"We don't need to slate, it takes to long"

D

Denwa

Well-known member
If I hear that statement one more time I think I might slam my camera on who ever said it's, head.

Latest was a 2 camera shoot with one cam connected to the field mixer. Shooting a sitcom pilot. Now it's post time and they are freaking out cause they have 2.5 hours of footage from each camera and hundreds of clips and no slates, and no script notes! (They had to go back and watch every clip days after, in order to create a set of script notes).

Thankfully I found out about pluraleyes or they would be hooped as they have a 3 week deadline to edit this.

But what is it lately? I have been hearing the "We don't need a slate" line a LOT lately, usually on the same productions that don't seem to believe in script notes or camera reports.

<sigh> I usually just think, "Glad I'm not editing this thing", shoot, then hand in the footage.

It takes literally seconds to slate and yet hours messing with footage in post of you don't. I just don't get it.
 
Unfortunately it is likely that finger pointing in the edit room will happen and your name will be mentioned ...

BUT WAIT, luckily I have a great remedy.

Talk to your sound guy and make sure he is rolling then double check with the producer and ask him again. At least that way the sound file of his voice will be included in the unholy mess that the editors must sort through.
 
Laziness is the order of the day.

Have I run takes without slate? Absolutely. Would I do it if I were handing off to an editor? Absolutely NOT.

Why have I done it?

1. Slate operator was in the scene and I didn't want him to break character.
2. Director wanted to make a quick adjustment and keep going
3. Camera records clip numbers and other metadata consecutively so it's easy to re-contruct recording order in post.

But just making a decision not to slate for an entire production is lunacy.
 
This kind of thing happens way too much. I've worked on a few jobs like this... where "X" is too much trouble, takes too much time, isn't that important... etc.

Then it's amazing how that tune changes once the project goes to edit.

I agree you should get some of those statements ON TAPE... and keep a clip for your own protection.


My favorite is "cinema verite"... that's when a guy who read about "cinema verite" decides that the most realistic production happens with NO regular production considerations (lighting, sound, blocking, planning, etc.)... just the cam and the actors...
 
I've said this once or twice. It got me dirty looks, but it worked.

Jackass: "Screw it, we don't have time to slate (or white balance, hide a light, or whatever)"

Jim: "Ohhhhh, sorry. I thought I was working with professionals...."
 
Well, if you're working with P2 and running all the sound to the camera, metadata would allow for eliminating the slate (and would be easier, too). Other than that, you're begging for trouble.

Of course, using the metadata in lieu of a slate requires the preparation and discipline of a professional.
 
Nathyn said:
I rarely slate. Then again I do my own editing.

-Nate
Click to expand...


i guess that's all right if you don't have way too many takes of something. at one point during a movie i was shooting the director decided on doing a few single-take, single-cam scenes (maybe some mike leigh inspiration, i don't know). really doesn't work well on a no budget indie, when you can't block off streets. 16 takes ruined by random cars driving by. going through that after is the worst, especially when you have to get a "safety". i know it's the last one, and then one of these other 15 five minute clips.
 
Wow. I have never even encountered students who felt they could just dispense with marking their takes.

I mean, it's sometimes astonishing how they manage to get it wrong, but at least they understand the utility of doing it...
 
slating...hmmm... great... when I don't have a nice slate around I use my iphone, but I always try to somehow slate the shot.
 
I once saw a student who clearly didn't get why we slate, and how it works (this was a 16mm synch production class...)

He forgot the slate, but was able to improvise on location - by standing a good fifty feet from the camera, holding two fingers about two inches apart, as if picking up a tangerine, you can see his lips moving to form something like 'Scene 1, take 1'...and then brings his fingertips together, at that good fifty-feet-from-the-camera.

I still get the belly-laughs, remembering it.

*ACK!* My name has gone all yellow! I've got the jaundice!
 
The only time I haven't slated is when I've been shooting my short projects, and know I'll be editing it, and am not doing sync sound. But using the excuse we don't have time to slate is lame, because it only takes about 5 seconds to do.
 
Taken one step further, it means we don't want to bother with the effort *now*, so we'll just invest stupid-exponentially more effort untangling it, *later*.
 
that is awesome ! gonna steal tht

Jim Brennan said:
I've said this once or twice. It got me dirty looks, but it worked.

Jackass: "Screw it, we don't have time to slate (or white balance, hide a light, or whatever)"

Jim: "Ohhhhh, sorry. I thought I was working with professionals...."
Click to expand...
 
It's often followed by eye rolls, but I just smile since I am usually (in those situations) the only guy on set who does this for a living.

Nothing makes me happier than brining up a series of clips, ALL OF WHICH have a slate in the first frame. I look at my logs and scroll through to KNOW EXACTLY which take I am looking for.
 
Jim Brennan said:
Nothing makes me happier than brining up a series of clips, ALL OF WHICH have a slate in the first frame. I look at my logs and scroll through to KNOW EXACTLY which take I am looking for.
Click to expand...

That's funny. I was just logging clips this weekend from my shoot (all of April and still in principal photography) and was just thinking to myself how nice it was that nearly every clip had slate in the first frame.

I do like that the Sony Clipbrowser software lets me choose my displayed frame, so for those times when I started rolling before slate was ready, I can fix it. Makes such a difference.

I know everyone here hates Sony but when they get it right, they do a bang-up job.
 
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