A slate should identify a take and provide a usable event for synchronising picture with separately recorded sound. A board that is unreadable, or a clap that happens outside the frame, leaves the editor with extra detective work.
For a small commercial or interview crew, agree on the numbering and calls before recording the first take. A small equipment package still needs a clear handover.
Agree on identifiers before the shoot
There is no single numbering convention that suits every production. Camera, sound, script supervision and editorial should use the same definitions for scene, setup, take and camera. In particular, distinguish camera A from an A used as part of a setup number.
A board commonly carries the production or date, scene and setup, take, and camera or roll information. Select the fields required by the production. A media-card identifier may be part of roll management, but a card number, clip filename and scene number are different identifiers. Keep their relationship in the log.
For a fictional example, the record might say setup 3B, take 2, camera A, card A003, with the actual sound filename recorded separately. Put the essential identification on the board and the file references in the log. Update the card reference after a card change and the take after a retake. Decide whether a changed composition needs a new setup number under the crew's agreed convention.
Make the head slate readable and audible
A useful routine has four checks:
- Confirm recording. Camera and sound separately confirm that their devices are recording before the slate is called. A lit display or sound in headphones does not establish that a file is being recorded.
- Present the board. Hold it at a position agreed with the camera operator. Keep the writing and sticks visible, steady, in focus and free from glare. For multiple cameras, establish which cameras can see this marker.
- Call, then clap. Read the agreed identifiers, leave a short separation, and make one distinct closure. Keep speech clear of the clap. Avoid a forceful clap close to a performer's ears or a microphone. If another marker is necessary, announce it under the agreed convention and note it in the log.
- Clear the frame. Leave safely once camera confirms the marker is usable, then follow the crew's call to begin the action.
The closure provides a visible event and an audio transient. An editor can use that event as a sync reference; Adobe's timeline synchronisation guide lists head slates, tail slates and common timecode among the available references. The written identifiers help establish that the chosen picture and sound actually belong together.
Plan tail slates and other exceptions
Tell camera, sound and the person logging takes before recording if a tail slate is needed. After the action, keep both recordings running, identify the tail slate using the crew's convention, call the take, clap, and make the writing readable before stopping. An inverted board can signal a tail slate, but the crew must understand the procedure. A slate recorded in a different file after everyone has stopped is not an unqualified replacement for the missing marker.
For several cameras, aim to capture the same clap in each view. If a camera cannot see it, arrange another identifiable marker or a previously tested sync method and document the relationship. Do not leave a camera in a changed composition after moving it to see the board.
Use an agreed MOS or other no-sync-sound indication for shots intentionally recorded without usable production sound. Keep that separate from an accidental sound failure. Timecode is useful, but check the actual media as well: after aligning the beginning of a long interview, sample a later passage for lip sync.
Test the handover with one take
Record the setup, take, camera, media references, sound file, head or tail slate, preferred take and exceptions. A note such as “director's provisional choice: take 2” helps editorial without making the other takes disposable.
Before wrap, use the log to locate one picture file and its sound recording. Check legibility, the clap, matching identifiers and sync near the beginning and later in the clip. Add written explanations for missed slates or incorrect calls while the crew can still clarify them.
Before the next shoot, agree on one completed sample log entry with camera, sound and editorial. It is a practical way to make the slate serve the person who receives the footage.