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Smart Slate as well as jamming?


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If you only use the smart slate on screen and don't jam the camera, the editor must sync your sound files by hand using the slate clap or TC numbers on screen.

If you jam the camera as well as use the smart slate, the editor can sync the footage automatically using the TC numbers embedded into the audio and video files.  If there is any drift between camera and sound, then the visual smart slate and clap act as backups allowing them to adjust only the clips that have drifted.

My preference on most cameras is to jam a lock it box and leave that on the camera since I find the lockit box to normally be a much more accurate generator than what the camera has.  Also it isn't affected by power downs, battery changes, etc.  I also use a smart slate as visual representation and backup.

Hope that helps.

Kelsey

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I own a smart slate that I use with almost every project. When I use it, I never jam the camera. I've heard many mixers on here that do both. Is there a reason why you would want to do both?

Workflows can vary a good deal from production to production, and some use the camera timecode for double system sycning, and others may not, so the reason to make it a general practice is to cover all the bases and to provide a fail-safe if something goes wrong (timecode reset, slate reset, scratch track lost, etc.). Some workflows favor syncing with the camera timecode, in which case, the timecode on the slate is the redundant backup, in which case the closing of the sticks is the second backup. When Plural Eyes is used, the other sync methods become backups 1-3. All of the methods have the chance for saving the day if the others fail, and do no harm.

gt

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I usually don't do both unless they want me to. But when I'm working on jobs just by myself, I don't have time to re-jam after power offs or battery changes. On the RED, forget it. It seems to lose sync many times throughout the day.

This is why I have a 1/4" to Lemo cable to jam from the slate and/or a lockit for the RED.  I establish early that it is my responsibility to provide the time code to the slate and/or lockit, but it is the camera department's responsibility to get the time code into the camera, either by jamming when required or by leaving the lockit attached.  This has been my approach for the last 18 months, and I have found it to work both practically and diplomatically.

Robert

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I've had the same experience as Robert in that when working on a typical double system camera such as the red, the ACs fully expect I hand them a TC source, and are very responsible about it. I will also provide slate unless asked not to, but the TC on the slate is almost always backup. (except with my good buddy the 5D)

On the reality/doc stuff I do where slates are not an option, I rarely even use a lockit. I've found that most modern cameras keep jammed TC sync just fine and don't need an external generator when set up correctly. I haven't had any kind of sync/drift issue that I can remember in over a few years. (keep in mind this is 2 cameras max, typically)

Not that a lockit would be a problem, per se, but if/when drift starts happening I'm just going to take it off the camera, as I'm not going to have time to try to re set it.

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RP,

I find on commercial shoots the camera guys are so stressed that jamming time-code is their last worry!

Hence a time-code slate

mike

Yes, I have never gone without the TC slate.  But I feel that anything going on/into the camera is their responsibility.  I had some commercial ACs on a feature with 4 RED cameras.  They frequently didn't put the lockits on the camera or jam them.  The editor was happy with the percentage of correct TC (with the help of our utility), but I just feel like it should not be our responsibility.  It's an accessory that needs to go on the camera, just like any other.  If they don't want to attach it, then they should be responsible for jamming the camera.  It's a stressful business, but that doesn't mean workflow stuff can be simply be ignored.

Robert

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I agree with Robert, that I often will be providing the tc, but once I jam the lockit box, I hand it to camera dpt. and only mount it if they ask me to.  During the day, I find it their responsibility to manage the sync box, and notify me of any issues.  I'm not with the camera all day, I have my own gear to manage.  What's on the camera should be operated by camera dpt.

Just my opinion.

Kelsey

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