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Whether you are an entrepreneur or a blogger, you may have thought of a teleprompter when you record your videos. Teleprompters are useful since you can talk directly to the camera yet stay completely scripted. A worry you may have is that it may look like it was scripted when you shot the video. The issue isn’t with the script but rather with how it is written or may not have been practiced.
Before the advancement of mobile technology, teleprompters were extremely expensive. You had to obtain a special projector to display the text from back to front.
With today’s mobile technology, you could simply procure an app like the teleprompter for video at BIGVU. This app will reverse the script for you. All you need to do is paste in the script and start the scroll. You can even pause and adjust it mid-way. The color and size of the font can all be adjusted.
How does a Traditional Teleprompter Work?
The secret of a teleprompter lies in a unique type of glass. It is known as “beam splitter glass.” It is set up in such a way that you can look directly at the camera and yet have the projector screen reflected in your eye. Your eyes face the camera, with the beam splitter glass positioned at an angle directly in front of the lens.
The projector is positioned below the glass. This glass lets the camera capture your face head-on while also transmitting the images from the projector below to your eye. This way, only you see the words and not the camera. If you use a normal kind of glass, you will see double images. And with the bright lights of a shooting setting, the text will become invisible.
Things to Keep In Mind When Using a Teleprompter
X12 Aluminum Alloy Teleprompter with Remote App Control
Cleaning the Surfaces
The surface of the monitor, both surfaces of the glass, and the lens accumulate a lot of fingerprints. Make sure you clean all the surfaces. All you need is a microfiber cloth to do the job.
Flagging the Teleprompter
You need the teleprompter to be completely flagged. This is due to all of those super reflective glass surfaces on the teleprompter. The rays from any light source can get onto those surfaces and cause a lot of disruptions.
Use a Large Typeface
Make sure that you use a very large font when you set up the script. This will help the subject read the text better. But more crucially, it will allow your subject to keep their eyes stable. If the subject starts scanning the text on the teleprompter, their eyes will keep moving back and forth.
It will become completely obvious that she is reading from a teleprompter. The text needs to be large enough for them to perceive the content as it scrolls up.
Prepping the Script
Before the shoot starts, clean up the script. Whatever you don’t want your subject to say, take it out. It includes the lines of other actors as well. However, make sure that a copy is available to the director so that they can monitor every line being said. It will ensure that no lines are missed.
The teleprompter font is very basic. There will be one font, one size, and one color. Include cues in the script to help the presenter. Quotation marks can be used to symbolize the emphasis of certain important words. On the other hand, Commas will let them know when to take a break from the script.
Developing the Rhythm
When you prepare the script for the teleprompter, read it back and forth as many times as possible. It will make the piece conversational. It will also enable the presenter to become very comfortable with the content and ensure that she understands it completely. It will bring about a flow in the acting.
The coordination between the teleprompter operator and the presenter is an important fundamental. They need to get into synchronicity with each other.
The actor or presenter will have a speed preference and also need to pause from time to time. The teleprompter operator should be able to anticipate these factors. That way, the actor or presenter will not feel unnatural since the text and their thoughts will be coordinated.
These are some of the most important factors to remember when you are using a teleprompter.
