How to use SL DigiSlate

SL DIGISLATE

The main display is designed to look like a traditional film slate.

Changing the Roll, Scene, or Take is very easy. Simply touch the numbers in the Roll, Scene, or Take boxes will open the adjustment window.

Pressing the + or – buttons will increment or decrement the numbers above them.

The scene button has additional buttons.

PREFIX will add a letter in front of the scene number. Keep pressing the button to cycle through all the available settings. These prefixes have been used on the film and television productions I’ve been involved with. The prefixes are:

R = Retake
S = Special Effect
FX, V, VFX = Visual Effect
GS = Greenscreen
BS = Bluescreen

If there are any prefixes I’ve missed, please let me know.

The #+ and #- are like the + and – for Roll and Take. These will increment and decrement the scene number.

New in version 1.2 – Added Series label to Take. If you now set the take number to less than 1, the word Series will replace the number. Pressing + will revert Take back to a number again.

The L+ and L- will add a letter after the scene number. As you cycle through the letters you may notice that the letter i and o are skipped over. This is on purpose and done in film production to avoid an issue where the letter i might be mistaken for the number 1, and the letter o is mistaken for the number zero. If you cycle past the letter Z, then letter sequence continues as AA, BB, ect.

NEW in version 2.0 – Added Shot List in the menu.

NEW in version 1.1 – RESET ROLL, RESET SCENE, and RESET TAKE are buttons that will reset the associated number back to 1.

Pressing the menu button will display the menu above.

Slate setup will allow you to enter the rest of the information on the slate.

About this app is just that.

Pressing Exit will close the application down cleanly. All your settings will be retained when you restart the app again.

SL DIGISLATE SETTINGS

This is the settings menu for SL DigiSlate 2.5.

PRODUCTION TITLE – This is where you will enter the name of your movie

DIRECTOR’S NAME – The name of the director.  The name will auto capitalize the first letter of each word for your convenience.

DP/Cameraman’s Name – The name of the person responsible for cinematography.

TIMECODE – The default mode for SL DigiSlate is to display the current time in the timecode window.  The mode will display MODE:Current time.  If you wish to use another timecode setting, simply adjust it using the + and – buttons.  You will see the mode change to MODE:User time.

In order to make things easier, you can press the RESET TIME TO ZERO button to zero out all the timecode numbers.

If you want to return to using the current time, just press the USE CURRENT TIME button.  The  mode with change to MODE:Current time.

TIME CODE DISPLAY FRAME RATE – Select how you would like the timecode windows number to be updated.  This mode is completely functional, but not very practical without some way to sync with the sound guy on set.  If anyone can figure out a workable system, I’ll find a way to implement it.  Perhaps bluetooth syncing…

SET INT/EXT/NITE/MOS – Used to indicate an interior shot (INT), exterior (EXT), night(NITE), or shooting without sound (MOS) as in “Mit Out Sound”

IMPORTANT:  If you set MOS in the Slate setup menu, the clapper will be in the down position.  Touching the timecode area or above will sound off the clack and freeze the timecode.  This mode is made for situations where sync sound is not an issue.

CAMERA SPEEDClick the button to display a list of common film production shooting speeds.  These have nothing to do with the timecode display and instead represent the frame rate of the camera that this slate is identifying.

CAMERA ID or TYPEEnter the name of the shooting unit, ie. ‘C’ camera, or the name of the camera shooting the slate, ie. Red One

RESET ALL DATA will restore the slate to its intial settings, ready for your next production.

NEW in version 2.5 – This button has been moved the the menu.

SL DIGISLATE SHOT LIST

This is the new shot logging feature added to v2.5

The Shot List will record an entry every time the clapper is triggered.  Any information on the slate at that time will be logged in the list.

The list can be scrolled horizontally and vertically to show you the information that is logged.

You can also Long Press on the entry to bring up a shot menu as show below.

EMAIL LIST – Pressing this button will open your email client on your device.  If you don’t have one, a message will be displayed informing you.  You will not be able to use this function without an email client.

An email will be generated using an email address that you entered in DIGISLATE SETTINGS.  The shot list is added to the body of the email, with columns spaced by tabs.  The formatting may need to be adjusted based on your screen size.

