Marked board held in front of camera at the top of each take, displaying scene, take, date, and camera settings so Cut and sound can sync in post.
The slate is a mechanical synchronization device consisting of a writable board (30×25 cm standard) with a hinged wooden bar that produces a distinct clap when closed. The device is used for precise audio-video synchronization in post-production by accurately marking the beginning of a take. The term derives from the characteristic clapping sound, with the English "clapperboard" coming from "clap".
Standard Slate: black board with white bars, writable with chalk or erasable markers. The upper bar measures 40×5 cm and is closed with a force of 15-20 Newtons. Digital Slates (Smart Slate) integrate LED displays with a timecode generator, precisely synchronized to 1/100th of a second. Color Slate for white balance combines gray, white, and black fields (18% gray according to Kodak standard). Night Slate uses a white board with black lettering for low-light situations.
In 1929, American cinematographer Frank Thring introduced the first film slate at Warner Brothers. Originally a purely informational board, it was equipped with the hinged bar in 1931 for sound film synchronization. In 1980, Denecke Inc. developed the first timecode slate with a digital display. Modern Smart Slates, since 2010, wirelessly transmit metadata to cameras and sound devices, support GPS coordinates, and connect via Wi-Fi to the production database.
On "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015), the team used GPS-enabled Smart Slates for precise geolocation of the 480 camera setups in the desert. Christopher Nolan insists on analog wooden slates – even for "Interstellar," he eschewed digital alternatives. Multi-camera productions use master-slave systems: one main slate triggers up to 12 secondary camera slates synchronously via radio. Second unit shots require identical timecode settings to the main unit.
Soft Clap replaces the wooden bar with foam pads for noise-sensitive recordings. Insert Slate marks subsequently inserted shots without a clapper sound. Digital workflows utilize Tentacle Sync devices, which automatically synchronize cameras and sound devices. VR productions use 360° slates without visible edges. For live streaming, the software-based Virtual Slate replaces physical slates with programmable overlays featuring automatic timecode matching.
Ich achte darauf, dass die Klappe im optimalen Fokusbereich steht und ausreichend beleuchtet ist - bei f/2.8 muss sie mindestens 30cm vor der Schärfeebene positioniert werden. Der Klappvorgang muss vollständig im Bild sein, damit die Postproduction den exakten Frame der Synchronisation identifizieren kann.
Ich nutze die Klappe bewusst als Ritual am Set - der Moment des Klappens schafft Konzentration bei Cast und Crew vor "Action". Bei emotionalen Szenen verzichte ich manchmal auf die akustische Klappe und verwende nur das visuelle Signal, um die Atmosphäre nicht zu zerstören.
Smart Slates amortisieren sich ab 15 Drehtagen durch eingesparte Postproduktionszeit - eine Stunde weniger Schnitt kostet mich 150 Euro. Die automatische Metadaten-Übertragung reduziert Script-Fehler um 80% und beschleunigt die Dailies-Erstellung erheblich.
1. Was beschreibt „Klappe" am besten?
2. Zu welchem Department gehört „Klappe"?
3. Wie viele verschiedene Fachperspektiven bietet dieser Eintrag?
The Lexikon is part of the Filmfarm ecosystem — alongside budgeting (FilmBalance), an industry magazine (FilmCircus) and crew networking (FilmCall, CrewMesh). One shared vocabulary for the whole production.