Got thinking about it be soundslikejustin's post:
"A timecode slate, if required, is the property and responsibility of the sound dept, but is used by the camera dept. A traditional clap slate (at least on the jobs i work on) is solely the responsibility of the camera dept. "
Why is this? I my mind, if there is a piece of equipment that is used constantly by the camera department, it should be the camera department's. I realize that sound is responsible for timecode, but does that mean we should have to bring the camera dept a slate to use and abuse?
I worked on a Union show where A slate was a rental and B slate was the sound mixer's. The AC's would bring the slates to the mixer at the top of the day (leaving them their if he was currently busy), and then retrieve them once they were jammed. This would again happen at lunch.
Later in the day we head a giant sound which was obviously a slate dropping. We look and see it's the B slate as the AC picks it up. The mixer knows what's up, but the AC has the nerve to go and ask me to bring the slate to the mixer (I'm the Sound Utility) because the slate is "acting funny", not even admitting they dropped it, let alone apologizing.
I just think that for my kit and my money, for me to spend $1200 plus on something that the Camera department uses exclusively, doesn't really feel responsible for, and doesn't actually get me any more sound capabilities (Wireless, etc.) then I don't see the benifit. If production wants a TC slate, they should add it to the camera rental like they do if they wants a B or C slate when the mixer already has one.
Thoughts/opinion?