SOT: Teleprompting Tips?

Yoyodyne wrote on 9/27/2006, 1:23 AM

Traditionaly the prompter is mounted in front of the camera lens. It's basically a piece of glass in front of the lens angled down and a monitor below facing up. The glass reflects the text below on the monitor (the text is reversed on the monitor so it looks right when reflected) so the talent can read it but it is invisible to the camera. This is how you achieve the looking into the lens but actually reading trick.

Kind of like seeing yourself in the shop window but people inside can't see your reflection - they just see you. Same principle.

rs170a wrote on 9/27/2006, 6:48 AM

Pretty much every newscaster (as well as a lot of other on-camera speakers) use a teleprompter. If you're considering renting one for the shoot, get it a couiple of days before so that you become familiar with it's installation/operation as well as how to use the prompter software.
Also, make sure your tripod's head can handle the extra weight. Newer prompters use LCD monitors but can still add 10 or so lb. of extra weight. If your head is only rated for 10 lb. and your camera weighs 6 lb. you're going to overload it.

Mike

winrockpost wrote on 9/27/2006, 12:17 PM

no comparison cue cards to prompter,
but as rs170a said ....If you're considering renting one for the shoot, get it a couiple of days before so that you become familiar with it's installation/operation as well as how to use the prompter software..........
words of wisdom for sure.

Stuart Robinson wrote on 9/27/2006, 1:01 PM

A little more off-topic, does anyone know of any teleprompting emulation software for a PC? I work with new talents who could gain from some practice, before getting in front of a camera.

p@mast3rs wrote on 9/27/2006, 1:59 PM

We EZPrompter in our schools studio. Not sure what the url is off hand but that should be a start.

rs170a wrote on 9/27/2006, 3:13 PM

...any teleprompting emulation software for a PC?

Unfortunately (as far as I know) it's all $$ software :-(
Having said that, here are a few "substitutions" from the archives of various video newsgroups.
1. The old fashioned way is a Sharpie and several pieces of bristle board (2' x
3' - $1 ea.).
2. Put a computer monitor next to the lens, load up MS Word on a laptop, set the script to a large font, and step through it. A mouse with a scroll wheel really help[s here.
3. Print the script out on 8.5x11 paper in large type (using MS PowerPoint) and have a "cue-card person" hold up the "cards" just below the lens. Or taped up at various places around the set, etc.
4. Write it in big block letters on continuous feed computer paper. Scotch tape it to a paper tube - - the kind Christmas wrap comes on.
Then rig a Lowell light stand with a 90 degree stud at just-under-the-lens height,
and place it just to one side and in front of the camera. Put one end of the paper tube on the stud, and hold the other one. Turn it slowly as the talent reads, winding it up as he/she progresses.

Mike

p@mast3rs wrote on 9/27/2006, 5:29 PM

You can use Power Point and use a bigger font but you'll need someone to click the mouse to change screens for each line change. Believe it or not, thats what we did for the first few weeks of school. We just used a black background with white fonts. Not perfect or pretty but effective.

Coursedesign wrote on 9/27/2006, 7:06 PM

PC teleprompter software is still pricey, but if you have access to a Mac (with OS X) somewhere, get Next Force Presentation Prompter.

You can download a tryout version to see if you like it, but at $65 it is the equivalent of PC software costing $200-$300.

Also don't forget Serious Magic Visual Communicator, even their least expensive version ($164.95 this month) does a lot of work for you, in addition to "teleprompting."

epirb wrote on 9/28/2006, 4:27 AM

I built a cheap telepromter using a cardboard box painted flat black inside and out. Then took a piece of lexan cut it to slightly smaller than the inside dimension. Cut a slot in the top of the box towards the forward edge so that the lexan slid in at approx 45 angle.
cut an opening it the back for the lens, just draped a blck towel over the back between the cam and the box to keep light out.
then used my laptopto slide in the bottom. for software?....Used Vegas- title scroll- inverted it. that way I could adjust the speed w/ vel envelope for my read speed.
the whole thing sat on a small table or stand in front of the camera on a tri.
Little clunky , not super portasble but for in studio worked great.

