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Uranium_moth t1_iu3a8eb wrote

Generally it's referred to as a Slate,

You can also get "sticks" which are just the top section which snap together for sync only.

There are also some cameras which support a "digital slate".

Also, it doesn't reference the start of the scene - just the start of the take. Often it can be quite a bit off the actual call of "action".

Sometimes for whatever reason, the slate happens at the end of the take - "end slate" or "end sticks".

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Kingsly2015 t1_iu3c9q6 wrote

“Tail slate” in the States. It’s also held upside down so that the editor can visually recognize that is the tail of the previous scene and not the marker for the next scene (makes more sense when you consider a continuous strip of film but still has its use in digital capture to tell that it wasn’t just an overzealous 2nd who clapped the next take before they cut the camera)

Then there’s an MOS slate, where the 2nd AC puts their hand in the open sticks so that it’s physically blocked from clapping. Makes it pretty obvious that the shot does not have synced audio.

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tritisan t1_iu4kjb8 wrote

I studied film for 4 years and the only useful thing I learned was the origin of MOS. Or, mit-out sound.

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devotchko t1_iu6bypn wrote

or, "minus optical soundtrack"; the origins of "MOS" are apocryphal. Also, what school did you go to?

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nightfly19 t1_iu3fqbz wrote

I think sometimes it's done at the start and end to help compensate for audio drift too sometimes (reference points for both audio and video)

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Uranium_moth t1_iu3fx4c wrote

I work in the industry and have never seen this happen due to drift. Drift is very very slight and only going to be noticed beyond a take of over an hour. Even then, a resync isn't going to help

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nightfly19 t1_iu3g9lu wrote

I don't work in the industry and am just repeating what I've heard on the internet years ago, guess its a "fact" I can forget now

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RonnieT49 t1_iu3t086 wrote

The “endboard” is often used when the camera starts the scene too close to an object to get the board in.

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insomaniac117 t1_iu4gwgn wrote

While this isn't done on set, in post production we frequently use sync markers at the beginning and end of the program to help verify that the picture and sound are in sync and don't drift after converting between formats and frame rates.

These are typically a 1 frame beep/tone with a corresponding visual marker placed 2 seconds before program (the edited show or movie) starts and 2 seconds after it ends.

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Iyellkhan t1_iu69vsi wrote

generally speaking, if you get drift over the course of a single take either the camera or the sound recorder need repair. That, or someone screwed up the base time code settings (say the camera is set to 24fps for theatrical but the sound is set to 23.976 for tv), but if that happens on a professional set boy is someone getting yelled at. quite possibly fired.

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Iyellkhan t1_iu69bnv wrote

you usually do it at the end if the talent is really in the zone and you want to go again immediately, or you're just grabbing a small piece immediately (otherwise known as a pickup). You'll also sometimes do it at the end if the scene is especially intense for the actors and you dont want that loud clap sound fucking up their state of mind

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peetnasty t1_iu7ci0p wrote

When I was learning to 2nd AC, my boss the 1st AC, tried to get me to do “middle sticks” many times as a practical joke. Sometimes it is necessary to do “middle sticks” they would say, if your on a particularly long take. Very useful when in the middle of an emotionally taxing scene like crying etc. As a young innocent kid I almost fell for it… I’ve heard legendary stories of assistants who did fall prey. Always a good laugh… until it’s not.

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