Recently the FreshCrewStudios team invested in the new Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K to further enhance the quality and future proofing of our productions. As many people are aware, the new line of Blackmagic pocket cinema cameras has taken the filmmaking world by storm with their amazing quality and features compared to their fantastic price. Coming from Canon DSLRS and their Cinema line the 6K was naturally the best choice for us due to its native EF mount, Super 35 sensor and of course the added bonus of 6K resolution.

However, the BMPCC6K needs a little help when it comes to usability, therefore we needed to completely rig it out. After doing a lot of research we decided on SmallRig for most of our rig parts due to the exceptional quality and reasonable price. As for powering the camera we needed something with a little more oomph than the LP-E6 batteries are able to produce. So we decided on a 95wh V-Mount battery and the Tilta V-Lock Gen 2 battery plate. This allows us to power the camera for roughly 6hours (with turning it off between takes). As for storage we opted for the trusty and fast Samsung T5 500GB SSD, and for monitoring an Atomos Shinobi. All of this combined made for a great rig that allowed us to truly get the most out of this amazing camera.

To test the camera out in a natural environment Spencer and his partner Kiera decided to go on out on a butterfly walk during sunset to capture some test fashion shots.

The aim was to really push the cameras dynamic range and quality in un-balanced natural light. You can view the stunning results from the video on our YouTube channel by going to our ‘Fashion’ page. The camera performed amazingly and we couldn’t be happier with the results. Everything was edited and the colour grading performed in Davinci Resolve Studio 16. Something Spencer is still learning and improving his knowledge with this amazing toolset. Our short film ‘Isolation’ was also completely shot on the BMPCC6K with mostly natural light.

At the time of writing we are awaiting the delivery of the PolarPro Basecamp Matte Box and associated ND filters. Keep an eye on our YouTube channel for test footage with the PolarPro kit, as soon we get our hands on it.

To conclude, we are incredibly happy with the results from this stunning camera and we can’t wait to start filming as many productions as we can with it, from more fashion films, to short films, and commercial videos. This camera will truly be an invaluable piece in our film-making arsenal.

Please accept marketing-cookies to watch our BMPCC-6K Fashion Tests video here.

Camera specifications at a glance:

• Effective Sensor Size: 23.10mm x 12.99mm (Super 35)

• ISO: Dual Native ISO at 400 and 3200

• Dynamic Range: 13 stops

• Frame Rates: 23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 30p, 50p, 59.94p, 60p, High-Speed up to 120p (HD), High-Speed up to 60p (UHD)

• Shooting Resolutions:

  • 6144 x 3456 (6K) up to 50 fps
    6144 x 2560 (6K 2.4:1) up to 60 fps
    5744 x 3024 (5.7K 17:9) up to 60 fps
    4096 x 2160 (4K DCI) up to 60 fps
    3840 x 2160 (Ultra HD) up to 60 fps
    3728 x 3020 (3.7K 6:5 anamorphic) up to 60 fps
    2868 x 1512 (2.8K 17:9) up to 120 fps
    

• USB Type-C for external drive recording, PTP camera control and software updates

Supported Codes:

• Blackmagic RAW Constant Bitrate 3:1,
  Blackmagic RAW Constant Bitrate 5:1,
  Blackmagic RAW Constant Bitrate 8:1,
  Blackmagic RAW Constant Bitrate 12:1,
  Blackmagic RAW Constant Quality Q0,
  Blackmagic RAW Constant Quality Q5,
  ProRes 422 HQ QuickTime,
  ProRes 422 QuickTime,
  ProRes 422 LT QuickTime,
  ProRes 422 Proxy QuickTime.

For full specifications, camera images, user manuals and software updates visit the Blackmagic website

Post was written by Spencer J. Sinclair

Naturally what do you do when you get a new film camera? You go out and shoot with some friends on some budget film! With having a commercial film photography shoot scheduled less than a week away from getting the camera we wanted to test it was properly working, and fast. I (Spencer) grabbed some of my best friends and took a trip out to Hamble to shoot some portraits. I decided to shoot on a roll of Ilford XP2 Super 200 Black and White film first as I knew we were able to develop the black and white film ourselves and could get a quick look at whether the camera was working, or not. 

Below are some of my favourite black and white images from that day. They turned out perfectly, and as you can see, the camera works flawlessly. Enjoy!  

These black and white images were self-developed in our make shift lab using the 'stand development' technique. Without going into too much detail, this technique involves leaving the film to sit for an hour with minimal agitation and just the right amount of developer so that it does not over develop. The negatives were then dried and scanned using an Epson V600. Hardly any correcting was needed on the images as their contrast and tone came out perfectly, and their sharpness was tack sharp.  

After shooting a roll of B&W I moved on to colour; my favourite aspect of shooting on film. My roll of choice this time around was Fujicolor C200 which I had picked up a while back and never shot on. I wanted to experiment with this film and see how well it would handle portraits in bright sunlight, and how sharp it would be using my modern lenses. I had high hopes for the colour on this film as I was highly impressed with the colour I got from a roll of Fuji Superia 200 I had shot on my holiday to Florida this year. Some example shots of that film below:

I absolutely love the colour pallet of the Superia images taken in Florida, and so had high hopes that I would be able to achieve a similar result on the slightly cheaper, Fujicolor C200. As per my usual shooting style when using colour negative film, I set my camera’s ISO to 100 allowing the film to be overexposed 1 stop and got the lab to develop them normally, resulting in bright images with superb colours. All Fujicolor images were developed by the awesome people over at Exposure Film Lab UK. I am super pleased with how these turned out, take a look for yourself below at a selection of some my favourite shots and let us know what you think.

