What is a Clapperboard?

Many people have asked us why we have Clapperboards available to buy online, and what it is used for. We thought we would investigate and following an extensive discussion with our friend Dan, the Clapperboard man, we thought we would report our findings back to you.

The definition of a clapperboard, according to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, is as follows:

A clapperboard is a device used in the movie industry to synchronize sound and video. A typical clapperboard consists of a board or slate with a hinged piece of wood attached. Details of the shot being filmed are written on the board which is held in front of the camera at the beginning (or sometimes the end) of that shot. These details are also read aloud and then the clapper is literally clapped against the board. The frame at which the clapper closes can then be matched to the corresponding clap on the soundtrack, allowing the sound and picture to be synchronized for editing purposes.  

According to Dan, if you have a video or digital camcorder, the video and sound are recorded at the same time onto the tape or digital memory card. The audio and visual are synchronized as they are recorded at the same time in the same place, so when you play it back you see a definite correlation between lip movement and speech.

Sometimes on the television or at the cinema, it is possible for this synchronisation to fail, causing a mildly disturbing viewing experience. When you make a film, either for television or the cinema, the audio and video are stored separately. The picture is recorded into the camera however the audio is recorded onto either an analog or digital tape device.

When the picture is cut together, you need a way to synchronise the two, so a Clapperboard is used. A Clapperboard is typically a black and white board with a metal hinged clapper at the top. Just before you film the scene, the clapper board is clapped in front of the camera to provide and audio clap and visual closing to allow the shot to be joined together in post production or editing.

The Clapperboard is also used to record the scene number, take number and shot number. This is achieved by writing the information on the clapperboard in chalk so that there is a visual record and reference point. Clever really.... yet so simple!

We stock a film industry Clapperboard and it is available to buy online at bb-shopping.com

http://www.bb-shopping.com/products/Film-Industry-Clapperboard.htm