What Timecode Slate is this?

[Diego Sanchez]

I was watching the Baftas last night (congrats to all the winners, including our member Simon Hayes) and on the featurette for Li of Pi, i saw a very odd looking, but very cool Timecode Salte. It displayed take and all that info on the leds but also some more camera info.

Anyone know what it is? or is it custom made for the job?

Here is a screen grab of it it the 4 states before it claps:

 

 

 

[Jeff Wexler]

I saw that slate as well and thought at first it was the electronic slate that SONY developed and was in limited use here in the U.S. I don't think it is the SONY one but some company must have built something similar. I believe the value of all the additional info really comes into play because of all the visual effects shots in "Life of Pi". It could well be a special slate made just for that production.

[efksound]

It looks very similar to the Slate used on Resident Evil Afterlife that some member posted here some time ago

That's how I imagine a "future" Zaxnet compatible slate would be like :-) 

[rofin]

I think you're right Eric. It's too close not to have come from the same stable ... Cameron-Pace

 

http://www.cameronpace.com/v2/index.php/whatwedo/equipment/243

[soundtrane]

ah... interesting... this company is making stuff (apart from this slate) that seems to be breaking new ground...

 

pity there is very little info on that website... 

 

-vin

[Alex Mitchell]

That looks like an awesome slate. Would love to pick that up as my next slate.

[Marc Wielage]

That's the Cameron-Pace MetaStrobe 3D slate, used with their 3D rigs:

 

http://www.cameronpace.com/v2/index.php/whatwedo/equipment/243

 

It reads out camera timecode, sound timecode, scene number, take number, camera speed, camera roll, sound roll, focal length, interocular distance (between lenses), and a bunch of other data. They don't sell it -- Cameron-Pace only rents it as part of their 3D camera package system rentals.

 

My dream has been to create an open-source system that would create a slate like this that could receive timecode and scene information from a central place and relay it to the DIT, to scripty, to the cameras, sound department, and slate, regardless of the camera type or sound recorder, and not just for 3D productions. It could be done, but you'd have to get SMPTE to come up with a standard and then get everybody to follow it, which would be a political nightmare. (But theoretically possible.)

[Boomboom]

"My dream has been to create an open-source system that would create a slate like this that could receive timecode and scene information from a central place and relay it to the DIT, to scripty, to the cameras, sound department, and slate, regardless of the camera type or sound recorder, and not just for 3D productions. It could be done, but you'd have to get SMPTE to come up with a standard and then get everybody to follow it, which would be a political nightmare. (But theoretically possible.)"

 

Marc, you're practically describing the ACN by Ambient 

[Jeff Wexler]

"Marc, you're practically describing the ACN by Ambient"

Actually, Marc is more aptly describing the GOAL of the ACN system from Ambient. It has yet to be demonstrated that ACN can achieve the level of integration with all the other associated devices it needs to work with. We'll see.

[Boomboom]

Right on Jeff.

It's still a goal. Expressed myself badly. I was trying in fact to say that great minds collide...

I asked them recently and they can't talk too much now about the ''political nightmare. (But theoretically possible.)" arrangements until everything's set. We easily figure out why.

But they've been practically confirming about a slate that'd be ''ACN ready'' for very soon (NAB?) so sync would be as easy as it is with the ACL204s now.

Sure, their own products will get in the system way before other brands... obvious

[Marc Wielage]

Right on Jeff.

It's still a goal. Expressed myself badly. I was trying in fact to say that great minds collide... I asked them recently and they can't talk too much now about the ''political nightmare. (But theoretically possible.)" arrangements until everything's set. We easily figure out why.

 

The day a system like this will work with Arriflex, Denecke, Fosgate, Panavision, Red, Sony, Sound Devices, Tascam, and Zaxcom products would be a day I'd like to see.

[Boomboom]

Oh boy, some brands there: not gonna happen...

[Marc Wielage]

Yep, that's what I think. The other issue is trying to force all that metadata across different audio data and video data formats. But it'd be a godsend for post if every sound take and every picture take had the exact same name: 26A-1, R103B-9, and so on -- and if all the metadata fields were fully populated with shoot dates, roll numbers, circled take info, and so on. It could be done. 

[Boomboom]

Following the numerous phone calls and discussions I had these last days concerning that with audio and video post: yes, sir... That'd be a real blessing.