Dave Collins

So, I'm going to be 1st AC for a feature starting this weekend. It's independent and a bit low budget, but It's my first time as a 1st AC (Usually, I'm 2nd AC or Key Grip). Anyway, I said I'd bring a slate since I own one, but I wanna go a little on the fancy side. Basically, my idea is to print labels with the Directors name, the DP's name (my friend who got me the gig), and the production name (were shooting for like 2 months, so this will also save me from having to re-write it constantly, since we will only have a 2nd AC part of the time), Anyway, I don't know what type of stickers/tape would leave a residue or possibly ruin my slate (it's fairly new, used maybe 3 or 4 times). Has anyone done this or something similar before? What would you guys suggest? Also, if anyone has any 1st AC advice, I'd be happy to take it (like I said, I've been a 2nd AC and Key Grip many times, but I'm starting to move up the chain). Oh, my slate is a Pearstone Acrylic Dry Erase Slate.

So, I've been looking into a tablet recently, and I was wondering if I should go for an Asus t700 infinity, or an iPad 3 (I have a friend selling an iPad3 he won in a contest, so price isn't an issue as it will cost me the same for both). Basically, I use a LOT of notebooks when I'm no set (especially if I'm DP), and I want an easier thing to use for the following: Storyboards Set Diagrams Lighting diagrams Shot lists Camera Journal Stills Replaying dailies Random set notes Script Viewing Production stills Also, I'm in college at DePaul currently, so I'm hoping I can cross-use it for: Notes Textbooks Watching movies Showing work I've done (my phone doesn't do my shorts justice) Also, maybe watching an occasional netflix movie. Anyway, I'm doing a lot of research, and I've mostly lurked here since I joined and learned what I can, and I want to take your opinions and suggestions into account. Thanks in advance for any help.

DePaul University in Chicago. Thats where I'm going now, and it's got a HUGE Digital Cinema program. One of the best parts, is access to pretty much the very latest technology (They just got some Red Scarlets). Also, tuition isn't that bad, roughly 10k per quarter, plus a lot of fun people to work with. Also, they recently refitted one of the green-screen rooms into a production suite capable of live web broadcasting, and at the same time launched a rebuild TV production program along with a TV channel.

Hi, first, I'm new here and this is my first topic (yay!). Anyway, the reason I'm posting here, is because I'm 1st AC on a small indie film (so indie in fact, that I'm also Key Grip, and half Best Boy Electric, Special Effects Supervisor, and Visual Effects Artist). Anyway, the DP wasn't there, so I was manning the camera and had a random grip as my AC. Now, when he asked how to slate, we had just about everyone giving him advice on how to "Properly" slate a take. So many people in fact, that it was decided that we would research it and return this sat with results. So, from what I was taught, the way you slate is (just talking regular, not MOS to tail-slates): Firstly: 1 hand on the bottom to hold the weight of the slate(especially for digital slates), 1 had on the sticks. To slate, release the stick so that it clacks with the other. Hold in frame for a beat, then pull out. Also, what you say is (if on the first take of the roll or card) "Project Name, Roll #, Scene ## Take #", but if not the first take, then "Scene ## take #". Now, everyone else had variations, such as: Using 1 hand to slate always, writing descriptions in the roll area (Director didn't realize the roll was used for anything), using phonetics, not using phonetics, etc. Anyway, it seemed that each of us had a different way, based on where we learned about it, so I was wondering: What is the "Proper" way to slate a take, as in, if I went to work on the set of "Next Blockbuster Movie" as an AC, what would they expect in a slate?