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Slate
aka Clapperboard · Clapper · Sticks
The clapperboard that identifies each take and gives editorial a sync point between picture and sound.
The slate (or clapperboard) is held in front of the lens at the head of a take. It carries the production, the scene and take numbers, the roll, the date and the director and DP, and its hinged sticks clap together to create a single frame and a single audio spike that the editor lines up to sync picture and sound. Mark it MOS when there is no audio. A digital slate also carries timecode. Beyond sync, the slate is the spine of editorial organisation: every clip is filed by what was written on the sticks, so a sloppy slate becomes a slow assembly. The script supervisor's notes and the camera report cross-reference the same scene and take numbers.
In StoryboardCanvas
See Slate live in /shotlist
Every slate we generate stays linked to the rest of the project - change a scene heading and the slate updates automatically. No re-import. No copy-paste. One project file from script to wrap.
Get startedRelated terms
MOS
A shot recorded without sound. The slate is marked MOS so post knows there is no production audio to sync.
Script Supervisor
The department of one who tracks continuity, coverage and timing so the footage cuts together in the edit.
Continuity
The discipline of making sure every shot in a scene matches every other shot in the scene - wardrobe, makeup, props, blocking, dialogue, and screen direction - even though they were filmed out of order.