Sending or cancelling the email will return you to the shot list screen.

BACKUP and RESTORE – This pressing Backup will save a copy of the current shot list to the external store of your device, such as the SD Card.  Only one copy is stored, so pressing Backup will overwrite any previously saved shot list.

DELETE ALL - This will display a confirmation dialog.  Pressing Yes will erase all the entries in the shot list.

SHOT EDITOR

This is the shot information editor.

APPLY – Pressing apply will write all the information here back to the shot list and return you to the shot list

UNDO CHANGES – This will return all the setting back to the values they held when you first enter this page.

CLEAR FIELDS – This will erase all the information for this shot.  Pressing undo will restore will the information again.

10 comments

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  1. Dan says:

    The timecode stops when the clap sounds. shouldn’t the timecode begin when the clap is heard? – or 5 sec. depending upon the settings.

    Thanks,

    Dan

    1. Stephen Lebed says:

      Hi Dan,

      The slate is designed to work like their real world counterparts in production. Normally the slate is running timecode as it is held in front of the camera. This is used to identify the take for editorial later. The timecode freezes to help synchronize audio which is recorded seperately. Normally the slate is quickly removed from in front of camera so the director can call action. I don’t believe there is any real situation where you would keep the timecode running after the clapper is triggered.

      Hope this answers your question.

      Stephen

  2. Dudley says:

    Stephen

    The “Holy Grail” for all these slate apps is for them to have the ability to sync-up with an external device, either by jam-syncing to incoming timecode, or by outputting it to an external machine, (eg an audio recorder or a video camera).
    Will your app coupled with the appropriate phone, and I appreciate there are many that run on Android, perform this function?

    Regards

    Dudley

    1. Stephen Lebed says:

      Hi Dudley,

      I’m actively trying to add this feature, but its been a real struggle. I may be getting my hands on a TC generator so I’ll be able to test my test. I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to get something working soon.

      Best,
      Stephen

      1. Francisco says:

        There’s an online program that generates timecode via an 24 hour audio file… I’ll try to find it and send to you… The archive is Huuuuuuuuuuuuugeeee after decompressed.

  3. Edwin de Jong says:

    Greetings Stephen & thanks for at least 2 great Apps! DigiSlate and Director’s Viewfinder! Like the gents above, I’m very eager to have timecode output via the headphone jack on my Droid X.

    1. Stephen Lebed says:

      Well I think I have at least three great apps, and one good one :)

      I finally have the equipment to test writing timecode. Its only a matter of time till I have something ready to release.

      1. Matt says:

        Any progress on being able to read timecode??

        Ambient has an app out there for their Lock-It devices that works on the ipod/iphone.

        Some of their timecode generators dont have a display, so that works perfectly in the field and its quick!

        Something along those lines would make this app unbelievable!! Especially for Android where it seems to be lacking in these type of productivity apps.

        Matt

  4. Deb says:

    I work in commercials (script supervisor) and in general use scene numbers that start with 3 digit number. Spot 100, 200, 300, etc. I may be jumping between a few spots per shoot day.

    As it stands, changing the scene number 1 digit at a time just to get to scene 101, would be cumbersome. It would be great to have the option to bring up the keyboard to type the scene number directly. Same with the camera roll info for common slates with more than one camera rolling (room for 2-3 at most).

    Also, if there was a way to have sound jam this app like the Movie*Slate app for iOS, I would jump for joy. :)

    I use these apps to send a timecode feed into my laptop via TCode for script notes. Even without jaming, having a large display to take a quick peek at is great (better than a Script Boy).

    BTW, I’d be using this on a Galaxy Tab. Thanks!

  5. Mark Yasenchak says:

    I’d love to have an option to display an “insert” or ID slate.
    Full white, (or reverse), field w/o timecode – option for leaving set up info displayed or not. (i.e. Title,Dir & Cam & Roll only smaller)

    Just leaving a large area that can have info typed in. Just two or three large type lines. i.e. “exposure test 5.6+”, or “ecu pencil drop”, “Director’s bald spot from crane” or whatever.

    Keep up the good work! Thanks.

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