Grammar of the Shot, 2nd Edition

Slate the Head of Your Shots

In the film emulsion motion picture world, the images and the sound are recorded by two separate machines. They must be identified and united (also known as synchronized) during postproduction. What helps with this process is the use of a slate (see Figure 6.29). These devices used to be made of actual slate way back when and a camera assistant could write important information on them with chalk. Today they are more like a “white board” and you can use dry erase markers to pen down the same types of information. When you record the slate at the beginning of the shot it identifies what the title of the project is, the scene/shot/take being recorded and provides a visual and auditory marker as the wooden slate sticks ...