KODAK Motion Picture - What to do before you start shooting

Sep 13, 2026

Upload by Dozel

A production-focused checklist outlines essential pre-shoot steps that keep information consistent through postproduction. It guides teams to slate each new film roll by recording camera roll number, production title, date, director, and cinematographer, then capture an aspect ratio target for accurate framing. The workflow continues with shooting a gray card in the primary light source to establish neutral exposure and color balance, including skin tone support. It also details proper slating of scenes, maintaining MOS vs. sync sound notes, completing camera reports, and using filter and projection-safe targets, including guidance for KODAK Gray Card Plus reference values.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPaper Templates

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

What to do before you start shooting

Identify the roll

Shoot the aspect ratio target

Shoot the gray card

Slate your scene

Complete the camera report

Slating best practices

Shooting aspect ratio targets

Using KODAK Gray Card Plus

Documenting your production made easy. What to do before you start shooting Like most things, filmmaking has a distinct process already in place. Following this order of operations will help your production. 1. Identify the roll. The first image of a new roll of film should be the slate. Identify the camera roll \#, production title, date, director, and cinematographer. 2. Shoot the aspect ratio target. For the first roll of a new project, follow the slate with an aspect ratio target. This target communicates to everyone working in postproduction the exact framing of the image. Be sure to include camera information. 3. Shoot the gray card. Follow the aspect ratio target with the gray card. Make certain it is filmed in the primary light source for the scene. It also helps to include skin tones whenever possible. 4. Slate your scene. After the gray card, shoot your slate for the first scene. Include all relevant information. All takes of the same scene must be slated, as well as any new scenes. 5. Complete the camera report. Keep all camera activity recorded on your camera report. Be sure the information on your exposed film label matches the information on the camera report. Stops GC Crossroads Melinda Byers Dave Thompson 7218-225 X 3-18-20 1 1 4 2 555-585-1234 5 Gray Card 107 1 42 26 21 NG 2 43 48 22 Traffic Noise 3 44 72 24 OK 4 45 94 22 Good Gray Card 108 1 132 38 MOS 16 mm 2 168 36 NG-timing 3 207 39 X Gray Card 112 1 46242 35 NG-Camera 2 47276 34 Very Good X Gray Card 118 1 314 38 2 X X X Slating 101 Slating requires diligence and is a very important step of the filmmaking process. Its purpose is to keep a consistent flow of information throughout production. Develop a slating style that works best for you and your editor. Properly slating the roll \# requires active dialogue between the camera assistant and the person slating. Slating the camera roll \# eliminates lost time and confusion in post. If you are using a dryerase slate, it’s a good idea to put unchanging information like the director’s name and production title on white camera tape or printed labels. Scene numbers should be designated by the director’s team during preproduction. The scene \# is essentially a shorthand scene description. Often, scene \#s start with 101. Establishing a repeatable procedure for slating take \#s will prevent confusion on the set. It’s important to note whether a scene is MOS or sync sound. This expedites workflow in post. Noting the camera filter on the slates helps the telecine colorist understand the cinematographer’s intentions for the look of the scene. As a matter of procedure, the gray card is shot without the filter to define a neutral light source. The filter will be placed in front of the lens for filming the scene. Keep it all in perspective. It is recommended that you shoot an aspect ratio target to communicate where your intended frame ends. Both 16 mm and 35 mm cameras display frame lines, but record an image beyond the frame, which can cause confusion in post. The aspect ratio target communicates exactly where the frame ends and helps preserve your composition. S16 mm camera using a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. Here’s what’s recorded: Aspect ratio target If the post facility does not receive an aspect ratio target, personnel will have to guess how you composed the image—and you may be disappointed by their guess. When shooting 35 mm, the aspect ratio target is used to frame the print as it will be projected. The projectionist inserts a hard mask with the correct aspect ratio and then uses the aspect ratio target to adjust the framing of the image. Shoot your target in a controlled environment. The target center should be the same height as the center of the lens. It should also be parallel (flat) to the film plane. If it is angled, it will be difficult to match the frame lines with the ground glass markings. Be sure the target is

FAQs

What information should be recorded when identifying the roll?

The slate for a new roll should include the camera roll number, production title, date, director, and cinematographer.

Why is an aspect ratio target important before shooting?

It communicates the exact framing for postproduction, preventing crews from guessing where the intended frame ends and helping preserve composition.

How does shooting a gray card help postproduction color work?

It provides neutral exposure and color reference from the primary light source, enabling accurate baseline color balance and more reliable color grading in post.

Sep 13, 2026

Upload by Dozel