Slate the Tape: How To Synchronize Audio and Video in a Snap

Staying organized on set is essential, and using a slate is a great tool for just that. The less time it takes to edit your video, either by syncing footage or finding the take you need, the more money you save. If you're a one person show, the more sleep you can get!
Using a production slate is an inexpensive way to make your life easier when doing video work. It's a small step on set that lets you easily sync audio and multiple cameras. It also reduces the headache of whoever has to edit your video when you note "1.4 A, take 3 was the best shot" and that person can quickly scrub through footage and find the slate that reads "1.4A, take 3".



A real slate with a time code can cost well over $1000, but you can pick up a basic slate almost anywhere for about $30. If you have an iPad, you can use the free app called "Clapperboard". (No link available to the app through the browser, but a quick search in iTunes on your iPad should show it as the first result.)
There are a lot of apps out there with more functionality, but if you're looking for the best of the best, you can't go wrong with MovieSlate ($30). This is a very robust app that in addition to a clapperboard, gives you a shot log, that allows you track camera settings, metadata, and anything else about a shot you might need for editing, reshooting later during pick-ups, or special effects work.

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The DSLR Revolution: No Longer Just About the Camera

Every day, somewhere on the internet, on a public forum, across the blogosphere, or in the comments section of an article, the following conversation takes place:
"Hey everybody, I'm new to DSLR filmmaking. What camera would you recommend I get?"
Inevitably, someone responds with an audible groan. "Right tool for the right job, bro," they utter, almost mechanically.
That ubiquitous line, meaning there are many cameras and one ought to use the right one for the particular job, is just about the last thing the budding filmmaker wants to hear. Come on, isn't there one camera that is recommended for a hobbyist getting into filmmaking?
The answer is both yes and no.

In the Beginning, There Was the Camera

For a professional cinematographer or camera operator, it most certainly makes sense to rent or own a variety of cameras for whatever job comes along. On a professional film set, there are most likely considerations and expenses that are far more costly and complex than deciding on a camera package. So, the "right tool for the right job" is on point.

The tiny Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, rigged out for a professional shoot.

However, if you're getting started as a hobbyist, part-time, or weekend filmmaker, purchasing a DSLR camera is probably the most natural beginning to a long journey in digital video. Before you can know what the right tool is for the right job, you have to first learn how to use one tool, on many jobs. Until you gain more experience, that one camera will have to suit you for any and all types of projects you'll stumble into. In this case, buying the right camera that will do a lot of things, for the least amount of money, is crucial.
And if that hobby turns serious, you'll likely go on to spend all your disposable income on renting or purchasing more tools to augment the camera, like lenses, lights, and tripods or support rigs. (Or on the other hand, if you find digital cinema is not for you, you can simply sell the camera and move on to other hobbies, like flying drones.)
Therefore, for folks getting into weekend filmmaking, zeroing in on the right camera to start with is a perfectly fine thing to do as the first step. And even professionals who own cameras already are always on the lookout for the right camera to add to their arsenal.
So why does the camera question irritate some, while make perfect sense for others? Likewise, why is gear so important for some filmmakers, while others urge us to move past the purchasing decisions and "just go shoot"?
Here's the short answer: not too long ago, in its infancy, DSLR filmmaking was most certainly all about the camera. "Which camera should I get?" was the question to ask. The DSLR revolution has opened many doors and launched legitimate careers for people who purchased the right camera at the right time (and went on to use it).
But now there are many cameras, and filmmakers who believe in the "right tool for the right job" motto no longer want to obsess over the camera. There continue to be thousands of forums, articles, gear reviews, and unboxing videos of new and amazing cameras, with legions upon legions of gear heads debating the merits of this or that feature and speculating on the next product release. Day in, day out, they're reviewing specs, trading opinions, purchasing, selling, testing and retesting features. Everything you can do with a camera that doesn't involve filmmaking.
So you can guess what happens when a newcomer jumps onto a camera blog for the first time and asks, "Hey everybody, I'm new to DSLR filmmaking, what camera would you recommend I get?"

Before the DSLR Revolution

Here's a short summary of why the DSLR video revolution was a significant leap in filmmaking, and why it no longer is entirely about the camera.
Hobbyist video producers have existed as long as video camcorders have existed, recording things like family videos, travelogues, and school recitals. Small-time filmmakers have also had to live with the camcorder look, which, for lack of a better term, looks like "real life". Sadly, that real-life video look just makes it harder to enjoy a suspension of disbelief—for the audience to forget that they're watching a video and simply sit back and enjoy the story.
Whereas the video look is perfectly natural in documentary filmmaking, the video aesthetic made even the strongest narrative films look unprofessional. And while some dedicated filmmakers continued to work at their craft until they could afford film, I think many creative people would end up abandoning the dream of filmmaking and move on to other more accessible arts (like photography).
Film was simply too expensive to dabble in. Today just about anyone can make a short ten-minute film to submit to film festivals. Before the DSLR revolution, that world tended to be reserved for people who dedicated their careers to making films. You would go to film school, make the contacts, borrow the school's equipment, spend two to four years in the books, and then finally make the ten-minute short for your senior project. Even with borrowed gear, it could still easily cost $10,000 to $15,000 to make the film.

