Aliens

It apparently took James Cameron just 4 days to write the initial draft for “Alien 2” and after the huge success of The Terminator in 1984 Fox were keen to have a sequel to Ridley Scott’s classic made. Inspired by the events of Vietnam, (technologically advanced, highly trained soldiers left out of their depth by the unfamiliar terrain and conditions), the second movie of the franchise was action driven rather than creepy suspense of its predecessor. It was wildly successful and still enjoys a fervent following.

One of the basic and best known tools of filmmaking and also one of its iconic symbols is the clapperboard or slate. This is the instrument that allows the editor to exactly sync the sound and image together. The board also carries vital information like the scene number, the take, film stock, unit, date and camera designation/angle (important when a scene is filmed from multiple angles at the same time, commonplace on action movies). The information is written on the board by the clapper loader under the ultimate supervision of the script supervisor. The board also has the name of the production, the director and the director of photography.

Older clapperboards, like this one from Aliens, tend to be simple chalk boards that are easily wiped and reused. It is extremely rare to find them with any shooting information remaining. Newer boards tend to be made from white acrylic which are much easier to see in weaker lighting. It is much more common to find these with their last scene numbers on it as they are produced in multiples and often given away after filming. Modern productions also use digital boards which help when computer effects are being used. The familiar diagonal stripes on the top make it easier for the editor to see the precise moment of impact should the lighting or background make it difficult. Slates come in a variety of sizes depending on their use. Much smaller ones for closer insert shots or miniature work and oversized ones where the clapper is initially filmed from a distance. They have always been very popular with collectors.