Are white clapperboards just as good as black ones, when it comes to being recorded by a camcorder....and...?

Question

which one of these would you recommend?:

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/items/?_nkw=clapper+board&_fromfsb=0&_trksid=m270.l1313

Answer 1

There are two main reasons for the "clapper board" - also called a "slate"...

1) To identify the scene and take being shot.

2) To synchronize the audio - slates were originally used for film cameras for that "snap". Film cameras don't record audio, so the off-board audio recorder needed some sort of louder audio because you can see the audio wave form with the editing tools. Align the clap/snap from the slate with the image of the snap happening and you are in sync.

It technically does not make a difference what color it is - just so the information is legible during editing so the editor knows which scene to keep and which to cut.

I like the acrylic ones... be sure you use pens whose "ink" will wipe off...

Answer 2

Yes white boards are just as good as the traditional black ones.

The clapperboard is a marking and syncing device.  It helps identify key elements of a visual recording as well as provide an audio marker (the clap) to help sync separate audio recordings later in editing.

It does not matter if the board is white, black, red, green, or whatever.  Black was the traditional color because the first boards were made of a slate material similar to chalkboards.  Clapperboards are now being made in white for digital video cameras.  The clean back of the "slate" is used for white balancing.

The recorded image of the clapperboard is normally the first frames on cellulose and digital film.  This helps organize video stock and aids in many other areas of filmmaking.  If a filmmakers needs to know where or how a certain shot was made, they can read the clapperboard information in the initial frames of the segment and know the basic information on how to reproduce that shot.  Editors can identify which "take" they are viewing as well as how it was recorded.  This is most handy for applying color correction and other necessary adjustments to match the look and feel of two or more segments from different lighting situations and different cameras which makes the entire movie seem as if it was recorded with one camera.

Answer 3

A clapperboard just needs to be seen by the assistant editor and the editor clearly that's all. After all, its use is to ensure that the picture is synchronous with the audio recording (which in feature film production is recorded separately). The point at which the "clapstick" comes down is where it is synched with the sound of the clap.

The clapperboard is, of course, required to record scene/shot/take info as well - and that's why it needs to be clear.

Black boards usually are chalk-written, whereas white ones can be used with erasible marker pens.