The slate will contain valuable information regarding the filming footage. Information such as the name of the production and the director will stay the same throughout the course of filming. The slate will also contain the date the footage was taken, as well as the cameraman's name. Dynamic information is also included on the slate including the scene number, take number and the roll of film used. Additionally, there is a box marked "sound," which will be checked depending if the scene contains dialogue or background noise or not. This box will usually be left empty if it is merely an insert shot, a close-up of an on-screen item or actor that will be mixed in with the broader coverage. Higher-end electronic clapboards are often used on films with higher production value -- these frequently include a digital clock that times each take.
Before the cameras actually start rolling, a production assistant (PA) will enter the pertinent information to the scene onto the slate. She will note the scene being filmed and change the take number each time another take is filmed. She will place the production slate in front of the camera before each take so that the take will have a tag before it for organizational purposes. A script supervisor will catalog the scene and take information as well as any notes about the scene so that these notes can be matched to the actual film during postproduction. On a multiple-camera set, there will be a different production slate used in front of each camera, and each slate will be labeled to match the respective camera.
Once production, or principle filming, is completed it is then necessary for the director and editors to collaborate and edit all of the footage together to create the finished film. During this process, they will consult the script supervisor's notes and use that valuable information from the production slate to organize their footage. They can piece together multiple perspectives, or coverage, in a methodical manner by identifying footage from a particular camera or take.
The term "slating" is often used by casting agents, actors and talent scouts. Slating refers to the process an actor uses to identify himself before giving his taped audition for a particular role. During the process of slating, the actor will look directly at the camera and say his agent's name, his name and the part for which he is auditioning. This is used to help the casting department organize the footage from their auditions.