Post was written by Spencer J. Sinclair

Comic Conventions, Cosplay, Short Films, CMV's and Cosplayers

So you are thinking of filming a short film idea you have at a comic convention, not a standard cosplay music video but something that showcases cosplay costumes based on a narrative screenplay you’ve crafted. Does Fresh Crew Studios have any recommendations or advice?

That's a loaded question, and one we will endeavour to explore based on our past experiences of filmmaking, in particular our experiences of filming short movie ideas at MCM London Comic Con.

If you are heading to a ReedPOP MCM Comic Con, San Diego Comic Con, RTX (event), Star Wars Celebration, Walker Stalker Con, London Film and Comic Convention or any other convention, festival or event such as CosXPo, we suggest you consider at length the points listed below. Your narrative short film idea may truly be awesome and one you believe will make an amazing short film or movie to showcase cosplayers and their costuming talents.

A few points to consider

• How long is the event or convention?
• What is the cost of entry?
• Are there any major stars attending that have photo opportunities?
• Have the cosplayers you want to work with spent weeks or even months creating awesome costumes (most will have done so)?
• This is a social event for many and not just about showcasing their cosplay
• How established are you?
• How long do you need for each shot or scene to be filmed?
• How long will you need cosplayers for filming?
• Do the cosplay cast have any lines to learn?
• What’s the tangible benefit to the cosplayer(s) or individuals involved in the production?
• Will you credit people or will you not be crediting people?  
• Is the story focused around a specific set of cosplays?
• Will you need extras or supporting players?
• Is this project going to make you any money or is it for something else?
• Will you be paying anyone for their time?
• Does the convention have any rules and limitations on what you want to achieve?
• How big is the event location and are there strict rules on entry and re-entry?
• Do you need to ask permission from the police or any other governing body for the film idea?
• Who else will be on the crew filming with you?
• Are there any other events happening at the same location on the same day or days you plan to film?
• Don't forget consent forms under the new DPA/GDPR which came into effect on 25 May 2018
• Have you thought through your sound requirements at the location?
• Is there an airport near the venue?
• Do you need lights on stands?
• Any props that may cause concern need to be considered. You don’t want to end up spending time at a police station like Kyle, and your actors most certainly won’t
• Has your story got any aerial shots that need pre-approval?
• If this is a popular event and there are many visitors how will you maintain continuity or manage the crowd(s)?
• Last in this list, but far from least is the impact photographers aka ‘Togs’ and videographers will have on the project?

Let’s explore some of the above points in more detail

If the convention is a one day event we would advise trying to organise filming the day before or after, or frankly on another date altogether. Why?  Let's start to explore why based on a few of the points above.  First and perhaps one key factor is the cost of entry for an event plays a major role, and of course this includes travel, hotels, entertaining and merchandise purchases. Costs for a one day event can add up to a lot, and for longer events the cost of entry, food, hotels and other extras come to a substantial amount.  Some Cosplayers fly in especially for comic con from all over the world and air travel just adds to the cost.

Are there going to be beloved characters and actors from TV shows like Plebs or from major films like Star Wars or Comic Book creators like Stan Lee - the list is by no means exhaustive - offering photo opportunities, talks or main stage appearances? If a cosplayer has paid good coin to travel and be part of a convention added several photo opportunities to the list of things they want to do, which are often pricey, you'll be up against time, time slots and a loss of focus as the time slot looms closer.  This could be an issue later in the day and it factors more as we go through the list.

Now, if a cosplayer has spent weeks creating a costume or several costumes to present over the course of the convention where they plan to change costumes during the course of the event or even change from something in the morning to something different in the afternoon, the expression 'Houston, we have a problem' comes to mind.

On top of costume changes we have the social element.  This isn't just about seeing friends, it's about seeing the creations friends have made and a limited amount of time for some whose friends live far away or even overseas to catch-up.  You can start to see how time is precious and a limited commodity.  Cosplayers have to balance the time having their creations captured and showcased, against spending time at the convention, rehearsing for the cosplay showcase or championships (if applicable) seeing friends, and all while potentially recovering from a fun night the night before, as well as the unforeseen drama of a costume issue that only comes to light when worn during a convention.

The last thing a cosplayer needs or wants is to spend time locked into a commitment that means they can't showcase these amazing designs to friends or get as much exposure as possible via other photographers or videographers. 

Think about this one. A cosplayer spends not only time, but a lot of money and effort into making something, which they rightly want to showcase and gain as much exposure as possible.  It's part of the fun to see what us creatives can and will do with what they have created and the characters they are portraying.  The last thing on their mind is to spend time learning (if applicable) lines or acting for take, after take, that might only be a few seconds on screen, or worse still, end up cut from the project.

Take inspiration from Sneaky Zebra. They make stunning cosplay videos that capture and showcase the work cosplayers have put into their creations. They film their short film projects outside of these conventions over several days with a crew and a well planned approach. Their Cosplay Music Videos are very well planned too but the focus is 100% on the cosplay, costume and aesthetic of the music they have chosen to showcase the convention through.

Thus, in short,  I would say no to your initial question. I would say no if you want to make something good that will meets exceed everyones expectations. I would also say no if you want a lot of engagement.  Basically, 'NO' don’t film a narrative project at a convention or event, unless you have the full commitment of the people involved and you can pay for their time, and they fully appreciate the laborious process involved in any film making project, which you know all too well is not glamorous. Also, you need 100% confirmation the cast of cosplayers don't have any plans to engage with the convention in ways that will negate their commitment, which would result in a loss of their focus, a loss of valuable time you might need for re-takes, and ultimately a loss for you. 

