Smart Slate 101

[RueDwyer]

I'm a newb.  Building my kit and I've just been asked if I have a Smart Slate... I know what they are

and I've worked with them when I've been AC but I'm unclear on exactly what the advantages are for

production when using them.  Also what's the workflow ... what do you jam to what?

And the workflow for multicam?  Need knowledge!    Thank You!! 

[Robert Bluemke]

http://www.amazon.com/The-Location-Sound-Bible-Professional/dp/1615931201

 

Read this backwards and forwards. And prepare for a bit of flack. 

[KGraham045]

 

Here's a basic explanation. Which sounds like what your looking for.

The Smart Slate is just a visual reference. When using TC you have a "master" generally your mixer. You then have "slave" devices (camera, slate etc) that you "jam" or sync so that all the clocks are running at the same speed (frame rate) and are in sync.... Post can then use Timecode to sync Audio and Video together...

Using multiple cameras your work flow shouldn't neccisarly change but when doing "common marks" both cameras can sync together by using the visual reference if needed same as single cam. But if both are properly jammed you don't need it. It's all redundancy and used to sync audio and picture...

[Mirror]

Yes, I think you are ready to be a sound guy! 

Is this a troll thread or are you for real? How are you not embarrassed to ask the most basic of questions on a forum like this? Have you even been on a set before? You just went out and bought some gear and said, "Hey World! I'm a sound mixer now! Hire me!" ?

If you don't know the most fundamental thing such as the function of a TC slate you are going to crash and burn real hard and real fast.  More amazingly, who are the idiots that hired you?  

Need knowledge? No shit you do. 

 

[old school]

You're being kinder than my gut reaction was mirror.

To the OP'r... Please save your money and go get a sound education. Work with someone who knows something about what is involved in doing the gig. Also re read your question. If you can't or don't know how to obtain this most basic knowledge, you may want to stick w camera.

CrewC

[Philip Perkins]

You worked as an AC, didn't know why you using a TC slate and never asked about it?  Have you ever seen sound syncing being done?  Talked to anyone who does it?  If the answer is no then you might want to consider learning about these things (as well as how TC and clock work in the location sound+camera business) before you get yourself into real trouble on a job.

[John Blankenship]

Consider this the equivalent of popping up in a forum for experienced chefs and asking, "I've been buying some pots and pans, so how do I boil water,?" It's likely that your responses here are comparatively tame.

Do you fully understand gain staging?  ("What's is sautéing?")

Are you intimately familiar with the pattern of each microphone across its entire frequency band?  ("What are those things called spices and how do I use them?")

Why am I getting distortion? ("Should I always just turn the oven on full?")

...or a forum of professional mechanics:  ("I bought some of those wrench thingies, what are they for?")

Bottom line:  Learn your craft first, THEN you'll know what equipment to acquire -- and why. 

 

 

[tom williams]

This really must be a joke right?

[MartinTheMixer]

Hey guys, the person that asked the original question, the "op"?, I think that must stand for original poster, never said he or she was a sound mixer. They could have just been a PA who was being AC for the day. I have helped kids make cute little shorts, and I've given someone the one minute version of how to operate a slate. I'm sure they had no idea why they were even clapping the Slate. So, if the guy just wants to be an AC, I don't even know if he/she should care what a microphone pattern does.

Martin

[austinmplocher]

Martin, I think the sentiments we're seeing here reflect the purpose of this forum though - for and by professionals. The OP could easily take this question to his or her social network first, and likely receive more appropriate feedback. There's not really a place for it here - sort of like when an earnest PA comes up to me on a busy set and says something to the effect of "oh I dabble in sound too, can you show me what everything does?" Sorry, not now.

[Constantin]

... never said he or she was a sound mixer. They could have just been a PA who was being AC for the day. I have helped kids make cute little shorts, and I've given someone the one minute version of how to operate a slate. I'm sure they had no idea why they were even clapping the Slate. So, if the guy just wants to be an AC, I don't even know if he/she should care what a microphone pattern does.

Martin

He said he is a newb and is building his kit. If he really were a newb chef and building up his cooking kit (to follow John's analogy) this would be totally the wrong forum. So I'm pretty certain that he is a newb at sound mixing/recording and wants to build his kit and also, seemingly, wants to side-step any learning by himself and just ask everything he needs to know here.

There is nothing wrong with being a newb, by the way, but there is with expecting others to do the learning for you. Even simply searching this very forum would have yielded all the info you would need on smart-slates. Maybe that, too, is too much work for some.

[ao]

youtube has many videos like this one:

viewing videos and reading manuals (downloaded from manufacturers) are a start,  from which you may have questions to pose here....

[mark kirchner]

In the past there was a 3-step protocol for "new members."

1. Hello and welcome.

2. This topic has been discussed many times before on this forum. Do a goggle search with the topic, followed by jwsound.

3 Then a reply (sometimes tough, sarcastic, etc...

Do we need the Senator back?

[Jan McL]

Welcome to the motion picture biz! And yes, this is what can happen not only on line, but IRL.

You have asked a question in public the term of art for which is leaving "Blood in the Water": you have publicly bled and the sharks are circling and taking nips at your flesh. This phenomenon is admittedly old school and changing, but still often true.

Scattered in the bloody water is some good advice though, so don't allow your flushed face keep you from finding it.

If you survive this onslaught with dignity there's a chance you could make it. We've all been there. Truly.

And good luck! 

 

[MartinTheMixer]

He/She probably made the assumption there were nice people on this forum.

