clapper

motion picture equipment

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Last updated

June 24, 2026

Quick Summary

A clapper, also known as a clapboard or clapper board, is a piece of motion picture equipment used to help synchronize sound and picture during filming. It is a slate with information identifying a film take, topped with a hinged arm that claps down to mark the start of a recording. This audible and visual cue is registered on both the picture and sound tracks, aiding editors in matching corresponding sounds and images. A clapper boy is a member of the camera crew responsible for operating the clapper board and holding the slate.123

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motion-picture technology
Double-system recording
…each take with a “clapper,” or “clapstick,” a set of wooden jaws about a foot long, snapped together in the picture field. The instant of clacking then is registered on both picture and sound tracks. Each new take number is identified visually by a number on the clapper board…
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…each take with a “clapper,” or “clapstick,” a set of wooden jaws about a foot long, snapped together in the picture field. The instant of clacking then is registered on both picture and sound tracks. Each new take number is identified visually by a number on the clapper board…
Read More