A decade ago, this ten-part TV series followed NYU graduate film students as they struggled to produce, direct, and finance a short film.

And that was with a volunteer crew, stealing shots without film permits, and a very limited number of takes per shot. If you wanted to play by the rules and make a film with a paid crew, you would have to raise a heck of a lot of money before you could begin shooting. A few years ago I read a book on making an independent feature film, geared towards first-time directors (most likely just out of film school). The estimated budget was $250,000.
Needless to say, shooting film was not for hobbyists or weekend filmmakers.

Mimicking Film

The dream of making the "film look" affordable and accessible to the masses soon took a giant leap.
In the most basic sense, the "film look" relies on these components:

• shallow depth of field, where parts of the image can be out of focus, bringing more attention to the in focus subject
• 24 frames per second, with elegant motion blur
• cinematic lighting, color grading, and dynamic range
• film grain

Although camcorders struggle to achieve a shallow depth of field, the other components were still in reach. For a fee, movies shot on video camcorders, ideally with good lighting in controlled conditions, could be sent to professional facilities that would color grade (and possibly add film grain) for a look that came close to film. It was still relatively expensive, but this is how TV shows could look more like film than our home videos.

Eventually video cameras came out with the ability to record 24 progressive frames per second. The Panasonic DVX100 was a game-changing camera that allowed budding filmmakers the chance to own, operate, and, most importantly, practice and learn to shoot on their own time. Still, it had image limitations, and it recorded to Standard Definition.
And then lens adapters came along. Now, photo lenses could be attached to the front of consumer camcorders, and a shallow depth of field was finally achievable. The problem was, with all the extra glass elements combined with the small sensors of camcorders, the light sensitivity was very low, and shooting was limited to very bright scenes. But boy did we all fawn over the backyard dandelion shots that looked incredibly filmic.

The Canon 5D Mark II

And then this camera happened. The image quality and colors were astounding, it could take a huge variety of photo lenses that could see in the dark (including affordable vintage lenses), it had amazing shallow depth of field, recorded to HD, and (eventually in an upgrade) recorded to 24p. It cost less than $3,000. The digital media was cheap, allowing filmmakers to record near unlimited amounts of something that looked a lot like film.

Of course there were limitations. Audio had to be recorded separately, movie clips were limited to about 12 minutes, and accessories like viewfinders were necessary to keep the camera stable handheld, and to enlarge the screen for easier focusing.
So yeah, there were some challenges. You had to learn workarounds, and you had to learn how to pull focus. Unlike camcorders, the 5D Mark II was not designed for video producers. Shooting with this camera was more akin to shooting with a film camera—everything was manual. But for anybody who had ever dreamt of shooting film affordably, these were welcome challenges.
Then came the accessories, and a giant industry was built around one camera: matte boxes, shoulder rigs, stabilizers, audio recorders, follow focuses, slider dollies. Other cameras were released with similar features, though the 5D continued to reign, thanks to a firmware add-on that a group of programmers made available free. "Magic Lantern" added audio solutions, focus assist, clip limit workarounds, and a whole slew of other features that made the camera even more attractive.

The DSLR industry grew at an incredible pace, in part because the desire for affordable filmmaking had been brewing for a long time, but also because it attracted many newcomers who had never considered filmmaking before it became so accessible. For many people, the magic of being able to dabble in film now, without dedicating years of school and personal credit-card debt, made it an incredibly alluring reason to buy a camera.
So began the first of many posts on filmmaking forums, articles, and gear reviews, all of which started with, "Hi I'm new to DSLR filmmaking. What camera do you recommend I get?"

Fast-Forward to Today

It probably sounds as if we're talking about ancient history here, but it wasn't until September 2008 that the 5D Mark II came out, launching the DSLR revolution. That's it, six years ago.
In some ways, it makes sense that we're still obsessed with the camera. It wasn't long ago that a particular camera made all of this possible, and now there are even more choices. For anybody who's been following along since the beginning of the DSLR video era, you might be still be using the 5D Mark II, or maybe you're moving on to your second camera. For others, you might be looking to buy your first camera, and now the choice is not so easy.

