Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Question Posted 06/10/2026

I want to use MovieSlate just to generate a flash and an audible pop for syncing audio that's recorded separately from the video. How do I configure it for a simple, non-logging slate?

MovieSlate can act as a simple sync slate that produces a visual flash and an audible beep without keeping a shot log. Configure it as follows:

1. Turn off logging

Tap Settings > Shot Log History and turn off the Save History setting. MovieSlate will then act as a tap-to-slate tool without recording takes.

2. Choose your visual flash

Tap Settings > Appearance and scroll to the Flash/Chart section. Choose a Flash Graphic — this can be a specific solid color, or one of the bar or focus charts, which will be displayed as the flash. The default Flash Duration is 1s; tap the clock widget to set your own duration in seconds or frames.

3. Set the audible pop and timecode freeze

Tap Settings > Behavior. In the Slate Behavior section, the default behavior freezes the timecode display for 2s after the clap — you can set a custom freeze duration or disable it entirely. In the Slate Sounds section, tap Clapper Sound to choose the sound or tone that acts as your audible sync pop.

4. Adjust the pre-roll (or fire instantly)

Still under Settings > Behavior, find the Pre-Roll section. By default MovieSlate plays 3 Pre-Roll Beeps at one-second intervals; tap the count to select anywhere from 0 to 9 pre-roll beeps. To have the slate fire immediately when you tap the clapper sticks on screen, change the Delay/Pre-Roll timer (the default is a 3-second pre-roll).
There are many more options for customizing slate behavior, such as auto-incrementing the TAKE field. You can read about all of them in the User Guide — tap the Help tab, open the User Guide, and see the Settings section.

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