[RPSharman]

Personally, I think we should simply not answer these questions any more. There are no unions in the UK, and a lot of good work is going to these people who "build kits" and go on forums to get "experience". Can't tell you how many times I have read on FB - "Help, my 633 has frozen and it won't turn off. I have disconnected the power and removed the batteries. It still won't turn off." - These are people buying gear and going out at horrifically low rates, completely undermining the profession, and destroying the livelihoods of people who have put years into a profession. They don't bother to read manuals or learn how the gear works, let alone know things about TC and gain staging, etc. I have grown tired of it.

If we don't answer the questions, these people will have to gain experience the old fashioned way... going to film school and/or getting jobs as PAs and watching and learning how different departments do their job. Be patient. Eyes and ears open. Mouth shut. When the moment seems right, ask intelligent questions you have acquired during your period of observation. If they elect to buy gear and have a go without going through these steps, then without our "help", they'll crash and burn. It's utter arrogance to think you can do our job well by buying a bit of gear and asking for advice on the internet. It's destructive to our business to go out there and do "well enough", for a low rate, and hope that you'll be able to increase your rate once you've driven them down by lowballing other professionals.

Rant over :-)

[Mirror]

49 minutes ago, Jan McL said:

If you survive this onslaught with dignity there's a chance you could make it. We've all been there. Truly.

And good luck! 

 

Not really.  I started at the bottom and learned line upon line, precept upon precept.  This guy is a dept head with zero experience and even less knowledge. Personally I don't care if that's the route that he chooses but he shouldn't expect others to give him the knowledge that he needs to survive without paying his dues.

 

Even if it were possible for us to give him all that he needs, it wouldn't help him - he couldn't retain it, his head would explode.

[MartinTheMixer]

17 minutes ago, RPSharman said:

Personally, I think we should simply not answer these questions any more. There are no unions in the UK, and a lot of good work is going to these people who "build kits" and go on forums to get "experience". Can't tell you how many times I have read on FB - "Help, my 633 has frozen and it won't turn off. I have disconnected the power and removed the batteries. It still won't turn off." - These are people buying gear and going out at horrifically low rates, completely undermining the profession, and destroying the livelihoods of people who have put years into a profession. They don't bother to read manuals or learn how the gear works, let alone know things about TC and gain staging, etc. I have grown tired of it.

If we don't answer the questions, these people will have to gain experience the old fashioned way... going to film school and/or getting jobs as PAs and watching and learning how different departments do their job. Be patient. Eyes and ears open. Mouth shut. When the moment seems right, ask intelligent questions you have acquired during your period of observation. If they elect to buy gear and have a go without going through these steps, then without our "help", they'll crash and burn. It's utter arrogance to think you can do our job well by buying a bit of gear and asking for advice on the internet. It's destructive to our business to go out there and do "well enough", for a low rate, and hope that you'll be able to increase your rate once you've driven them down by lowballing other professionals.

Rant over :-)

RP, I think I can agree with all but the part about crashing and burning without help. I think the crash and burn rate is about the same regardless of the amount of help people give someone who's  destiny is going to be to crash and burn. 

Martin

[Jan McL]

22 minutes ago, Mirror said:

Not really.  I started at the bottom and learned line upon line, precept upon precept.  This guy is a dept head with zero experience and even less knowledge. Personally I don't care if that's the route that he chooses but he shouldn't expect others to give him the knowledge that he needs to survive without paying his dues.

 

Even if it were possible for us to give him all that he needs, it wouldn't help him - he couldn't retain it, his head would explode.

You've never said anything stupid in public and been swarmed by the more-experienced? C'mon...I call B.S.

[Mirror]

23 minutes ago, Jan McL said:

You've never said anything stupid in public and been swarmed by the more-experienced? C'mon...I call B.S.

I misunderstood your comment when you said, "We've all been there. Truly".  I took it as meaning that we've all decided to be dept heads and tried to fumble through without knowing squat and asking to be bailed out.

And, of course I've shoved my foot in my mouth many times. It's a daily occurrence.

[Jan McL]

5 minutes ago, Mirror said:

I misunderstood your comment when you said, "We've all been there. Truly".  I took it as meaning that we've all decided to be dept heads and tried to fumble through without knowing squat and asking to be bailed out.

And, of course I've shoved my foot in my mouth many times. It's a daily occurrence.

Okie-doakie. [Laughing.]

[Philip Perkins]

No I think we should answer questions, I do not want to go back to how things were when I started, where there was really no one to ask for help and if you did ask you might be fed disinformation intentionally.  I just want newb questions to come after some little research has been done, so that even if the questions make wrong assumptions they show some initiative and a willingness to track down hard info.  It's just not that difficult, anymore, and people who don't do this don't last in the biz in any case.  

[Jim Feeley]

21 minutes ago, Philip Perkins said:

 I just want newb questions to come after some little research has been done...

Ya, manuals are online. This group and others are searchable. I like the gearslutz heads up to new members (I've been a member for years but only posted a few times...so I still see the message)...it's perhaps a bit intrusive, but not such a bad idea for people who've posted (or seriously read) fewer than X times:

 

[John Blankenship]

Thanks, Jim, that's a good boilerplate.

Jan and Mirror:  The taste of shoe leather is a sense memory that is deeply, and permanently, embedded.

Oh, and sorta on point, if not on topic:  "I just bought a scalpel.  Can someone please explain to me which blood vessel I should cut first when performing a heart transplant?"

 

[Jan McL]

56 minutes ago, John Blankenship said:

The taste of shoe leather is a sense memory that is deeply, and permanently, embedded.

I've never forgotten any lesson I learned that left a bite on my ass, that's for sure; the best lessons always cost something and pride is in the short run expensive.

4 hours ago, MartinTheMixer said:

He/She probably made the assumption there were nice people on this forum.

Aw c'mon. Seriously?