Let's take a case study from Fresh Crew Studios very own fun short film Guardians of the Cosplay. A short film come music video project designed to showcase cosplayers and cosplay costumes with a great soundtrack to emulate the Guardians of the Galaxy film. The premise was based around cosplay is not consent, around how some photographers are unscrupulous in the way they take images, and how the cosplay and Tog (an affectionate name for photographer) community works together for mutual gain. 

That was the idea! However, the reality was far from what we had planned or wanted to achieve. Some of you may have spotted the Galaxy Chocolate bar in the opening scenes.  This was an easter egg and subtle nod to the actual name of the original film our short film was based upon. 

Thankfully we filmed the chocolate bar scene, as it became part of the change in narrative needed when we lost most of our supporting cast. This scene, as with most of the key scenes, had been pre-visualised and shot off location prior to MCM Comic Con, which enabled us to make quick decisions and changes on the day.

We broke the 180º rule, as a result of the stress of trying to get footage filmed. In post productions we agreed we wanted to achieve two things.  First, not let anyone down who had been involved in the project, and second, to make something worthy of showcasing. 

In post production there was a lot of upset and debate about releasing the film.  In the end we created something different than planned. Despite weeks of planning (yep, weeks) we decided to us an old technique of cutaways to explain time passing. This was the only way we could cover the huge loss of supporting characters and try to salvage a lot of time and effort by a great cast.  Let's be clear here, no one intentionally let us down. The time and factors outlined above were just to much and a huge learning curve for everyone involved.

If your production has budget you can call cast and crew back to a set to re-take shots if needed.  This is not ideal of course but it does mean that after watching rushes any mistakes or issues the Director is not happy with can be rectified.  This works for studios with large budgets or productions where time has been allocated for this eventuality. However, gorilla style filming on location does not often facilitate this approach and comic conventions most certainly don't.

Cosplay is a hobby like many others, which takes time, dedication and love. It is not a reflection on anyone in the cosplay community when they rightly want to engage with a convention or an event that happens once or twice a year, and you are asking them to give up more than 80/90% of their time for something you may or may not release, for something they may, or may not be seen in. 

The image by James Bissett Photography was taken on location for one of our short films involving cosplayers.  It features Danny Sharples as Cos-Lord fro Guardians of the Cosplay.  We had major issues on the day with timing, re-takes, and people passing through the shots.  This resulted in some drastic changes to the original narrative and almost resulted in the project being scrapped.

You will also have many photographers and other videographers wanting to capture still and moving images when you are trying to film. This might be fine if it fits within your narrative but is 99% of the time a real pain in the derrière if not, as it mucks up well lit scenes and causes production and post production issues too. 

On top of this Togs will be wanting to take pictures of the costumes on hand and some cosplayers may be enticed away ruining the continuity of your scenes. Photographers and music video creators will want the exposure that capturing an awesome costume brings them and the cosplayer may feel torn by the commitment to your project and the opportunity to showcase their work via another creator.  There are many good photographers, but also sadly equally as many bad ones, who do not respect the etiquette of other creators or the privacy of the cosplayers. 

One last thought, which should have been in the list above. We can recall an occasion where we agreed to meet a set of cosplayers at a pre-agreed time and location. We waited with Nick Acott from Sneaky Zebra and a group of other photographers and filmmakers for close to an hour after the time agreed. The end result was positive, and produced some amazing shots. Although it did ruin everyones schedule for the rest of the day.  Imagine if we had a specific slot to film in a given location and only had an hour!

So in summary, consider long and hard what it is you truly hope to achieve.  Consider what your talent is going to get in return and if they have the time and or skills you need for the project.  Also, do consider changes in the venue that may have a major impact on everyones scheduling not just your plans, but theirs too.  For example at ExCeLL London the closure of a DLR  stop makes re-entry into the building for MCM Comic Con a long and time consuming task.  If you planned on filming a sequence - assuming you still could - at the East Entrance you might suddenly find it has barriers preventing you accessing the area desired.

Filmmaking is fun, it is an engaging medium that takes time, and time is often far too limited at an event or convention to produce something of merit.  A better approach would be to work smart like Oisin and the team at The 86th Floor.  They make fun content like their Lady Bug videos outside of comic conventions in collaboration with cosplayers to produce some fun and well received content.

Ultimately, only you can truly make the decision. Only you can learn from the way you film and we hope the points covered in this blog post will give you some ideas to consider before filming on location, wherever that might be.

Whatever you decide, have fun, keep creating and do share your experiences for others to learn from.

Post was written by Stephen B. Sinclair

Reference Links:

• James Bissett Photography
• MCM Expo Group
• ReedPOP
• San Diego Comic Con
• RTX (event)
• Star Wars Celebration
• Walker Stalker Con
• London Film and Comic Convention
• CosXPo
• Sneaky Zebra
• The 86th Floor

A Consistent Continuum in Storytelling

What is continuity and why does it matter so much in filmmaking and other mediums of entertainment? 

The continuity system is a set of logical rules for ensuring everything you shoot works together.  It includes, framing, camera position, shot (image size) and ultimately editing.

This is a topic that I [Stephen] become most frustrated about when I see major studios missing the obvious continuity mistakes during the filmmaking process. I don't purposefully look for continuity errors, but some are so bad you just can't miss them, which doesn't always spoil a well-made film or TV show. However, it can distract to the point of looking for more issues instead of enjoying the production for its entertainment value.

Continuity covers more areas than is often considered during filmmaking. However, in this post we will only touch on a few.  You can add your findings and working examples in the comments. 

 Continuity and Time:

The following is a simple scene between two characters. From the perspective of our audience, one character has a static office backdrop with a typical New York skyline, and the other has a buzzing office behind them. We will keep the dialogue and setup relatively basic for this illustration.

