Does anyone have days like this? or is just me ?

[ao]

I would be just as happy not to have my name on the slate for the two jobs mentioned before.  All it takes is your material from two productions that were wacked to end up at the same post house for you to get a reputation for mediocre tracks/slating protocol. 

ao

[Michael P Clark]

On a project that I've been doing for almost 10 years now, my name IS on the slate! From the same argument that Robert says. I had put it on once and got a good chuckle from the camera op during a take. Now it stays!! I don't do it on other projects, but I think we should have our own spot also!

[Eric Toline]

Here's a picture of a French slate. Notice the box marked "SON" which is French for sound.

[studiomprd]

Why is the Director's name on the slate??  Why is the DP's name on the slate??

(besides their EGO's)

in the studio days, when the mogules watched dailies, every, er... day,  it was put on the slates so if the big-wigs didn't like something they saw, they knew who to fire!

just be certain my name is on the check!

and don't get me started on all the credits at the deginning of shows...

when all the credits are done, the show is 1/3 over!

the funny thing is the typical audience doesn't care about all those names, just the people whose names they are are interested in seeing them;  in the biz, anyone who wants to know who _____ that show can find out.

same for all the space on billboards (can you read that??), and the 3+ screens of names and logos that go by on each TV spot.

[Lukas Morawski]

Guys, in Holland all (maybe 98%) of the movies have the production sound mixer name in the titles at the beginning. I think this is because the production sound is just much more important here ( different way of working/philosophy and budget might have to do something with that as well ).

I remember one production:

Day 1: middle of nowhere, windy like hell, cold, no warm catering the entire day. The producer starts to mess with the picture, the lights and finally also sound, telling me where to put my boom (in my mind I gave him an appropriate answer). So, no one knows what is going on, grip an light are looking at each other, will we shoot or not? and suddenly the director starts shouting that my boom is in the frame. Ok, said sorry, get the hell out of the frame with my boom. Too late, the sun was gone. The producer scream maybe he should look for a different sound guy, I said: yes please! for the low price offered me he would not find anybody stupid enough to do this.

Day 2: Producer talking over the role of the DP, grip. We gonna do some car drives with an A frame, cant go on a frame according to the producer, no space ( he goes on the a frame ).

Day 3: Producer is not happy with the grip and light.

Day 4: New scene, the lights and grip are setting up their stuff, camera dep is prepping. When I was set to roll I let an helping hand, small budget so not so much hands around. The producer comes onto the set, he stands in the middle and shouts: Everyone that doesn't have to be here has to walk from the set. We all look at the producer, at the end of the day I say to the producer: I hope you found a soundguy because this is my last day and went home together with the gaffer.

Never ever will I ever work for this so called production company ;-)

[studiomprd]

I'm watching the excellent documentary series "Moguls and Movie Stars" on TCM; in the current weeks chapter, covering the 1930's, with the arrival of sound! They say the "sound engineer was king, because after the Director says 'cut', if the sound man (sic) says no good for sound, they go again!"

Frankly, a screen credit doesn't pay for the equipment, the vehicle, fuel, insurance, food, etc., and anyone who wants to know who did what on shows can find out.  particularly, I find it demeaning, even insulting to have an on screen credit that is too small to read, and is flashed too quickly to be read.  better to have no screen credit at all, IMHO.  I also find it annoying to have a long list of credits (usually single cards) stretched out over noticeable stretches of the shows, especially since these credits are of interest only to the folks whose names they are, not the audience, who at best is left wondering what an "Assistant Associate Supervising Co-Executive Consulting Producer" does, and why did it take three of them to make this movie???

[soundtrane]

Avoid them if you can afford to.

In my case avoiding is not possible.

maybe then change your lifestyle dude...

cut the cloth according to the coat you want...

having said this, there are idiots at various levels. heh. avoiding idiots altogether may be a VERY difficult proposition....

[RadoStefanov]

As I mentioned in an other post Las Vegas is a strange market.

Close to LA with $15 hotel/motel rooms.

The union is retarded.

So you get what you can.

Most work I get is out of state productions.

maybe then change your lifestyle dude...

cut the cloth according to the coat you want...

having said this, there are idiots at various levels. heh. avoiding idiots altogether may be a VERY difficult proposition....

[Marc Wielage]

II also find it annoying to have a long list of credits (usually single cards) stretched out over noticeable stretches of the shows, especially since these credits are of interest only to the folks whose names they are, not the audience, who at best is left wondering what an "Assistant Associate Supervising Co-Executive Consulting Producer" does, and why did it take three of them to make this movie?

That used to kill me in post, because there would inevitably be credits for "assistant post-production accountant who worked on Tuesdays"... stuff like that. It especially bothered me if I spent 100+ hours working on a project and got zero credit (but did get a paycheck), and somebody else I knew who worked for 10 hours on it did get a credit.

Dere's no justice, I tell yas...

--Marc W.

