AboutChris Bushman Expertise I`ve been involved in the technical aspects of the motion picture industry for the past 35 years. In 2007 I received a Scientific/Technical Academy Award for my contribution to archival film preservation.
Experience Currently, I manage a small motion picture film laboratory in Hollywood, California. I have broad experience in many technical aspects of the motion picture business. I have worked as an animation cameraman, production manager, optical printing foreman, still photographer, color timer, sensitometry control foreman, video engineer, customer service foreman, analytical chemist, director of quality control.
Member, Society of Motion Picture/Television Engineers http://www.smpte.org/ - Member, American Radio Relay League http://www.arrl.org/ - Member, Quarter Century Wireless Assn. http://www.lockport-ny.com/radio.htm - President, Zen Nippon Airinkai, So Cal Chapter http://home.earthlink.net/~filmlabrat/ - Member, Maltose Falcons Homebrewing Society http://www.westval.com/mfalcons/ - Alumni, American Brewers' Guild http://www.abgbrew.com/
Expert: Chris Bushman Date: 12/19/2007 Subject: movies,film and stage
Question what is the name of the object that a person closes together right when a director shouts "action !"
Answer Good question Adam.
That's the slate. Actually, it has many names including, sticks, marker, clapper, clap sticks.
At the head end of every shot, the camera shoots the slate to ID the scene and take being shot. The scene and take are also written on the camera report that goes to the lab with the film.
If, for some reason, a head slate is not possible, then a tail slate is used. If it's a tail slate, it is held upside down to identify it as a tail slate.
The hinged piece at the top with the white diagonal stripes is the device used to mark the sound sync. The sound is recorded separately and is not on the film with the picture. The sync point is when the small hinged piece is briskly and loudly snapped down on the larger body of the slate. The diagonal white lines help the person syncing up the sound see the exact frame in which the two pieces come together. The snap sound on the sound track is matched up with the visual sync point. The person slating the shot also verbally ID's the scene for the sound recording. He might say something like "SCENE 122 APPLE TAKE 7, MARK", then snap the stick closed and pull the slate out of the scene.
If several cameras are shooting the same scene from different angles, the same slate can be used to sync all the cameras up to the sound.
If the scene is being shot without sound, the sticks are never snapped together, the top stick is just held open 180 degrees from the closed position. The slate will also show the initials "MOS" which is an old term denoting there is no sound. Originally, sound was recorded optically on special film. "MOS" meant "Minus Optical System".
