecode info? My main concern is that it would take the person I have doing the slate and log too much time to have to erase and write the take, check the monitor for time code, write that on the slate, write it on the log, etc, EVERY time I wanna say cut and start over.
 
You don't write the timecode on the slate, just in hte log.
You don't have to write it down as you go. I try to but you can also do it when you review the takes in the edit program. Write in/out tiemcode for each take or at least teh selected takes.
In a program like FCP you just run the tape and hit the in/out puttons or keys.
The downside is you'll have to shuttle through and look for and read the slate to get to a specific take. If you have the tiemcode you just run to that section or use that to input log info.
 
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