Canon T2i - Christian Fischer (CC-BY-SA-3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

But the industry is way, way bigger than the camera now. And that's why the question of "which camera?" seems so irritating to the established early adopters. Today you can buy a Canon T2i, which is a little brother to the 5D Mark II and can achieve a very similar look, for less than $300.
And so, if a person is actually, legitimately interested in filmmaking, the camera is no longer the primary concern. This is why when a newcomer first asks for help in buying a camera, a throng of filmmakers will gather together in a chorus and scream, "It's not about the camera! If you want to make a film, there are other considerations. You pick the right tool for the right job."

The DSLR Revolution Today: More Than a Camera

If the DSLR revolution is no longer just about the camera, then what is it about? Well for one, there's the industry built around the DSLR user. There are so many new camera rigs, lights, stabilizers, jibs, sliders, and all kinds of gadgets that target the DSLR shooter. Not the film shooter, not the camcorder crowd, but precisely the group of professionals and hobbyists that have risen around digital cinema in the last six years.
This industry can be both exciting and stressful. Because DSLR video has been adopted by both pros and hobbyists, the gear is sometimes priced at a point that is relatively cheap for professionals, but uncomfortable for weekend dabblers.

Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut at NAB, an annual broadcasting trade show once meant for TV industry professionals, but now geared towards video and photo enthusiasts at all levels.

In the world of photography, even professional photography, accessories are relatively affordable. And it's tempting, if you are coming from photography, to think about video gear in the same way you would think about photo gear. They use the same camera now, right? But capturing motion and sound requires a much higher level of control, coordination, and dependability than photographic equipment. The cameras might look the same, might even be the same, but they do not operate in the same way. DSLRs have lowered the bar, but making video requires another level of production. Exponentially more can go wrong. Hence the need for more, and more expensive, equipment.

This puts the question of "which gear to buy?" in the same boat as the camera search: oceans of opinions, discussions, reviews, tests and retests. Trying to decide on your next purchase can easily fill up your free time, which could be spent on practicing filmmaking.
It's easy to get caught up in the gear universe, or to conveniently use the lack of gear as an excuse to avoid the hard work of filmmaking. Before the DSLR revolution, it was natural to use the high cost of film as a rationale for delaying your film. And there was nothing wrong with that justification—film really was exorbitantly expensive to shoot with.
Nowadays, the common refrain is that we just need a better camera, or a particular lens or piece of gear, before going out and finally making that film. But if we're really honest with ourselves, these excuses are no longer as justifiable as they were a few years ago. Today the barriers are not nearly as rigid as they were in the film era.
Now that it's no longer about the camera, or about the gear, it is finally about the creation of movies. There is no longer a requirement to be a "professional", or to have contacts in film distribution, or to screen at a film festival. Now anyone can make beautiful, cinematic videos. It now takes determination, creativity, and skill, more than it does a particular piece of gear.
The part of the DSLR revolution that embraces this creative outpouring is the part that is so much bigger than the camera now. There are communities built around helping each other make films, providing advice, sharing work, and critiquing scripts. There are websites dedicated to free music for your movies. Friendly competitions and film challenges are launched regularly. Outside of the internet, there are local film showcases where you'll get to watch your movie on a huge screen. And there are gigs, jobs, and careers for anyone who wants them.
For the hobbyist, the DSLR revolution has finally enabled you to make films without barriers, this weekend, and the next weekend. It's a great time to be getting into filmmaking.

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Get Started As a Filmmaker: 5 Ways to Spend Your Weekend

What You'll Be Creating

You've heard the advice many times: stop making excuses, just go out and shoot! It's the only way to learn!
Sounds great! You have a camera that records video, you have this weekend free, and you want to teach yourself how to shoot like a pro. But what to shoot? Please, don't say vampires or zombies!

1. Short Narrative Movies (a.k.a. Vampire Films)

The first step to figuring out what to make is to think about what kind of video you like to watch. And for many of us, that's movies: scripted, acted, entertaining drama, comedy, and thrillers dominate our television screens. That's what most of us think of when we think of filmmaking.
Many budding filmmakers desire to one day end up shooting, directing, or editing these kinds of narrative - or fiction - films. It can be fun to imagine your own film ideas from scratch (staring you and your friends, perhaps). There are a million less barriers to creating your own film today, thanks to the amazing (and affordable) DSLR cameras that can make your kitchen look like a cinematic set.
There are still barriers, though, most of which do not depend on your camera or shooting skills. To execute even a short 5-minute fiction film, you would need to consider:

• A script, storyboard, or at least a story premise
• Actors and production crew, and their valuable time
• Lighting, specialized audio for dialogue, camera movement
• Locations, filming permissions or even permits
• Planning the production, from transportation, to timing, to shooting multiple takes and camera angles, to feeding your crew, to things going very, very wrong (which is both inevitable and possibly disastrous)

Essentially, it's way more complicated than just "go shoot." And while it's fun to dabble in narrative filmmaking, without hiring real actors these kinds of short films will most likely never be appreciated by anyone outside your immediate friends and family circle.
Simply put, there are better ways to spend this weekend shooting and learning filmmaking while making something that is more productive and slightly less embarrassing to watch.

