Classwork (Clapboard)

Here are the additional classwork that our teacher explained during the lesson which would further help our project creation process. This blog post is written by me (Chelsea). 

During a lesson class, our teacher explained briefly about clapboard and its importance for both production and post-production processes. Here, he explained how to use a basic clapboard and provided a visual explanation, making it easier for the whole class to understand. Using a clapboard taught me a few important things, one of which is that it can tremendously reduce time and allow for more efficient organisation. Since the scene number and takes are written as the thumbnail, it is easier to identify which scenes are which when compiling the files in, for instance, Google Drive because we can already tell from the cover which ones to select for editing. Furthermore, it is helpful to sync sound to the image because background noise may sometimes be a problem. Since students lack professional filming microphone equipment, our teacher suggests hiding a hidden microphone or using a phone voice recorder while filming. The sound of the clap also makes it easier to synchronise and helps identify the shot's starting point.

Here is a video from StudioBinder my teacher shared for us to watch:

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-use-a-film-slate/ 

I've summarised what I learned from the video below:

What is a clapperboard?

A clapperboard (also known as a slate) is a piece of equipment used in film and video production which is used to sync picture and audio, as well as to present information about a scene. 

Appearance of a clapboard:

- Initially, clapperboards were either wooden or chalkboards. They are typically whiteboard material these days, making them more durable and easier to light because they're translucent

- The strips usually have black and white stripes for maximum visibility in all settings. Occasionally, it includes other colours in order to provide a constant reference point during the colour correction process 

- Some clapperboards have smart slates; electronics that include time codes and metadata. While slates without this information are called dummy slates

The 2 main roles of a clapperboard:

1.) It helps to keep all the footage organised and a way for editors to sync sound and picture during the post-production process. Written on the board is the information for each take or shot during production, the editors then can quickly identify which shot is which when they assemble the film 

2.) It syncs the sound to the picture. At majority sound and image are recorded separately so matching the visual and the audio is the quickest way to synchronise. When editing, the editor can look at the sound waves captured by the in-camera audio and the sound waves of the sound equipment, and then line up the spike created by the clap 

Here is what a typical clapboard look like:

How to mark a clapboard properly? 

- Most of clapperboards contain the following information for the editorial team: 

↪ names of the project

↪ director and DP

↪ camera roll or card number

↪ scene number

↪ take number

↪ fps & lens info

↪ whether there is sound being recorded or not

↪ if the scene is an interior or exterior, day or night

All these information is used by the editorial team to keep the footage organised and to cross reference the script supervisor's notes on additional information for each shot 

- When the camera and sound are rolling, the 2nd Assistant Camera holds the clapboard in front of the camera, making sure the information is visible. They call out the scene and take number to be recorded on the audio, and then they say, “mark.” At this point, they clap the sticks together to provide that sync point. Then the director calls action and the scene is recorded.

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I've never realised how important a clapboard is for filming until my teacher's explanation during class. I've always known that clapboards are commonly used in the film industry but I never dived deeper into what the actual purpose is. After hearing my teacher's explanation, I realised that using a clapboard can save a lot of time and that not using one can result in significant production delays. Clapboards are helpful for identifying clips from multiple takes and for syncing sound and audio, which makes editing easier. Based on that, my group and I decided to buy a clapboard as soon as possible. The clapboard we ordered online won't arrive on time, as the teacher informed us several days before our shooting schedule, as I mentioned in the presentation I attached above. Because of this, we had to use a homemade paper clapboard, which didn't really help. First, it required an extra person to do the clap effect, and second, the writing on the clapboard isn't visible because it was written in pencil (easy to erase and rewrite). As a result, it is more difficult to identify which clips are which when they are gathered in Google Drive. In the end, it just seems to be a decorative element that are meant to be presented without any purpose. But once our clapboard finally arrived, it has been really helpful and efficient for me and my team during the shooting process. It also makes file gathering and editing much easier and faster. Overall, we had no regrets with buying a clapboard and would definitely use it for future projects.

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