$1 Clapboard

If you need a way to know what takes and scenes work when you are editing, you need a clapboard.  A clapboard helps in the editing room a lot by taking time off editing.  Most the time, proffesional clapboards cost in the $100+ range.  This is a simple, cheap, and effective clapboard that can help out a lot with your next production.

Step 1: Materials

What's Needed:
Small Dry-Erase Board ( I got mine at Dollar Tree)
Dry Erase Marker (mine came with the board)
Permanent Marker

Step 2: About the Board

My board was only a dollar, so of course it wasn't going to be of great quality.  But it is of good quality.  It is made of cardboard and has magnetic strips so it can hang in a locker.  It also comes with a dry-erase marker.  But that too, is not of great quality.  So do not keep dry-erase writing on it too long or else it might become permanent.

Step 3: Write

I used an image of a clapboard fom online to know what to write and where to write the words.  I have provided that image for you guys so you don't have to look.  I wrote what it said in permanent marker on the dry-erase board.  I didn't need where it said director (since I am always the director) or where it said camera.  I also didn't need where it said date, but I thought it could be helpful.  For the date I put two slashes with a space in between each one and after the second slash I put "20" since I probably won't be alive, filming and/or using this in 2100+.  This does not apply to you if you live in the 2100s, 2200s, etc.

Step 4: Helpful Advice

If you get a piece of paper and write down which takes worked in which scenes, it can help a lot in post.  You can delete the takes that didn't work on your computer (to save camera battery power on set).

Step 5: That Is It

That is all you need to do.  Let me know what you think of this in the comments.
Please leave a comment.

Comments

[bhayden4]

FYI: a clapboard is designed to make a "clapping" noise so you can sync the video with the audio when recording the two in separate devices. You are lacking the "clap" piece. All you have is a dry erase board.

[Mythbuster Kid]

I understand that now. When I made this I had no idea about that because I only used in camera audio and the reason I made this in the first place was because the camera I was using at the time would always display the first frame of the video. That's why I made this. But in order to compensate for the problem, just clap your hands, or for no money at all you can stand in front of the camera, announce the scene name and take number, then clap your hands. Then step off camera and write that down on a piece of paper. Nowadays I just plug my microphone into my camera. I hope this helps.