Chanimal wrote on 9/28/2006, 6:29 AM

I have been filming a set of 15-25 minute training videos for 3M and had the same questions. I looked at renting a teleprompter machine, but it came with a camera and an operator at $500+ per day--so that was out.

I found a location on the net where a person had built their own teleprompter. Pretty slick: http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/22302.html

The only thing is that I wanted to look more professional and a home spun option was as bad as dragging in my Home Depot 1,000 watt shop lights (where I had removed the grill so there wouldn't be lines)--ended up buying my first light kit.

However, I still needed the software. PowerPoint was too clunky and there was a break between pages, I had 8 pages of text per session so it was a lot of content to import section at a time. I have been using PowerPoint while recording one of my peers for 3 days for a DVD to accompany a software marketing book, but he only needed the PowerPoint as a clue, he did not read every word.

Even still, while filming him I came up with a great way to view the text. I put my laptop on a ladder to the side of the camera lense. It worked well since he only had to glance at it occassionally. Since doing the 3M filming (still have two more product trainings to shoot), I found a better approach. I got a very solid music stand (this one: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/OnStage-Stands-Conductor-Stand?sku=450253) that used knob screws (not the sliding presure kind) for the height and the angle. I started with my laptop on this stand (very secure). I tried it on the side, but the talent recommended I put it directly below the camera lense--and my stand was versitile enough to work.

However, I found I needed my laptop next to me when filming so I could modify the speed (faster or slower) on the fly. So, I had an extra and small 14" LCD screen that I have replaced with a 19 and later with two 20" screens just sitting around. So, I put this monitor (can't be more than 100 bucks if you had to buy one of these smaller 14-15" types now) on the stand, connected to my laptop that was in front of me. I was in a longer room so I was able to get about 15' away from the talent (and she was still able to read the screen). You could not tell at all that she was reading--especially since she read when the text hit the top half of the screen.

As you can tell, I also had to get some teleprompter software. It ranged from $149 all the way up to $700. Unfortunaly, the cheaper software didn't go full screen (640 x 480 only). I looked at EX-Reader Teleprompter, PromptPCLite, etc. I also found other apps, but their demo wouldn't install. Plus, one had a high price and didn't send the key out right away so I couldn't get it at night (my shoot was in the morning).

And then I found this gem: FREE software from Siris Media. They make a hardware teleprompter that is pretty high end and they have software that is used for it. I almost left the site until I noticed that the software had a download button. I downloaded it, it worked great (simple, but great) and it did not time out (at least not so far), nor is there any indication it will. It did have a few quarks. I couldn't load all pages of text into it (I could but it would stop at around page 5). No problem, I divided my script into 3-4 page chunks (based on scene changes), saved each out as a text file and it worked!

The interface allows me to press the up and down arrow at any time to speed it up or slow it down. The only thing unusual is that the ESC key exits the program, when you would think it would exit out of the show mode. Then you have to re-load the text file. So long as you don't touch this key, it works fantastic!

It is found at http://www.sirismedia.com/products/teleprompter/

I hope this helps.

Coursedesign wrote on 9/28/2006, 8:42 AM

That creativepro homebuilt teleprompter was pretty cool...

I bought a teleprompter from PrompterPeople after checking out every company I could find at NAB and on Google. Many of the low end prompters have undesirable features (either the products or the companies), but PrompterPeople have been great. $899 and up, or even less at NAB, DV Expo, and other tradeshows.

Their prompters are even used at the White House.

(Glad to see there is at least one cheapskate there who respects the taxpayers' hard work to bring in the money. :O)

Dan Sherman wrote on 9/28/2006, 9:20 AM

Course,
You get the 9 " or 11" from Prompter People?

Coursedesign wrote on 9/28/2006, 9:46 AM

I got the Broadcast 17".

I wanted the size to be able to use a longer lens from farther away when desired, and portability wasn't high on my list since the rest of my setup isn't that portable anyway, strictly for studio use.

Still, even the 17" prompter comes apart nicely into a padded softcase about the size of a light kit.