Actors Dialogue:

Emma: I've put everything into this Business. What the hell has gone wrong Jack? As CFO I expected better from you! The numbers you walked me through yesterday just don't add up, and you sure as heck didn't indicate anything was wrong before I went to the press this morning and showcased everything across two CTN business broadcasts.

Jack: I am looking into it now Emma. I am as perplexed as you. It looks like we've been hacked from the inside.

Emma: OK, OK (frustration growing) Can you ensure we have answers for the conference call with the investors at 9 AM. I’ve got to go. Don’t let me down Jack. Our future is at stake. Find and fix the problem or we are both out of a job and facing jail time!

Jack: Leave it with me.  I have Hal checking the system, and Sara looking over the data in detail. [Said as Emma walks off and reaches for her phone]

Taking the short dialogue and basic notes we have we now need to build tension for the scene. Behind Emma, we have extras walking through the shot.  They represent the staff of Jack pulling together data for the crisis we have just learned is happening.  IT staff are looking at computers and there is a melee of other people who we know nothing about in this shot. These people are walking in and around the office space, some just out of frame.

The director wants to convey Emma’s frustration, as yesterday all was fine. The Director wants us to see Jack is equally frustrated and sincere in his concern. To achieve this, she {director] wants cutaways from Emma to Jack. This will require camera and lighting adjustments and the supporting cast to go back to first places for each setup. On the wall behind Jack is a series of world clocks in analogue format. 

Behind Emma there are one or two prominent characters walking through the scene.  

What, in these planned sequences, do we need to consider? What have most reading potentially already forgotten to include from a continuity perspective?

Before we answer the questions above, let's take a look at the wonderful film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller, 2013, 20th Century Fox), which had a similar scene (the at work scene where the three guys tease Walter, and the boss flicks a paperclip at him). 

An extra enters into the shot alone, behind the three main protagonists. Also, there is a guy on the phone behind the protagonists. Fine you say, what continuity issue could there be, as I didn’t see any clocks in this example and I recall the scene with no issues.

The extra walking through the shot taken from the same time period is alone in the first shot, and then with someone in the cutback!  Somehow, he is suddenly talking with someone who was not even in that space time or frame previously and would not have been able to engage in the time span elapsed. The guy on the phone? The instant cut back shows him still on the phone, but magically he has changed ears, which could happen if time had passed, but not in the time reference we are working with.

Around 90/95% of people would have missed this and yet on a subliminal level the brain would have registered it. The movie is so stunning our subconscious forgives the issue, although once spotted it can never be forgotten. 

This is a type of time continuity issue that the editor can’t fix.  Now this might be nitpicking, as these characters are not focal points. Non the less, our brains do pick-up on these errors in continuity, although possibly not the guy on the phone, so I'd grant that one a pass.

If we look more closely at the extra, his character had walked in time past the protagonists. In the cut back, they would most likely have passed through the shot and no longer be in the same time and space! This is a time continuity issue. The clocks on the wall I mentioned for our scene were far too obvious. In our brief scene the clocks would need to be considered, although they would not have taken a great deal to keep reasonably accurate, and mostly likely would have been out of focus.

In our example the focus would be to ensure anything in frame behind Emma was not overlooked.  Props, extras and supporting cast who may well come into focus during the unfolding story would need to be considered, and the clocks changed accordingly if re-takes meant the clocks had significantly changed. For example, Emma mentioned a call at 09:00, which would not have worked if the time was just before 09:00 or her conversation with Jack was after 09:00.  Thus, we can reasonably assume the time was something like 08:30 or even 08:45 to build more tension.

Continuity is related to perspectives, time and the construct in which our characters or scenes are filmed. How many films have you watched where the clock is counting down, where its starts at 60 seconds and literally 1 minute later it is at 40 seconds? To a degree we exercise artistic licence in entertaining people to build dramatic impact, but the dramatic impact is greater if the spatial time is more realistic, which relates to number 9 in our list around engaging the audience via spatial awareness.  Sometimes we use these countdowns for a more comic effect, if the time count at 5 seconds is the same 30 seconds later, the music is ironic and there are corny jokes, it adds a level of irony - for some at least. 

Artistic Licence is for another blog post, and something that for me is more about enlightening the viewer than the creator.

So what should we consider when filmmaking and wanting to get continuity right?  

Try to keep the following points in mind for every project. Many have been learned the hard way by filmmakers, and some are perhaps more immediately obvious. A very brief example runs alongside each one listed.  Do you have any to add? Let us know with a comment.

Continuity Points to Consider:

1 - Actors - Same movement or action when re-shooting a scene or hitting the same mark

2 - Wardrobe - Torn pocket on a coat, which is not torn in the next shot, would be a great example

3 - Props - Five cups on a table suddenly turn into three cups and a mug

4 - Set - Car lights smashed in one scene and fixed in a pull away shot or from another angle

5 - Camera - When multiple camera angles are used in a scene, positioning and shot size

6 - Sound - Police siren in the background, which comes and goes between shots

7 - Script - A date mentioned by a character at the start of a film should persist throughout any re-writes or dialogue

8 - Time - Consider the amount of time that is necessary for events to occur and be spatially aware with regards time too

9 - Spatial Reality - Cause and effect. An audience will suspend their disbelief and engage if this feels in sync with reality

10 - Visual Continuity - If a character is dressed in a certain way in one angle then they must be identical in all other angels for that scene or between adjoining scenes

11 - Continuity Editing - Cutting between shots with the purpose of maintaining a smooth sense of continuous space and time

The list is by no means a definitive one but focuses on key areas that make a huge difference to any film project. 

