Hilitchi Acrylic Plastic Slate 25x30cm/10x12" Dry Erase Director's Film Clapboard Cut Action Scene Clapper Board Slate with Color Sticks

The film slate came in a cardboard package with two sheets of styrofoam. The corner of the box was missing but the slate was intact and not damaged. There was a card inside that stated only to use the included markers. My purchase said nothing about included markers when I ordered. I only expected the slate and that’s what I received. The 3 nuts holding the clapper to the board were loose so I took the time to take them off and add lock tight blue and reinstall. It also allowed me to adjust the clapper to my desired level of tension. Next, I washed the board on both sides with warm warm and Dawn dishwashing liquid to remove any oil and residue that could affect the dry erase markers releasing from the board and causing stains. I tested each side of the board to see how well it erased. I used an Expo marker and JOT brand (DollarTree). I left each on for 8 hours and 39 minutes. I wet a damp microfiber towel and wiped each off. Neither marker on either side left any residue on the board. I was worried about ordering for the cheap price with all the comments and photos showing residue left on the board, I’m glad now I took a chance with it. One key my be to wash it first with a good decreasing dishwashing detergent and drying it well. I am very please with the quality of the board and my son and I are enjoying it. So far I can recommend it for value and price. You will almost definitely have to tighten the nuts but it will allow,you the opportunity to put some thread sealant of your choice on and get the clapper tension you desire. A side note: Whiteboards that do have stains are easily removed with car wax. The petroleum distillates in the wax will easily remove the dry erase ink left behind while not damaging the print.

The screws holding the top started coming out as soon as I began using it, and with the no glue on site to hold them in, it was hard to use more than a couple times. If you buy, glue the screws on before using.

If you've used one plastic slate, you've used them all. They all instantly crack and are ruined when stepped on, they all have magnets to assist the click and to keep the bar under control, and they all get too dirty to use eventually, no matter how diligent you are with cleaning and using paper/gaffer tape to write on, etc. I've seen PERFECTLY COMPARABLE, exact-same-functionality slates priced as high as a hundred bucks. That's just crazy talk.

I’m a current film student so my husband purchased one of these for me through Amazon for one of my short film projects. Overall, this is a good product. The information that I can fill in on it is great. It’s sturdy for the most part but after a little use it’s a bit wobbly where the screws are. The main issue I have with this slate is that no matter what dry erase or wet erase markers I use, it’s basically impossible to remove. So while everything else is good, I can’t remove the writing. I’ve used several different products and some work to an extent but there is still a visible amount of writing left. If the marker is left on for more than 30 seconds, you’re going to have a problem. Realistically, every shot you take lasts longer than 30 seconds so while you’re preoccupied with shooting or whatever the ink is drying and becoming permanent for some reason. Not only is it a pain in the butt but it’s sloppy and I have had to turn in my shots for my assignments with smeared, confusing slate writing. If this issue was fixed then this product would be well worth it. Also if you use this product just for yourself then I’m sure it can be overlooked to an extent but in all honesty it may confuse your information and add frustration to production.

If you’re buying this as a prop, it’s perfect. If you really do need a clapboard for documenting details about video footage, you need to know that it doesn’t hold up well with repeated use. The black lines and words eventually rub off after a few months of erasing your marks. A screw worked itself out of the clapper assembly. It’s not really designed to hold up for real studio work. I run a high school television studio, and the kids loved having a clapboard. Having a documenting system for each run of film is invaluable, but this item is probably designed to be a prop, not a “real” working clapboard.