2. Music Videos

Music videos are the most accessible thing you can make while learning. A simple music video is a complete project that you can be proud of, and it's basically as simple as cutting together a bunch of random shots and placing some good music underneath.

You can film almost anything and music will make it irresistibly fun to watch. Chances are you've spent a good part of your life watching videos of family travels, kids' graduations, and silly cats. A music track can take these camcorder videos from terribly boring to not-so-bad. But we're talking filmmaking here, not following your pets around with a smartphone.
Try this: shoot some hand-held sequences of somebody preparing dinner. Make a few simple shots of people in the kitchen. Add some some close-up, shallow depth-of-field shots of tacos (or pancakes, or just about anything), layer with some mariachi music and a long title sequence, and boom: your friends will forever know you as "the filmmaker."
Music videos are a forgiving thing to make. They are a great way to experiment with new techniques and practice. Soon you'll start to add graceful camera movement, sliders and dollies, slow motion, time lapses, or any number of new tools to your tool belt.
Eventually someone in your circle will ask you to make a music video for their friend's band. Have the musicians perform and lip sync to a stereo playing their song while you film them in leafy forests or in abandoned warehouses. Edit it together with some generic shots of sunsets or waves breaking or both and your video will get thousands of views. It will be broadcast on a local TV program, the band will love you, and your weekend hobby will be pretty darn satisfying.
Don't forget that shot of a hand running through the tips of tall grass!

Photo by Jay Bergesen - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaybergesen/

3. Highlights Videos for Weddings and Events

Once you master the art of music videos you can apply those same skills to making 3-5 minute highlight videos celebrating an occasion.
Maybe there's a local event and they ask you to come film it - because hey, you're now the "camera guy/gal" - or maybe someone you know is getting married, and they wonder if you could maybe shoot a video of it? Gulp What do you do?
There's certainly a time and a place for videography: simply documenting an event in full, maybe with 2-3 cameras edited together, and providing a low-resolution DVD of a ceremony, lecture, student performance, or similar. Before DSLR filmmaking was a thing, this is what you would probably do a lot of as a weekend video producer, or even as a professional videographer.

But now that you can make cinematic-looking film, you can skip the videography services and offer a highlights film, which is basically a music video without the band. You take a lot of great shots from various angles, cut together 5-second clips of all the goings-ons, add a Fleet Foxes track and you'll be the hero. Even the hands over tall grass shots will work here!

Most importantly, if you record and include some of the natural audio over the backing music track - the wedding vows, parts of the lecture or performance, or an introduction speech - congratulations, you can now legitimately charge for your professional filmmaking services. Available weekends only.

4. Short Documentary

By now you have mastered the beauty shots, you've cut together a few fun videos, maybe purchased some lights, audio equipment, or tools for camera movement. Now you're ready to make a film this weekend that has the power to impact people at a deeper level.
A short documentary film - or nonfiction film, if you prefer - is as simple as your basic music video that you've already mastered, but interspersed with someone telling a story, or a "talking head." So now you interview the wedding couple in advance, and you cut together them talking about how much they love each other into a 3-minute story, and lay down your highlight video over it. Add the natural sound of their vows, in between their interview audio, and some of the reception speeches, and you've got an amazing video the couple will cherish forever. And possibly pay big bucks for.

5. A New Career?

Short documentaries are more than just glorified music videos. In fact they are the heart of all nonfiction videos out there. From Youtube, to PBS documentaries, to news videos. In some form or another, these videos feature a story being told verbally, either with interviews or a narrator, along with cutaway shots of some relevant action or B-roll, with a sprinkling of some music to build momentum. And the best part is, you can now make these kinds of videos.
Think of all the people and organizations close to you who could use a video like this for a crowd-fund campaign on Kickstarter or Indiegogo, or a video that shows and tells what a local business is all about, to share on the web and social media. Or maybe there's a really inspirational story of a couple who is hand-cycling thousands of miles, and you want to make a video about it, to share their story. There are so many stories to be told, and the demand for qualified filmmakers to tell them is only increasing. Before you know it, your weekend hobby can quickly become a serious career.
Or you could continue to make vampire films.

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