After the famous words: light, camera, action, the first thing that appears in front of the camera that is going to record a certain scene is an object called clapperboard. Surely you have seen it multiple times since it is a tool widely used in the film industry. But do we really know what it is for?
A clapperboard serves as a guide to keep a visual record of the different production shots. In general, its surface is usually like a blackboard to allow a quick filling and erasure of the information that needs to be completed. Once all the information is written -we will see it later in detail- the clapperboard is placed in front of the camera, it is closed thus generating the recognized sound and it is filmed for a few seconds before being removed from the shot. This will be very helpful when editing the material.
This is the general information a clapperboard should contain:
- Name of the production, for example, The Seventh Day.
- Location where the shot file will be stored
- Scene: according to what is in the script; a number can be placed or even some brief indication.
- Take: the take number, since many times the same scene is recorded several times until it is as the director requires.
It can also include the name of the director (following the example previously mentioned it would be Justin P. Lange), the date, the camera used to record, and any other information considered useful.
We previously mentioned the sound of the clapperboard when it is shut. This is not something arbitrary but serves as a sound backup for the editing team. This sound is known as " call out the slate". What does it do? It is the exact moment that editors use to match the image in front of the camera with the sound produced by the object, and in this way achieve perfect synchronization of the audio with the image of the scene.
Now, light, camera, action and call out the slate!