How to make the subject look straight into the cam like news reader?

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payal_choksi

Well-known member
Hi,

i have to shoot a person who wud read looking into the laptop. Now i want him to shoot in such a way that it looks like he's looking into the camera speaking and not reading from the laptop (just like news-readers). Now, even if i keep the laptop near my camera, it feels like the person is reading. i keep my camera lens touching the laptop screen either on the left side or right, but still it feels like he's not looking straight into the camera.

Is there a way, to make it look like he's looking straight into the camera while reading from the laptop?

regards,
 
You could take a wide shot just the way you did, and then take a few sentences learned by heart up close. With the person looking straight into the lens. We've had to improvise like that once before and it worked out quite ok actually.
 
You either need a teleprompter (like the news) or to have the subject memorise their lines and look straight into the camera.

However, I assume this is intended to be a laptop POV shot, that unlike newsreaders you actually want to see the eyes darting left and right. If it is a close up and the camera is right in their face then you will probably see the camera in the reflection of their eyes when you want to see the laptop. My suggestion would be to film central and above the laptop rather than the side so the subject is looking slightly below the camera, or even use the laptop webcam if this is what you are trying to simulate. Unless the subject is intentially breaking the fourth wall and directly addressing the audience then it will look correct and you will see the laptop and screen contents reflected in their eyes for extra authenticity.
 
A Production Company I work with often recently acquired a Teleprompter & everyone whose used the unit is quite fond of it. It's lightweight & compact which makes it great for use on sticks, or especially Steadicam. It's size also makes it easier to align lenses & operate them.

There's an iOS interface so it can be controlled from an iPad. We've it with LWS rods & with an adapter on 19mm rods.

http://www.bodelin.com/proprompter/proprompter-hdi-pro2-lcd

With any Teleprompter you'll need to be aware of the subject reading their lines. A compact Teleprompter helps as the subjects eyes move across the screen less, but with tight shots you may need to pull further away from them.
 
I work frequently with doctors and scientists, who aren't typically known for their screen presence and can usually memorize absolutely everything until a camera is pointed at them.

When necessary/requested/budgeted, I use an iPad teleprompter kit from iKan with Teleprompt+ software.

For those instances where there isn't budget/time/weight/etc allowance (which is most instances), there are simple solutions. You're close... you can use a laptop or printed page, but don't put it to the left or right... put it directly UNDER the lens (as close as physics will allow). News and talk show folks used to and still do this all the time. The smaller the type, the less noticeable their eye-following will be. The closer the camera is placed, the more noticeable the reading will be. Thus, you have to play one vs. the other to keep the eyeline correct and keep the text legible for the talent.

A reality show I worked for recently did Skype "interrotron" interviews with the same setup, the laptop positioned just under the lens, just low enough that the top edge of the monitor didn't intrude on the frame.

Here's a sample (about 1m in) with "cue cards" of simple printed pages taped underneath the lens, all non-pro-media folks:
https://www.jove.com/video/3197/autologous-endothelial-progenitor-cell-seeding-technology

Plenty of other far more professional examples available throughout the World of Media (Letterman, lots and lots of local newscasts, on and on)
 
For years now, in the field we've been using ProPrompter software on an iPad and we mount it above the lens(landscape mode, edge of the iPad touching the top of the lens hood). You need to be seven to 10 feet back, at least, so that it won't look like they are looking off camera. The also make a half mirror set-up(just like a "real" prompter). I have one, but I never use it in the field because it's not really practical(I'm talking about outside).
 
Interrotrons are neat pieces of kit, but there are workarounds (as mentioned above) that get the proper eyeline. The real value of an interrotron is that the interviewer maintains straight eye contact with the interviewee, and the two can feed one anothers' emotions and reactions.

For just reading stuff to a lens, cues just below or just above camera have and are being used by news organizations throughout the world.
 
I found a tutorial online showing people making teleprompters out of two picture frames. I tried one and it work just fine. I even made it able to clamp onto 15mm rods. And it doesn't look too cheap. It was worth the 10 dollars imo.
 
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