Slate Etiquette

Nate Downes · May 6, 2008

While helping on December last week got into an interesting point with the AD. She pointed out that I was not designating weither a shot was a pick up shot or not, only the scene and angle being worked on. We never did get that all sorted out, but in the three previous productions I'd been on, nobody had brough out a pick up marker, which was making things S35EP2T2 and a bit hard to read in short order. Incase I ever do have to handle the slate again, what is the proper etiquette for handling such situations, so I can make the editors life far easier?

Brian Dzyak · May 6, 2008

While helping on December last week got into an interesting point with the AD. She pointed out that I was not designating weither a shot was a pick up shot or not, only the scene and angle being worked on. We never did get that all sorted out, but in the three previous productions I'd been on, nobody had brough out a pick up marker, which was making things S35EP2T2 and a bit hard to read in short order. Incase I ever do have to handle the slate again, what is the proper etiquette for handling such situations, so I can make the editors life far easier?

Why the AD is involved in that discussion is a question mark. The person in charge of telling YOU what to put on the slate is the Script Supervisor. For the most part, the first setup of a scene is marked as (for example) 22 and the next setup is marked as 22A. The next is 22B and so on. Pickups are usually marked with the next letter OR some kind of designation like "22 PU" where PU stands for Pickup. But again, that's entirely the domain of the Script Supervisor who is the person writing the notes for the Editors to follow in post-production.

Nate Downes · May 6, 2008

That's what I'd always understood, and the system worked out was with the script supervisor originally. But no, the AD had her own "it has to be this way" system, which then boggled the editor later when reviewing the footage.

James Madrid · May 6, 2008

I typically see pickups slated as "P/U" and located after the take number, so, for example, you would say something like "scene 6 apple, take 3 pickup." Then "take 4 pickup," etc. I've even seen it then go back to straight "take 5," "take 6," etc. if you go back to shooting the whole take again and not just a part of it. Whatever it is, I always just defer to the Script Supervisor even if she gives you something crazy to put on the slate like (and I'm not kidding, this actually happened) "Scene X 33pt./34pt. apple, take 3 P/U." I'm not really sure what the editor made of this but as long as your getting the info on the slate that the Script Supervisor wants, then you are doing your job as a 2nd AC. I don't know why the AD tried to get involved, it's not really her concern.

Brian Dzyak · May 7, 2008

That's what I'd always understood, and the system worked out was with the script supervisor originally. But no, the AD had her own "it has to be this way" system, which then boggled the editor later when reviewing the footage.

That AD clearly has issues. Does she have some pointers for the rest of the Camera Department too? :blink:

Nate Downes · May 7, 2008

That AD clearly has issues. Does she have some pointers for the rest of the Camera Department too? :blink:

Well, not my concern now. I was there to fill in for a week. Back to job hunting. Gah the prospects here in FL stink.

Jonathan Bowerbank · May 7, 2008

Yeah, it shouldn't be a concern for the AD. Stick to what the script supervisor says and don't mind what the AD thinks in terms of the slate info, he's just barking for the sake of barking...unless he plans on sitting through the logging and editing process, which he won't.