Student Short Film Slate Log

Log every take as one chain: say and show the same scene-shot-take ID, record the camera and sound filenames immediately, then add continuity, permission, result, owner, and edit destination before the next setup.

1. Open the day with one naming rule

   Before recording, the director, camera operator, sound recorder, and logger agree on one short identifier such as 3-B-01: scene 3, shot B, take 1. Write the pattern at the top of the log and show one completed example. Decide whether a new camera angle advances the shot letter and whether a restart advances only the take number. The logger repeats the ID; the camera and sound operators confirm it. If anyone expects a different number, resolve it before rolling instead of creating three labels for one take.

   People4: director, camera, sound, logger

   PlaceSet entrance beside the blank log

   Duration4-minute naming agreement

   Skill checkedCreating one shared take identity

2. Assign the scene and shot before the take

   Copy the scene number from the approved script or shot list, then assign the shot letter to the current framing and action. Record a plain-language label, such as wide doorway entrance, so the editor can understand the entry without decoding the number alone. Keep the shot letter unchanged while the framing and intended action remain the same. Advance it when the camera setup or planned coverage changes. The director confirms that the label describes the shot being attempted, not the previous setup still visible on the board.

   People3: director, camera operator, logger

   PlaceCamera position before performers enter

   Duration2-minute shot identification

   Skill checkedConnecting coverage to a stable label

3. Show and speak the matching slate

   Place the slate where the camera can read it, keep it lit and in focus, and say the exact scene, shot, and take ID loudly enough for the recording microphone. Mark sync sound or MOS when no separately recorded production sound belongs to the take. The logger watches both the visible board and the spoken call. If they disagree, stop and correct the record before action. For a tail slate, note tail in the log and show the board after the action so the editor does not mistake it for the next take.

   People3: slate operator, camera, sound

   PlaceInside the framed and recorded area

   Duration20-second identity check

   Skill checkedMaking picture and sound agree

4. Capture the camera filename immediately

   As soon as the camera stops, the camera operator reads the clip filename from the device and the logger copies it exactly, including letters, leading zeros, and extension when shown. Do not invent the filename from the slate number: phones and cameras often use their own counters. If the device splits a long take into more than one file, list every part under the same take and mark their order. The camera operator rereads the saved entry from the log before the crew resets the frame or records another clip.

   People2: camera operator and logger

   PlaceCamera playback or media screen

   Duration45-second filename readback

   Skill checkedCopying the real camera asset ID

5. Capture the sound filename or direct-audio state

   Record the separate sound filename beside the matching camera filename, or write camera audio only when no external recorder was used. Include the recorder channel plan if voices or microphones are separated, such as channel 1 boom and channel 2 lav. For a false start that produced sound but no usable camera file, keep the sound entry and mark no picture rather than shifting it to the next take. The sound recorder confirms the filename on the device, not from memory or an assumed sequence.

   People2: sound recorder and logger

   PlaceSound recorder display after cut

   Duration45-second sound-file match

   Skill checkedLinking separate audio to picture

6. Mark the clap and sync condition

   Record whether the sticks closed visibly and whether the clap produced a clean sound spike. If the board was hidden, soft, late, off camera, or missing, describe the fault while everyone still remembers it. Note an alternate sync cue such as a hand clap only if one was deliberately recorded in both picture and sound. Do not mark synced merely because both devices were running. This entry tells the editor which takes should align quickly and which require waveform, dialogue, or action matching.

   People3: slate operator, sound, logger

   PlaceSet monitor and sound meter

   Duration30-second sync-quality note

   Skill checkedJudging an observable sync event

7. Record the continuity state that changed

   After cut, note only continuity facts that the next take or later setup must reproduce: performer start mark, hand holding the prop, door position, remaining drink level, costume layer, screen direction, and the last completed action. Add the reference photo filename when a photo was taken. Avoid writing continuity good without naming what was checked. The performer or continuity owner resets from the recorded state, then confirms the next slate only after the prop, position, and action match the log.

   People3: performer, continuity owner, logger

   PlaceMarked set immediately after cut

   Duration90-second state-and-reset pass

   Skill checkedTurning memory into repeatable evidence

8. Check the permission boundary in the frame

   Mark whether every visible performer, private location area, artwork, screen, name, and borrowed object remains inside the project's approved boundary. If an unapproved person enters the background or private information appears, record the time or action and label the take hold for review. Do not erase or publish anything from this log; route the question to the authorized teacher, producer, owner, or supervisor. The camera operator confirms the visible issue and the permission owner records the next safe action.

   People3: camera, permission owner, logger

   PlacePlayback frame and approved set boundary

   Duration60-second boundary scan

   Skill checkedFlagging use limits before handoff

9. Separate performance and technical results

   Give the take two short results instead of one vague good or bad. The director marks performance pass, hold, or retry and names one observable reason. The camera and sound leads mark technical pass, hold, or retry and name focus, framing, exposure, boom, noise, clipping, or another visible or audible issue. A strong performance with a technical fault stays visible to the editor, as does a clean file with the wrong action. Circle a preferred take only after both results are recorded.

   People4: director, camera, sound, logger

   PlaceMonitor and headphones after playback

   Duration2-minute split-result review

   Skill checkedSeparating creative and file quality

10. Name the owner of every exception

    When a take has an unresolved issue, assign one named person and one next check. Examples include sound lead checks the rustle before take 4, camera operator verifies focus at playback, or permission owner confirms the background artwork before import. Do not write crew, later, or fix in post as the owner. Add a due point such as before next take, before leaving the room, or before editor handoff. The logger closes the exception only when that owner reports a specific result.

    People2: named issue owner and logger

    PlaceException column beside the take

    Duration1-minute owner assignment

    Skill checkedMaking follow-up traceable

11. Set the edit destination before wrap

    For each preferred or held take, record where the editor should test it: scene sequence, opening beat, reaction cutaway, dialogue replacement, sound bed, insert, transition, or reference only. Add the intended in and out action when one part of a take is useful. This does not force the edit; it preserves the reason the crew kept the file. The director and editor or media lead agree on the destination label, and the logger ensures the camera and sound filenames remain on the same row.

    People3: director, editor or media lead, logger

    PlaceShot list and future edit sequence

    Duration2-minute destination note

    Skill checkedConnecting capture to editorial purpose

12. Close the log against the actual files

    Before leaving the location, compare the final log rows with the camera card and sound recorder file lists. Count expected picture files, separate sound files, false starts, split clips, MOS takes, and held permission items. Resolve duplicate IDs and blank filenames while the devices and responsible people are present. The media owner signs the handoff location, the logger records the row count, and the editor or receiving owner confirms receipt. Keep original media intact; the log authorizes organization, not deletion, publication, or account access.

    People3: media owner, logger, receiving editor

    PlaceControlled media handoff station

    Duration10-minute file-to-row reconciliation

    Skill checkedClosing a complete take chain