Slating Guides

How do you use a clapperboard on set?

To slate a take, fill in the scene, shot and take, hold the clapperboard in frame and in focus near the actor, call out the slate clearly once camera and sound are rolling, then close the sticks sharply and get out of shot. The visible clap and the sound let the editor sync picture to audio.

True-Slate Guides · updated 3 November 2026

Why the clap still matters

Even on productions with timecode everywhere, the clapperboard does two jobs nothing else does as well. It labels every take, so the editor and the script supervisor know exactly what they are looking at, and it gives a single, sharp sync point that can be lined up by eye and ear if timecode fails. A good slate saves minutes on every scene in the edit; a bad one costs hours.

Before the take

Update the board. Scene, shot and take numbers should be right before the first assistant director calls "roll". On a digital slate, the take number usually advances for you.
Check the roll and the camera letter. On multi-camera days, each camera has its own letter (A, B, C) and its own roll or card number.
Know your mark. Agree with the camera operator and focus puller where the slate will be held so it is in frame and in focus without a big refocus.

The sequence

The first AD calls "roll sound". The sound recordist starts recording and replies "speed" or "sound speed".
The first AD calls "roll camera". The camera operator or assistant starts recording and replies "rolling" or "camera speed".
The second AC, already in position with the board, calls the slate: for example "Scene twelve, shot three, take two". Some crews add the camera letter: "twelve bravo, take two, A mark".
The AC says "mark" and closes the sticks with one clean clap, holding the board still for a moment so the frame where the sticks meet is sharp.
The AC leaves the frame quickly and quietly, and the director calls "action".

Where to hold the board

Hold the slate flat to the lens, filling a good part of the frame, close to the plane of focus of the first shot. For wide shots, step in closer to the camera rather than shouting from the back of the set. For close-ups, hold it near the actor's face but warn them first: a clap a few inches from someone's nose before an emotional scene is not appreciated. In that case, use a soft clap.

Soft sticks, tail slates and MOS

Soft sticks: for close-ups and quiet scenes, call "soft sticks" and close them gently. The sound is quieter but still a clear sync point.
Tail slate: if the slate couldn't be done at the start, it is done at the end of the take with the board held upside down, so the editor knows it applies to the take before it. Call "tail slate" or "end board".
MOS: when there is no sound being recorded, the slate is shown with the sticks open or held with fingers between them, so nobody waits for a clap that won't come.
Second sticks: if the first clap was missed or unclear, call "second sticks" and clap again. Log it so the editor knows which clap to use.

Common mistakes

Clapping before both departments have said they are rolling.
Holding the board out of focus or moving while clapping, which blurs the sync frame.
Forgetting to update the take number, so two takes have the same label.
Lingering in the frame after the clap and delaying "action".

Using a digital slate

A digital slate such as True-Slate on an iPad or iPhone shows the scene, shot and take in large type that reads from across a set, advances the take automatically and keeps a shot log as you go, so you can mark print, NG or second sticks without a separate notebook. With LTC timecode jammed from the sound recorder, the running timecode on the screen gives the editor a second way to sync if the clap is ever unclear.

What is the beep on a film slate?

The beep is a sync mark for sound. On a traditional film slate the sharp clap of the sticks gives the editor a spike in the audio to line up with the frame where the sticks close. Many digital slates add a short beep, and sometimes a white flash, at the same instant, so there is a clear sync point in both sound and picture even when the clap is quiet or happens off mic.

True-Slate plays a sharp clap sound with a haptic tap, and can add a white sync flash on screen. Its Sync self-test lets you check the sound and the flash land on the same frame on your camera, and nudge the timing if they don't. If you need a silent take, MOS mode logs the take without any sound.

Common questions

Who holds the clapperboard on a film set?

Usually the second assistant camera (2nd AC), also called the clapper loader. On small shoots it may be anyone in the camera team or even the sound recordist.

What do you say when you slate a take?

Call the scene, shot and take, for example "Scene twelve, shot three, take two", then say "mark" and clap. Some crews also call the camera letter on multi-camera shoots.

Why is a tail slate held upside down?

Holding the slate upside down tells the editor it belongs to the take that has just finished, rather than the next one.

True-Slate reads and generates real LTC timecode

A digital clapperboard and film slate app for iPad and iPhone, with LTC jam sync in and out, an automatic shot log, and exports. £9.99 once, no subscription.

Download on the App Store