P.S. Interesting documentary, but not as good as the Thames series from 30 years ago...

[Philip Perkins]

Here's a picture of a French slate. Notice the box marked "SON" which is French for sound.

I thought the SON square was for the sound take #?  If it IS for the Prod Mixer then good for Old Europe!

When I can afford a new Denecke TC slate I'd love to have it programmed so after the slate closes "Philip Perkins CAS" comes up instead of the Ubits.  Maybe programmable via RF, so I could have it say: "Yes, I hear the plane"  or "Horrible silk tie on talent"  or

"Meal Penalty!".....

phil p

[Jeff Wexler]

I believe it IS for the Sound Take number --- part of the consecutive numbering system that is quite common in many other countries.

I have done a few jobs here in the US where there has been a "sound" number that is consecutive and increments by 1 for every setup.

-  Jeff Wexler

[Eric Toline]

I thought the SON square was for the sound take #?  If it IS for the Prod Mixer then good for Old Europe!

phil p

You could be right. I saw the SON box and figured it was for the mixer's name. Your thinking seems more logical.

Eric

[studiomprd]

on my sound reports, where it says "Mixer" I usually put "Cooper"...

[Lukas Morawski]

@Jeff and @Eric:

you guys are right, it's for sound. Here in Europe (on european productions) we do it bit different. Each setup is counted up, no letter involved for different setups ( like 1A, 1B and so on ). Usually we go with slate/take/scene. 

The french slate pictured below might be from like 20-30 years ago though. Things where different then I guess. French way of working is so dramatically different from what we do here in Holland (as to booming techniques/mixing and use of lavs ). But that's maybe for a different topic

 

[Ludovic Lasserre]

Well I'm French but live & work in London, UK.

I have never seen slates like this one indeed in France or anywhere else, though the writing does suggest that it would be the mixer's name, as opposed to any sort of take, scene, sound roll or slate number. The french system uses scene/shot/take numbers (as in: 3rd take on the 2nd shot for scene 47, for example), not slate numbers like in the UK (which is what Jeff's talking about, I believe).

However, like in Holland, the mixer's name (along with rerecording mixer and sometimes supervising sound editor) are DEFINITELY all the time in the opening credits, and pretty early on as well (basically, usually after DP & production designer). Also, in the credits at the bottom of french film posters, those same names are always there as well.

It just makes sense, doesn't it? I mean those people contribute in a very important way in the way the film's carried over to the audience. Especially in Europe where filmmaking tends to be more story oriented than fancy vfx & action.

One thing that I keep finding really odd (I had to seriously censor myself not to say "outrageous") is why the casting director's name is always in the opening credits of hollywood films?? Seriously, who cares?

[bperlman]

This thread reminds me of something I heard over forty years ago, about the five stage of a film project.

1 - Joyful enthusiasm

2 - Total disallusionment

3 - Hunt for the guilty

4 - Persecution of the innocent

5 - Honor for the uninvolved

Somethings never change.

Bruce

[studiomprd]

" Seriously, who cares? "

The Casting Director

[David Waelder]

five stage of a film project

I've heard it slightly differently as six stages:

1. Wild enthusiasm

2. Total confusion

3. Utter dispair

4. Assignment of blame

5. Punishment of the innocent

6. Reward and promotion of the guilty

David

[RadoStefanov]

Sounds like the Bush administration.

(:

five stage of a film project

I've heard it slightly differently as six stages:

1. Wild enthusiasm

2. Total confusion

3. Utter dispair

4. Assignment of blame

5. Punishment of the innocent

6. Reward and promotion of the guilty

David

[Marc Wielage]

Just watched some more of the Moguls & Movie Stars special on TCM, and I have to apologize to the Senator: it's a much better show than I initially thought. Some very interesting things in there. I just wish the show was twice as long! They're skipping over a lot of important moments, like the invention of color, documentary techniques, and much more. The segment on early talkies was pretty entertaining.

--Marc W.

[studiomprd]

on Wednesday evenings, after the encore showing, they have a Q&A that includes some of the historians, and the (very hands on) Producer, who personally conducted most all of the new interviews; I understand he is extremely prepared, knowledgeable, and thorough. a few weeks back he specifically addressed the huge amount of history he had to not include, and his focus on the defining events of the movie history, and how they related to the period's history.

Hat's off to Mr. Wilkman, though of course TCM (Tom Brown) will take all the credit --for financing this major project.

[Rob Lewis]

I used to panic, especially when the camera op is rolling without you, but now I just chuckle when I realize that they are just working for nothing cause the editor will never use the shot because there is no sound.  You can also as to speak with post after the shoot and tell them they have their work cut out for them because of an uncooperative camera dept.  Be sure to let the producer know throughout the day what is happening.

[Jonathan Reyes]

There's been times when I, myself, have been in weird situations.  In the long run, months after, its fun to laugh at.  But, I feel it makes you a more aware person.  "Always ready for the worse!" LOL