I've asked everyone I know to help me find out the name for this gadget and nobody can help, so I'm hoping that the MovieForums fans can lend a hand!

What's the name of the black thing that directors use when they're filming a movie. It has black and white diagonal stripes. You know what I'm talking about :)

Aaaaand...action!

It's called a slate. (I think that's what you're talking about).

As seen here: http://store.yahoo.com/cinemasupplies/sb-rech.html
[Edited by ryanpaige on 02-05-2001]

Yep, that's it! Thanks Ryan :)

Welcome to MovieForums, Sparkie. :)

Thanks Chris, glad to be here :)

I've never been able to work out what those things are for, and I hardly see the significance of it now?! Surely a relic from the olden days of movie-making??

The traditional use of the slate is to sync the sound from the recording device to the film. Since the film camera and the sound recording device are two separate devices, the slate is used to give a reference point to sync the film and recorded sound. In editing, the editor goes and syncs the sounds of the clap with the visual of the slate clapping together.

With today's crystal sync cameras, I'm not sure the slate is still necessary in editing now. (Of course, not everyone has the money to use crystal sync cameras).

And, of course, the slate also has information about the film written on it. Things like the name of the film, the scene number being shot and which take of the shot it is. That can help the editor know which shot he is looking at and gives him or her references to aid in editing.

The more advanced slates also have time code. I assume that is also for syncing, but I don't know that for a fact.

Cool, never realised it was so useful...thanks ryan! :)