A decent free countdown clock?

[Bob Cole]

[Walter Biscardi] “but if I did need one, who cares what it looks like? Unless you really want to impress the engineers with a pretty clock. Just curious.”

To impress a client? That’s worth something….

I only use them when asked; I like timecode better. But I have heard that lots of tv station engineers just cue the tape up by eye anyway, in which case a countdown will help them zero in on the proper fade-up. I use a spartan, clean, combo slate/countdown.

As for needing a countdown, I just fixed a spot that had a countdown, and the timecode was obviously random. I suppose some editors just “print to tape” wild (I forget the proper term), and the countdown removes one more detail — timecode — from their world.

Walter, what are your “strict timecode guidelines?”

— BC

[Walter Biscardi]

[Bob Cole] “To impress a client? That’s worth something….”

I guess, but with a countdown?

[Bob Cole] “Walter, what are your “strict timecode guidelines?””

Depends on the network I’m cutting for. But generally their specs are:
00:58:30:00 Black
00:59:00:00 Bars
00:59:30:00 Slate
00:59:50:00 Black
01:00:00:02 Program Start

This negates the need for a countdown clock.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com

“The Rough Cut,” an original short film premiering December 7th in full High Definition in Atlanta.
rsvp@biscardicreative.com to reserve seats.
https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Phil Stone]

Joe try this one it also has a field ident for checking your edit to tape – enjoy

https://homepage.mac.com/philstone/Website/index.html

[Martti Ekstrand]

If you got a BBC microcomputer laying about you could always use the original application for Auntie Beeb’s clock – I’ve nicked it off UK tapes more times than I can remember but that was back in the non-linear days.

https://www.pembers.freeserve.co.uk/Software/VTR-Clock/index.html

Not so helpful I know but at least you got a picture to use as a template

cheers

[Bryce Whiteside]

Tape operators used to “Crash Record” or “Crash into the tape” if timecode or continuous control track wasn’t important.

Now we have the PC term “Print to Tape”.

Inquiring minds…
Bryce

Don’t worry Mr. B. I have a cunning plan…

PowerBook 1.67 Ghz ATI 9700 128 MB 2 GB
Final Cut Pro HD
DVD Studio Pro 3
Motion

[David Rowan]

I’ve seen a lot of countdown slates after all these years in TV, but I’ve never seen one that started all the way back at 30. Are you sure about that? Back when the old Sony 800 U-Matics came out I had to make a “15” to account for the differnce in the way they threaded tape, and thats the longest I’ve seen.

How fancy does it need to be? Just throw down a number with text, blade it at one second intervals and then just change each increment. Probably take you less time than hunting one down and downloading it. Not really re-inventing the wheel.

DWR