Did you spot the differences in our image examples?  The change between image one and image two is obvious, and would be spotted by most, however, the change between image two and three is subtler, and in a quick cut is unlikely to have been noted, with the exception of the eagle eyed viewer.

Post by Stephen B. Sinclair

Further research recommendations:

• D.W. Griffith and Continuity Editing

• Film Continuity

• Maintaining Continuity - Pre and Post Production

Why, when and how to use a clapperboard

A clapperboard is a device traditionally made of two key components and is used during filmmaking or video production.  Clapperboard, Slate or Sticks (more on these later) are used to aid the synchronising of film or digital video, and off camera sound. It designates and marks various scenes or takes during filming, which the editor uses in post-production

It is a staple and widely recognisable duty of the Second Assistant Camera (“AC”) to perform during production. This is the reason the 2nd AC is also known as the clapper, clapper-loader or loader.

The art of using a slate is a commonly known part of the filmmaking process. What is often not known, is it requires skill, knowledge, and an amount of subtlety to perform the task. 

The value to an editor in post-production begins with what is caught in the camera at the beginning of each take. This is driven by the camera assistants who place the clapperboard in front of the lens. The clarity of the information written on the slate is equally important to prevent issues and lost time once the project moves into the post-production phase. 

Clapperboards have distinct sections on them, which typically are the same for most production needs, although they can be customised if desired or requires.  Once you understand what each section relates to, it is much easier to use the slate, as a useful tool, and a real time saver in post-production.

This useful and iconic tool has been around since its invention sometime in the early 1920’s.

Most people naturally associate with the clapping element of a clapperboard, or the steps leading up to the clapping of the sticks together. However, equally as important as this distinct step is making sure the correct information is clearly visible on the clapper-board. 

The data written on the board will be dependent on the production and includes information, such as, the scene, take, roll, directors name, and of course the production name.

If the information on the board is incorrect or can’t be read, it will cause an editor to lose time, possibly edit issues, and most possibly will upset them. Alternatively, the wrong information could be mistaken as being accurate, causing confusion in post-production, which is something no one wants.

Who Invented the Clapper Board?

The clapper (two sticks hinged together) is generally credited as having been invented by Frank W. Thring (father of the actor Frank Thring). He was the head of Efftee Studios in Melbourne, Australia. However, Efftee Studios wasn't founded until 1931, which is a full decade after the clapperbaord was first known to have been used. 

What is the typical Information written on a Clapboard

Each production has its own unique needs and requirements.  However, we have summarised below a list of the most common information to use, along with the a short description of what each abbreviated term means. 

Logically, the information on the slate will be changed during the course of the filming process.  This information includes key pointers required to make post production run smoothly, and to ensure key takes (film and audio), which have been successfully captured, are highlighted, archived in a shot log, and not missed in post-production editing. 

Thus, before you start slating, you need to know, and learn how to fill out the board properly.

Remember, there is only limited space on the clapperboard, so learning key abbreviations is essential to make sure everyone is on the same page, and time is not wasted.  Always make sure the information is clear and can be read by anyone! Scribbled text is of no help to anyone.

The most common information used on a slate:

• Production Name: The name or title of the movie
  • Some companies have slates commissioned specifically for their productions
• Roll: Used to identify the film roll or video tape being used. Roll is now more widely used to identify the digital media card used and the frame rate used
  • The Fresh Crew Studios slate has a section for FPS (Frames Per Second)
• Scene: The scene number
• Take: The current take of the shot related to the scene
• Director: Name of the director for the production
• Camera: Name of the director of photography/cinematographer of the production or camera operator
• Date: The month, day, and year that you’re shooting
• MOS: "Motor Only Shot". Means to shoot without sound
• Day/Night: Circled to designate a day or night shot
• Int/Ext: Circled to Identify the scene as an interior or exterior shot
• Filter:  Used if using a filter on the lens
• Sync: Circle this for a Sync shot. Covered in more detail below
• Timecode Slate: Uses a digital timecode synced to the audio and in some instances direct to the camera

As mentioned earlier, the list above is dependent on specific production needs. However, the list we’ve used is common to many clapperboards.

Abbreviations and Variations Explained

A director may want to do a “pickup”, A pickup is when you shoot only a specific part of a scene and has P/U after the take i.e. Take: 12 P/U

Director’s may also choose to do a “series”, where the camera continues rolling. In the same vein as a “pickup”, you would write “SER” or “Series” next to the "Take" number.

Whenever you have to go back to a scene that was previously thought to be complete, aka in the can, it qualifies as a re-shoot. A re-shoot can be captured on the same day, the same week, or in some instances several months into a production.

The problem re-shoots pose from a slating perspective is that you are technically shooting the same scene as previously logged.  A solution for re-shoots is to put an “R” in front of whatever shots are being re-taken. Thus, if you are re-shooting Scene 12, the re-shoot becomes Scene R12.

When a slate is used to mark a “MOS” take, the slate is held half open, with a hand blocking the sticks, or closed, with a hand over the sticks, and if “MOS” is printed on the board it may also be circled or a TAG with "MOS" stuck over the clappers, which is used to indicate no audio is being used.

A very popular method among many camera assistants is to hold the slate with their fingers between the sticks. This lets the editor know there is definitely no clapping of them, and is a widely accepted method of communicating a “MOS” shot.

When you circle the sync label on the slate, you are indicating that the clapboard is being used to synchronize cameras with the clapping sound from the sticks on the clapboard.

Clapperboards can be categorised into two main types of info:

Production Specific: 

This includes the name of the production, director name, cinematographer, and producer, as well as the date or shooting day.

