You might’ve seen someone clapping a clapperboard on set and thought it looked a bit old-school. But despite all the advances in digital production, the humble clapperboard still plays a valuable role on many shoots. It might not be essential for every video, but when it’s used well, it makes everything smoother—from the shoot itself to the final edit.
For most clients, it’s not something you need to think about—but if you’ve ever wondered what it’s for, this blog is for you.
Why is a clapperboard used?
The clapperboard, also known as a slate, serves a few key functions:
- Audio/video sync: The clap helps match the sound with the video later, so everything lines up properly.
- Scene tracking: Helps identify which scene and take is being filmed—especially useful when shooting out of order.
- Organising rushes (the raw footage files): Editors can sort and search through footage more easily using the slate info.
When it isn’t needed:
- For small, single-camera shoots with built-in audio.
- If you’re recording continuous content in one take.
- When recording screen captures, webinars, or talking heads in controlled environments.
What do the bits on the clapperboard mean?
Each field on a clapperboard has a specific use:
- Production: The name of the film, project or series.
- Director: Who’s in charge of the shoot.
- Camera/Operator: Who’s filming.
- Scene: Corresponds to the script or storyboard.
- Take: The number of times this particular scene has been shot.
- Roll: Which card, tape, or media this footage is stored on.
- Date: The date of the shoot.
- FPS: Frames per second, helping with technical consistency.
- Day/Night, Int/Ext: Whether the scene is indoors/outdoors and shot in day/night.
- MoS / Sync: This indicates whether the shot was filmed with sound (Sync) or without sound (MoS). MoS stands for “Mit Out Sound” (a humorous early filmmaking term for “without sound”). It’s used when you’re filming something with no need for recorded audio—like silent cutaways or b-roll. Marking this clearly helps the editor know not to go hunting for sound that doesn’t exist.
This information is written before each shot, helping everyone stay organised.
What happens if you don’t have one?
In some documentaries or run-and-gun filming, you’ll see crew members clapping their hands in front of the camera. This is a simple way to get a sync point for sound—but it lacks all the useful info a clapperboard provides.
While a hand clap gives you the audio spike, it doesn’t help with sorting footage, noting takes, or knowing what’s being filmed—especially problematic over a multi-day shoot.
Why is the written info just as important as the clap?
The physical clap is essential for syncing audio, especially if it’s recorded separately on a field recorder. But the written information gives editors context—who, what, when—and that’s incredibly useful.
It avoids wasting time opening every clip to find what you’re looking for. Especially on shoots with multiple takes, angles or locations, the clapperboard keeps the workflow tidy.
How does the editor use the information?
All the details written on the clapperboard help the editor make sense of the footage much faster. Here’s how:
- The clap sound and visual snap help match up the sound and video quickly.
- The scene and take numbers make it easy to find the right clip without watching every file.
- Notes from the shoot can show which takes were the best, so the editor knows where to start.
- It saves loads of time, especially when there are lots of clips to go through.
- In short, it helps keep things organised and avoids a lot of guessing later on.
Simple vs Electronic Clapperboards
Clapperboards come in different forms depending on the scale and complexity of the production. At a glance, they all do the same basic job—marking the start of a shot—but there’s a big difference in how they do it.
Simple clapperboards (the kind we typically use at Square Daisy) are dry-wipe boards with space to write in key information by hand—scene, take, roll, date, etc. They’re ideal for smaller-scale productions, interviews, corporate videos, and most branded content. Quick to update and easy to use, they still provide all the essential info for the editor, and the clap itself makes syncing audio simple.
Electronic clapperboards, or timecode slates, are more advanced. They feature a digital display showing a running timecode that matches the audio recording equipment. When the board is clapped shut, the timecode freezes—giving a precise marker that both the camera and sound recorder can lock onto.
These are commonly used on:
- Large-scale film or TV shoots
- Multi-camera productions
- Shoots with big crews and complex setups
- Projects where perfect sync across multiple devices is essential
For most of our work, a simple clapperboard does the job perfectly. But it’s always useful to know when the high-tech version is worth the investment—especially on bigger productions where timecode accuracy and scale make a difference.
Anything else worth knowing?
- You can customise them for branded shoots with your company logo.
- They’re helpful for remote clients, who may not be on set but can track progress via labelled footage.
- They make great behind-the-scenes content—people love to see them in action.
- Summary
Summary
Clapperboards might look like an old-school prop, but they’re still incredibly useful. Whether it’s syncing audio, organising footage, or saving time in the edit, that one clap can make a big difference.
You may never need to worry about them yourself—but knowing how they help keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes.
