Grat’s Film Slate/Clapboard was an iPhone filmmaking utility by Grat Crabtree. Its purpose was to put an editable slate on a device already close at hand. For a small production, a slate’s most valuable job is often simple: make it clear which scene and take a clip belongs to.
Identifying the historical app
A film-production app catalog published in January 2011 lists Grat’s Film Slate/Clapboard, credits Grat Crabtree and marks the entry with an October 2009 version date. Its preserved product description mentions black and white slate styles and fields edited by tapping. The app identity record for Apple ID 336543029 corroborates the name and developer.
That evidence identifies the app behind this original October 31, 2009 URL. It does not justify inventing a complete release history or claiming that every feature of a later edition was present on launch day.
Later features need a date
The preserved developer description for version 2.0, dated February 2017, describes tilt or tap clap controls and a red visual flash accompanying sound. Those are later documented capabilities. They are useful when identifying that edition, but are not presented here as verified features of the original 2009 build.
A simple slate workflow
Before recording, agree on a consistent way to name scenes and takes. Check the slate information each time rather than assuming the previous take number is still correct. Hold the slate where the recording camera can read it, and make a short test clip before relying on a phone screen under bright or reflective lighting.
If separate audio is being recorded, test the complete recording and editing process first. A slate display is an aid to organization; it should not be assumed to provide hardware timecode synchronization merely because it resembles professional equipment. These are general filmmaking checks, not a hands-on test of the old app.
Apple’s U.S. lookup did not return an active listing for this app during the restoration check. Current installation availability and device compatibility are therefore unverified. This page preserves the historical product and original date without presenting a discontinued listing as a current purchase recommendation.