A Human Touch in the Dailies
While the primary function of a clapper slate is purely technical, a long-standing tradition on film sets allows for a more creative and personal use: the Greeting Slate. This is an unofficial slate, filmed before the first take of the day or after a long break, that contains a message rather than technical data. It serves as a direct, informal line of communication from the on-set production crew to the post-production team (specifically the editor, assistant editors, and post supervisor) who they may not interact with directly for the duration of the shoot.
These messages, which appear in the daily raw footage (the “dailies” or “rushes”), can range from simple pleasantries to elaborate inside jokes. Common examples include:
- “Good Morning from the set!”
- “Happy Birthday, [Editor’s Name]!”
- A witty comment about the previous day’s challenges.
- Celebrating a milestone, like the halfway point of the shoot.
- On the final shot of the entire production, the slate might simply read, “THAT’S A WRAP!”
The Director’s Slate: A More Formal Message
A variation on this tradition is the Director’s Slate. While it can also be a friendly greeting, this term more often refers to a slate used by the director to convey a specific, important note to the editor. Before the advent of digital note-taking systems, this was a foolproof way to ensure a critical piece of information was directly attached to the relevant footage.
A director’s slate might contain an instruction like:
- “USE THIS TAKE ONLY”
- “NOTE: TRY ALT DIALOGUE FROM TAKE 4”
- “VFX PLATE - DO NOT USE FOR PERFORMANCE”
This practice ensures that the director’s intention for a particular take is not lost in a sea of paperwork, providing a clear and direct order to the editorial team. Whether a friendly joke or a crucial instruction, these non-standard slates add a layer of human connection and practical communication to the filmmaking process, serving as time capsules of the on-set experience.