Shot Specific: 

The roll or digital media used, the scene number, and the take number are the most obvious shot-specific pieces of information. However, this also encompasses further details like MOS, Day/Night, Int/Ext, Sync which we covered above.

What other names are used?

Clapperboard’s are known by many names, such as a Director’s Slate, Clapboard, Slate, or Film Slate to name just a few.  They are typically made of two components as mentioned earlier.  The first component part is the clapper, which creates the audible sound we have all come to know, and the second is the board where key information for each take is displayed. 

Clapperboard’s without the board are generally referred to as sticks. Sticks are used in more run-and-gun filmmaking to aid with synchronising off camera audio and denote a new take with no information added.

Depending on the board type such as the traditional blackboard, chalk would have been used. Modern acrylic boards such as the one we use at FreshCrewStudios utilise a specific type (this does matter) of non-permanent marker to enter the information.

With the advent of iPads apps have been created to emulate clapperboards, there are a few like DigiSlate and MovieSlate.  The best ones integrate with a pair of sticks, as the audible sound the electronic device makes is not sufficiently loud to operate effectively.

App based slates allow you to log footage as you shoot and tie it into the timecode marks. You can also log shot info in the app, such as the lens, ISO and more.

Physical slates have been around for a long time remaining unchanged for the most part. The step change for them was from chalk to dry erase and more recently from analogue slates to digital slates that can display a jam-synced timecode.

Digital Clapperboards and SMPTE or NTP Time Code

Many big productions with complex scenes and special effects frequently use modern digital clapperboards.  Digital slates mark the hour, minute, second and frame (1-30) of a production ensuring lip-sync editing and special visual effects have never been more precise.

After that, there are small slates for insert shots, larger ones for wide shots, some use coloured sticks, some have reversible sticks, but for the most part the slate has stayed the same since it’s invention in the 1920’s.  Perhaps this is why it is such an iconic tool and is instantly associated with filmmaking due to its instantly recognisable shape and the long history it has played within the industry. 

Are all clapperboards equal?  The short answer is no, as they can be customised to meet a specific project, or production company’s work flow or many other factors unique and specific to the team using them. For example, the Fresh Crew Studios clapperboard was custom made to meet our current needs.  We were very excited when ordering the slate, as the clapperboard was made by the organisation that worked on James Bond and many other iconic movies.  

For our current usage at Fresh Crew Studios we wanted our name at the top of the board with space for each working title (a name used during film production) to be included. Our clapperboard has black and white sticks for the clapper and an acrylic board to write key information upon using a WBB board marker as shown in the image.

We are often ask “Do you have to use a slate for filming?l. No, you don’t, although you should hopefully come to the conclusion after reading this blog post, that it is best practice, worth using, and not just something we movie folk do just for fun.

The Clapping Sound

On set, if the clapper on the slate was not visible when the shot was being marked, the camera person might call out “second sticks!” this is used to tell the 2nd camera assistant or person responsible for the slate, to mark the shot for a second time.

If we go back to a time when movies started to have sound (talkies) which was synchronised with the picture, the sound was not recorded onto the film, instead it was recorded separately off of the camera.

Early film cameras were also very noisy, ironically something many modern day digital cameras suffer from too, such as excessive fan noise to cool the electronics used to record the images. The noise of the camera would have contributed to the difficulty of recording live crisp sound and is even more noticeable with today’s highly sensitive microphones.

Present day movie productions still record sound separately using sophisticated wired or radio microphones and to reduce noise such as wind they use clever wind-blocking covers known as windjammers, suspension arms to reduce handling noise, and designated sound recording devices and mixing equipment, rather than straight into the camera, where the audio quality would not be suitable.

So, the primary purpose of the clapper board or clapper sticks from the very early days of filmmaking to our current time, is the much the same; to help sync the visuals and the sound in the cutting room.

SMPTE Time Code
This is a set of standards to label individual frames (1 through 30 for each second) with a Time Code, which is defined by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers ("SMPTE").

Time Codes provide an embedded time reference for editing, synchronisation and identification. The invention of Time Code made modern  editing possible, and is still widely used in today’s digital production cameras. Some time code products may be locked into legacy systems built before the 1990s when the NTP (Network Time Protocol) systems became more available.

NTP
This is the latest competing solution for SMPTE. NTP (Network Time Protocol) is something you may have spotted on your computer and came into existence with the Internet. The NTP server is ideally synchronised to an atomic clock for very precise time accuracy.

NTP offers increased time accuracy, and an additional benefit because the wire used to carry the signal can also carry power, which is needed to run the clock, so wiring is less complicated. This approach is called PoE (Power over Ethernet) and has become very popular.  NTP typically uses standard category 5 ethernet wiring to synchronise computers, clocks and other network connected devices to an NTP reference server, which as mentioned earlier keeps very accurate time. 

Time is very important when needing to synchronise accurately, and there are companies who specialise in proving these services

Why, with modern radio technologies and microphones are we still recording sound and images separately?  Surely the technology is good enough to record both audio and images in one device.

There are actually many reasons why we still record separately. Firstly, being able to separate the camera operator and the boom operator means that the camera isn’t restricted and is free to move however the director wishes. The sound recordist and sound mixer are also free to record from multiple sources; using radio mics on each of the actors and/or condenser mics for room ambience for example.

Furthermore, designated sound recorders are manufactured and designed to record the cleanest sounding audio possible, whereas most cameras aren’t designed with this in mind.

So, we use clapper boards whenever the highest quality audio is required, and when the situation allows.

Do you need a slate if no audio is being recorded?

No, it is not essential. 

There are situations where a clapperboard is not essential. Sometimes you have no choice but to record sound directly into camera (events, video journalism, documentaries etc.) due to time, budget and other restraints.

