Dan Collins Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Can some list the full phonetic alphabet that is most commonly used in film slating. Im aware there can be many variations. I have typically used thr military version (alpha bravo charlie delta) but have noticed many film people think Im making it up out, when it has just never been an issue before. Since it is one now, I figure i ought to learn at one of the morr tradituonal ones foe the industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Adrian Sierkowski Posted January 20, 2011 Premium Member Share Posted January 20, 2011 I prefer the Military one myself... I'm not certain there is some "film centric" one, though I could be wrong. I'd just stick with military.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Kelly Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 It really doesn't matter much. I've run into a bunch of scripties who do military ones like bravo and tango, but I think almost everyone says "Mary" and "Nancy". There is sort of an unwritten movieland alphabet here in LA, but it's mostly name based and much of it is interchangeable with the military version without getting a funny look The alphabet I normally end up using is this; Apple Baker Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot George Hotel Jackson Kilo Lima Mary Nancy Peter Quincy Romeo Sam (sometimes when S is used) Tango Uniform Victor Whiskey X-ray It's pretty much just military and movie-land's mixed, but whatever you get used to totally depends on the script supervisor that you're with. I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's not a super important thing, but if the funny looks bother you, then try using "edward" or "frank" instead :P. Also if you haven't already, watch this: Im amazed how many setups there were for some of those scenes. One got up to "Fritz Lang"... Really??? Lol. That's amazing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Bowerbank Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 A couple alternatives to the aforementioned that I use, below: Alpha Franklin Gamma Henry Kelvin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Van Auken Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 More than once we've gotten into using DP's; Ackroyd Ballhaus Chapman Deakins Elswitt Fraker Goldblatt etc.. Good memory game, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Neilsen Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 More than once we've gotten into using DP's; Ackroyd Ballhaus Chapman Deakins Elswitt Fraker Goldblatt etc.. Good memory game, anyway. But then you have to chose between Doyle and Deakins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Gross Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I like using Godfather character names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Adrian Sierkowski Posted January 24, 2011 Premium Member Share Posted January 24, 2011 Star trek characters and/or aliens/ships.. Barclay Crusher Data Enterprise Ferangi Gyianan (spelling?) (H?) Intrepid Jerrak Klingon Laforge Montgomery Nelix . . .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Johnson Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 That's a great video from Inglourius Basterds. Most people don't mind if you have a little fun with the letters but some do. You'll feel this out quickly. Generally I used the standard Apple, Baker, Charlie, but on one shoot there were so many set ups it was the first time I got into double letters. I remember one I used was 'American Yeti' everyone cracked up and they had to stop the camera. After that I just stayed safe. So, there's no real rule of thumb, just so long as people understand what letters they are when heard verbally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted March 26, 2011 Premium Member Share Posted March 26, 2011 (H?) Holodeck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K Borowski Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Atoz - Great name for a librarian :-) - AnTYproton - Android Brahms *hot stuff!* - Binar Cestus [iII] - Constellation - Constitution - Cochran Dravidian or Decker or Disruptor - Doomsday or Daystrom (You are Great, I am great!) - Daystar or Delta used in TNG for *their* alphabet Exeter - ENTER-prise (stress important) Ferengi - Forty-seven - Finney Guinan - Giotto (Lt. Commander) - Gorn Hugh (:-) ) - Horta Ilia - Impulse Jupiter [station] Kohms - Ko[o]r - Kligon - Krag - Kirk Lamda [Field Generation] - Lore M-5 - Mordok - Minuet - Mugato Neutral - Nanite Organia Phage - Polarity - Phaser Q is just Q :-) - or Quasar the episode where they didn't understand that Quasars ARE galaxies, not in galaxies Rigel [Colony] Starbase - Stardate - Spock - Sta[o?}hn Tribble - T'Pel - T'Pau - T'Pring - Telepath - Troi - Three-D Chess - Tiberius Uhura V'ger - Vash Wix - Warp - Worf - Washburn Xindi (even though Enterprise SUCKS) Yang Zefram - Zone - Z particle What do I win, what do I win? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Kelly Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Wow... It went there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K Borowski Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Thanks for calling me "It" Matt. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member John Sprung Posted March 26, 2011 Premium Member Share Posted March 26, 2011 Most people don't mind if you have a little fun with the letters ..... Yeah, in the olden days we usually would have fun with the letters, just make up stuff related to the content of the scene. Then the sound guys invented the little slate mike, and pre-slating on the tape to save film. The AC's merely said "marker". I guess with digital that stopped working, so they went back to having the 2nd. read the slate. -- J.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Kelly Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Thanks for calling me "It" Matt. :( Haha. No I didn't mean you, I meant the topic itself :P. For the most part though I've only seen 2nd's calling out slates on super duper low budget stuff where maybe the mixer is also the boom op. Most sound guys will say it into a mic themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Gross Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Wow... It went there. When the conversation goes far enough, production crews often find themselves talking Star Trek. I understand it's the same way in the halls of places like Google and MIT. Remember that the first computer game after checkers and tic-tac-toe was a Star Trek game. I have a Tri-Dimensional Chess set sitting in my office. Take a look at the window sill in this video. Funny thing is that I's just moved into that office and the place was barren so it's the only decoration in the room. Sad, right? http://blog.abelcine.com/2011/03/07/focus-optics-ruby-14-24-t2-8-zoom-lens/ My excuse was that we needed something for our NAB booth that could show off the use of our HD Scope periscope/borescope system. But that was just an excuse to get AbelCine to buy me one off eBay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Marque DeWinter Posted April 19, 2011 Premium Member Share Posted April 19, 2011 Just so you have it (and I tend to use the military/NATO one...can't shake the army in me) Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrott Gulf Hotel India Juliet Kilo Lima Mike November Oscar Popa Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango Uniform VIctor Whisky X-Ray Yankee Zulu They are those specifically because when pronounced in line with the guidelines there are no other words that sound similar. ~Marque Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Nielsen Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 If it helps, the US film industry took a drastic turn during and after World War II. A great deal of equipment and language came from the military to Hollywood from those who served. Examples include the phonetic alphabet, the camera dolly, which was originally used to raise bombs onto and into planes, geared heads, from the gun turrets on ships. Interesting isn't it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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