Finding a Clapboard?

Beatlesfan1225

Beatlesfan1225

Hi,
I really need to find a clapboard for a film shoot coming up, (Nothing fancy, dry erase is fine), just so I can hear the clap when I sinc up audio. Does anyone know where I could maybe find one locally, so I don't have to order it online? If I order it online I'll probably have to rush ship it, so that's my back up plan. Anyone know any places that sell them?

Thanks!
 
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You'll probably end up paying as much (if not more) buying it from a specialist film shop then you would rush ordering it from Amazon where they're cheap as proverbial chips.

I saw that someone on here had a cool IPad app which did the job... but only if you have an IPad I guess... :P
 
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Well, if you just need it for syncing the audio and don't care about the rest of the functionality, just clap your hands sharply somewhere within the frame, that'll work just as well. If you need the info, go to an office supply place and get a small dry erase board, like the kind for hanging in a locker, and use it.

OR, get the small dry erase board, and attach a hinged pair of sticks onto it..
 
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The reason that you want a marked visual slate rather than just hands clapping is to make syncing easier.

When you can see "Scene 22 C take four" on the slate and hear "Scene 22 C take four" announced on the audio track it saves a lot of time and aggravation. If you hire someone to sync audio to visuals for you this will save lots of time (meaning MONEY). Without the matching visual and audio references (and the corresponding sound and picture logs) each entire take will have to be listed to and watched to insure that they are indeed the same scene and take.

It's a very good habit to get into. There are valid reasons for technical rules/guidelines/processes; and they've been doing it since about 1928 or so.
 
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NickClapper said:
You'll probably end up paying as much (if not more) buying it from a specialist film shop then you would rush ordering it from Amazon where they're cheap as proverbial chips.

I saw that someone on here had a cool IPad app which did the job... but only if you have an IPad I guess... :P
Click to expand...

Haha, I have an iPhone, so if I can't find one, if worse comes to worse I can hold it in front of the screen lol.
 
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Alcove Audio said:
The reason that you want a marked visual slate rather than just hands clapping is to make syncing easier.

When you can see "Scene 22 C take four" on the slate and hear "Scene 22 C take four" announced on the audio track it saves a lot of time and aggravation. If you hire someone to sync audio to visuals for you this will save lots of time (meaning MONEY). Without the matching visual and audio references (and the corresponding sound and picture logs) each entire take will have to be listed to and watched to insure that they are indeed the same scene and take.

It's a very good habit to get into. There are valid reasons for technical rules/guidelines/processes; and they've been doing it since about 1928 or so.
Click to expand...


Exactly, I like to also have the visual and audio representation of the clap board when editing.

Couldn't you just make your own clapboard as said above? Just head up to the dollar store and buy a cheap hinge and whiteboard.. I might try that. Anyone ever make a home made one?
 
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If I can find a picture I'll post it, but I've used a small whiteboard before and marked off areas (tape, scene, take, etc.) with a black Sharpie. This served us well for non-sync shoots with audio recording straight into the camera. Suppose you could add a hinge to it for some sort of clapper.
 
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Forget a clapper. What's important is that you have a visual record of what scene and take (like Alcove mentioned). I should know - I learned this lesson the hard way. The organization aspect of the clapper is so much more important than the loud clap. Unless you're shooting on film, you'll be recording in-cam audio, in addition to the external audio, no? Well, syncing these two audio tracks is not at all difficult.

If you really want a clapper, go to Lowes. Spend 20 bucks and build one. I've got a friend with a pretty sweet clapper that he built around an Etch-a-Sketch.
 
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Cracker Funk said:
Forget a clapper. What's important is that you have a visual record of what scene and take (like Alcove mentioned). I should know - I learned this lesson the hard way. The organization aspect of the clapper is so much more important than the loud clap. Unless you're shooting on film, you'll be recording in-cam audio, in addition to the external audio, no? Well, syncing these two audio tracks is not at all difficult.

If you really want a clapper, go to Lowes. Spend 20 bucks and build one. I've got a friend with a pretty sweet clapper that he built around an Etch-a-Sketch.
Click to expand...


I actually do things that I would like to have a clapper for. I shoot in film half the time, and the other half I shoot on digital with an external mic. So I figured I'd hit 2 birds with one stone, and use a clapper for editing organization purposes, and to since up the clap. On digital and film, I since up audio.
 
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Fundamerntally all you need is a dry erase board to write the scene and take on, then clap your hands.

Then cough up the $45 to go ahead and order one from Filmtoools for next time, just because they look cool.
 
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5258113380_a4afbaa49b.jpg


Basic D.I.Y. stuff... but it totally did the trick.
 
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Hey, I know about this now!

In this frame grab, note the screw driver in her hand. I had her announce the slate.. Production, Shot and Take number then BANG the screw driver on top of the slate.

I was recording production sound on a PMD660 recorder, so sync was needed.
For audio sync, it was a snap to line up the audio and video on the transient spike from the loud CLACK in about 10 seconds, and this was my first time doing it!

63491_1626829202100_1577666307_31491041_527198_n.jpg
 
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Sharpie for the permanent lines:

on the PROD: line I put on some white electrical tape and write with a sharpie, so its SEMI PERMANENT.. ill rip off the tape for the production and its will be a "fresh slate" again..
 
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