In some situations, the effort required to record sound separately and sync it up afterwards actually gives you more work with little noticeable gain, costing you time and money. Decide carefully if a board is for you and how often you may use it.

Example Clapperboard Workflow

The following is a quick and simple example of a typical slating process, used on set, when sound is being recorded to an external device:

1st Assistant Director: Silence or Quite on set please… We are about to go for a take… Turnover.

Sound Recordist: Sound is rolling.

Camera operator: Camera speed.

2nd AC: Scene 1, Slate 1A, Take 4, Mark.

[2nd AC claps the sticks with the clapperboard in shot and in focus and then leaves shot]

Camera operator: Set.

1st Assistant Director: Background action!

Director: …. and… Action!

Hopefully, this gives you a good understanding of why and how a clapperboard is used.  There are many good blogs found by searching the inter-web which cover many more aspects of the slate.  Some blogs are written by experienced working second assistant camera operators, and some from productions companies.  All are worth reading, as this iconic, and on the face of it, simple tool, is actually a very powerful solution in any production workflow.

Post was written by Stephen B. Sinclair

In the beginning

In early 2014, Spencer, the founder, and CEO of Fresh Crew Studios declared his interest in becoming a film Director. As a result of this declaration, we explored what was needed to kick-start his interest in filmmaking, which, from a timing perspective was excellent because his birthday was rapidly approaching.

Settling on the Canon 70D DSLR, light kit, Røde video microphone, and a MacBook Pro with Final Cut for editing, Spencer started exploring the noble art of making movie magic.  Starting out with this basic set of film tools, we became a father and son indie filmmaking team, which many of you reading this have come to know in person.

These were exciting times, as in my past I [Stephen] had been forging a career as an actor - Yes, I really did work with the awesome David Bowie! This wa before other exciting events in my life took my career down a different path, a path that would ultimately see the birth of my daughter Abigail and her brother, Spencer. The opportunity to work with my son, in an industry I love, was not something I needed to think twice about.

Our first event together was in Coventry. We were given press passes to film at Entaplay Live thanks to an invite from CMC Technologies via Entatech.  This was perhaps the defining moment, which helped steer Spencer and Fresh Crew Studios to where it is today. 

At Entaplay, we met a PR guru called James Mason! James recommended we apply for press passes for Great Britain’s largest comic convention, MCM London Comic Con. James also assisted us with connecting to other key people in the industry, which we were, and still are, most grateful for. 

In 2014 MCM Expo ranked as number 13 in the World with visitor numbers at 101,000.  However, we have since released official press information where the visitor numbers have exceeded 135,000. These numbers are likely to continue growing, which is a strong and positive indicator of just how much fun, and creative release, comic conventions bring to their visitors.

This global trend in upward visitor numbers to comic conventions, looks set to continue for the foreseeable future, or until they become overly commercial, or something new comes along to replace them. In 2017 MCM Expo became part of the ReedPOP family taking its status in the comic convention space to a whole new level.

First film projects and competition entries

Around the same time as our press applications for MCM Comic Con, which were understandably rejected, Spencer uncovered the MCM 48-hour film race. The entry to the race required a trip to London to collect our chosen theme, confirm our entry, and start the clock ticking.

To make the race more fun we wanted to pick-up our brief in person from the Forbidden Planet Megastore, London. Our excitement was palpable as we made our way on a Friday evening down Shaftesbury Avenue - the start of the race - to collect our brief (contained in a sealed envelope) at the allocated time.

We knew on our way to Forbidden Planet that we had a choice to make between envelope ‘A’ or envelope ‘B’, which contained the same brief with slightly different parameters.  Sadly, upon arriving at this iconic store the reception, and entry process, was nowhere near as exciting as we had expected. Nonetheless, we selected an envelope, registered our choice, and with the brief safely stored, thought it a good opportunity to have a quick look around to purchase some cool merchandise to mark the occasion.

With the clock now ticking, we wanted to get started on the project, ASAP, so didn’t take long with our shopping. A couple of items were purchased before making our way to the underground to travel back to Waterloo station. Once safely on the train home, the envelope was opened for the first time, discovering the details of our brief and exactly what had to be achieved.

On the train, the process of outlining a script started. Ideas were excitedly flowing on filming location, fleshing out a story, the actors and crew needed, and how we would integrate our particular brief into the film. Within each envelope (can’t recall if we selected ‘A’ or ‘B) a phrase had to be included. Our phrase was 'Forgotten Mind', which somehow had to be weaved into our short films narrative to meet the exacting requirements of the film race rules. 

For anyone not in the know, in a 48-hour or other time-based film race, everything starts from when you get your brief. the clock inexorably ticks down to zero and your final edit has to be uploaded before this time ends. Sadly, in our experience, the rules do not always appear to be adhered to by many people! For example, production items that should be covered during the countdown period appeared to have been filmed beforehand - hey, you live and learn. 

Spencer persuaded some school friends - non-actors and non-experienced crew - to help us on this time drive production.  Filming was scheduled to take place on Saturday with post-production editing scheduled for Sunday, which in theory would ensure the upload would be before the deadline on Sunday evening.

Our actors had clearly not had any time to learn their lines, they didn't take the filming process too seriously and the crew were not prepared for the time needed to hold the boom or reset lighting.  Spencer and I found the process fun, and at times very stressful in equal measure. After all, we knew the time was short with lots to do, plus we wanted to win.  Filming under such stressful conditions resulted in some obvious mistakes, nothing too serious, but with only one day to shoot a lot of footage, we had to push trhough and make the best of what we had.

Lessons Learned and Disappointments

We managed to submit our 48-hours film race footage, with literally seconds to spare. During the submission process, there was much excitement, with an equal measure of worry.

Sensibly, we didn't rest on the belief all was well because there was no confirmation the footage had successfully uploaded.  An email was sent to the organizers to ensure our entry was registered.  Imagine our delight when we received a submission confirmation from them.

Sadly, but understandably our film entry didn't win, however, the knowledge gained from the effort that went into making the film was frankly priceless - not a throwaway comment.  Anyone who is serious about anything, not just filmmaking, will know that for every loss a different type of gain, or win, is achieved.  These are the lessons on how not to do something, or how to better plan, or whatever is needed, to ensure future success.  

Filmmaking is an iterative process, which involves many talents and skilled people working in harmony together - the ones most of you ignore when the credits crawl at the end of a film - and often involves re-shoots, especially if mistakes are spotted during the rushes.  Modern technology helps minimize these mistakes, but even the best-of-the-best studios still make them.  Some mistakes are minor errors such as continuity errord, others are more complex, such as gas lamps in period films which have electrical wires connected to them and can be seen!

While working on the 48-hour film race, we purchased weekend tickets to MCM London Comic Con. We were not sure what to expect at MCM Expo, we knew it was going to be a fun event, also a bit of an adventure with many opportunities to explore new ideas,  a chance to meet new people, and at the time of booking there was a chance we could win a prize in the film race to be showcased over the convention weekend.

What we had not accounted for, or expected, was just how welcoming the cosplay community would be. Spencer had been following Sneaky Zebra, two filmmaking guys (Gary and Nick) from London, who arguably raised the profile of cosplay music videos in the UK, setting the bar for newcomers like us. It was a real pleasure meeting Gary and Nick, talking with them about common interests and passions. They encouraged us to keep making content, further spurring the desire to explore and film more great cosplayers, and their stunning costumes, at other conventions such as London Super Comic Con.

Fresh Crew Studios history could so easily have taken a different path many years ago.  Spencer's continued interest in filmmaking has been shaped by some very talented individuals, enhanced through unique events, people, and opportunities, as well as by many lessons learned. Thanks to these events and the opportunities which have come from them Fresh Crew Studios has evolved into the studios you know today, creating a future with so many exciting possibilities.

These key, and sometimes unique, events have opened-up commercial engagement with organisations we would not have dreamt of being possible back in 2014. The knowledge gained has resulted in changes from the original direction we discussed, to the Site you are reading this Blog on, and future plans and ambitions, which have yet to unfold. 

The Present Day

The events and experience gained since setting out have resulted in Spencer being sponsored by London Camera Exchange, Southampton, being offered a place on the BA Hons. Film Production course at Southampton Solent University, and more recently at University of Westminster, London, where only 60 candidates are accepted. Today, ahead of publishing this post, we received news that Spencer has also been accepted at Arts University Bournemouth.  H's very happy with his hat-trick, and now has to let two of them down.

Our experiences to date have culminated into a business direction, shaped with a laser focus, a website we are very proud of, and client testimonials we are humbled and honoured to receive.

We are still making mistakes, thankfully less than when we started out.  We still continue to learn and explore different techniques to make our films more engaging, our photographs more stunning, our editing slicker, and above all, we are still having fun together, as father and son. 

The lessons we have learned, and continue to learn, are many and varied, such as the best lenses or camera to use for a production, whether it’s better to hire, or more cost effective to purchase equipment outright, and what batteries we need for maximum results – batteries are always on the learning list. These lessons also cover filming techniques, post-production music requirements, music licensing, crew and talent hiring, and many other areas of production, which makes for a never-ending stream of learning and fun; but never a dull moment.

A quick example of an equipment lesson learned. In the summer of 2017, we bought a well-known handheld all-in-one 4K gimbal for filming on location at London Super Comic Con. We were bitterly disappointed, on multiple levels, at how poor the quality of the system was compared to the specifications and claims made by the manufacturer and online reviews.

The valuable lesson learned with the gimbal has led us to hire equipment where in the past we would have been more inclined towards purchasing. Hiring gives us a great opportunity to evaluate equipment thoroughly without the financial risk. Hiring is something definitely worth considering as a filmmaker just starting out. It is a great way of mitigating against potential loss when the kit does not meet with expectations and is not technically faulty, which can make it harder to get a refund. Hiring also helps to quickly establish if the equipment is as good as the marketing hype claims, or conversely, as bad as reviewers would have you belive, with zero risk.

In Conclusion

The future is unfolding day-by-day for Spencer. If you follow us you will no doubt be among the first to read about his and our journey together, perhaps even be part of the work created. Alternatively, you may be supporting us by gracefully continuing to follow our story, as a subscriber, or by occasionally visiting the Site to review new content or blog posts.

The mistakes we make, are what shape and define us.  Remember, everyone makes mistakes, it’s an immutable part of our existence. Even those who act elitist make mistakes, sometimes more than others! It’s how you deal with the knowledge you learn on your unique journey that counts, and will ultimately shape and inform your success.

To close, never-give-up on your dreams or your passion to create content for others enjoyment. Every time you feel you’ve hit a wall find a way to climb or circumvent it.  Take comfort in the mistakes you make; the lessons learned from them, and the knowledge gained.  The knowledge you clean from the issues you encounter  has real tangible value, not just to you, but others too. 

Post was written by Stephen B. Sinclair

Reference Links:

• Forbidden Planet London Megastore

• National ICT Direct formerly CMC Technologies

• MCM Expo Group

• ReedPOP

• London Super Comic Con

• Sneaky Zebra

• Southampton Solent University

• University of Westminster

• Arts University Bournemouth