Gerald is so good at this. I had no idea he was reading a teleprompter. I tried reading alongside *his* script with him and also looking away, trying to act normal. It was hard. I would lose track of my place but I could succeed for a few lines. Practice seems to be the key. A lot of good information is in here. Well worth a look if you're thinking about doing this sort of thing.
How to Read a Teleprompter Without Looking Creepy
- Thread starter Tom Roper
- Start date
It would be fun to make a video, especially if no one I know gets to see it. I have a teleprompter, never used it. I did an interview for a lady who just read from an iPhone running scrolling software app, the phone just under the lens. It's a lot easier to film than it is to read the prompter. We must have done 25 takes before we finally got it. People get tongue twisted even from just reading what they wrote. A channel? For me? No way!! I still enjoyed reading alongside Gerald, and tried to follow his tips for appearing natural, but invariably I would lose my place in the reading. At the speed he goes, you have to be real quick!
ahalpert
Major Contributor
Practice makes perfect, I imagine. I agree that he's one of the most informative and concise camera reviewers on YouTube
I also like Dustin Abbott. His videos and articles are not very flashy or short. He analyzes cameras in a consistent fashion, which makes him very useful for comparing the performance of one camera or lens to another, especially when it comes to autofocus
I also like Dustin Abbott. His videos and articles are not very flashy or short. He analyzes cameras in a consistent fashion, which makes him very useful for comparing the performance of one camera or lens to another, especially when it comes to autofocus
Peter C.
Veteran
I made a few review videos back in the day and discovered the same thing. It's hard and while I could have gotten better with practice I quickly discovered I neither had the chops to be in front of a camera and I didn't enjoy it. There are a number of channels I enjoy watching and even the ones that are doing unscripted streams. It's rather a strange dynamic when you think about it. They are talking to you directly but in reality they're in a room by themselves talking to a camera. To make it feel like they are having a one on one conversation with you is a talent.
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
having built my mirrorbox
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai1-bQuJoGE
I think this (geralds) is a very interesting video.. and it also debunks the concept of you tubers being talent less.. not top DPs maybe but very tlented presenters.
I think presenting as I do above is very useful.. because it equips me to go and direct clients promoting thier business/school/charity.
S
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai1-bQuJoGE
I think this (geralds) is a very interesting video.. and it also debunks the concept of you tubers being talent less.. not top DPs maybe but very tlented presenters.
I think presenting as I do above is very useful.. because it equips me to go and direct clients promoting thier business/school/charity.
S
CharlesPapert
Director of Photography
Impressed with how Gerald is able to work with a fixed-speed scroll and not have to speed up/slow down his delivery accordingly, especially with an iPhone prompter with so few words per line. I built a handheld prompter setup for a TV series a few years ago and went with a voice-activated self scrolling version of prompter software as I felt it would be distracting for the actor having to regulate themselves to a fixed scroll.
On a slightly related note, I did a little shoot at my house a few months back that involved two people speaking to camera for a considerable length of time so suggested we use a prompter. I already had one that uses an iPad for my personal zoom setup, and we configured it as a secondary monitor out of a laptop. No good deed goes unpunished, as I now had to act as prompter operator as well as DP...this was a little confusing because I was contending with the session going long and the sun creeping onto the floor and creating kicks which naturally distracted me from my scrolling duties. It did save the day however! The funny part was remembering that the last time I had operated a prompter for a shoot was somewhere around 1986, with a Cinema Products portable prompter that used a paper scroll (can't even find a picture of it online).
On a slightly related note, I did a little shoot at my house a few months back that involved two people speaking to camera for a considerable length of time so suggested we use a prompter. I already had one that uses an iPad for my personal zoom setup, and we configured it as a secondary monitor out of a laptop. No good deed goes unpunished, as I now had to act as prompter operator as well as DP...this was a little confusing because I was contending with the session going long and the sun creeping onto the floor and creating kicks which naturally distracted me from my scrolling duties. It did save the day however! The funny part was remembering that the last time I had operated a prompter for a shoot was somewhere around 1986, with a Cinema Products portable prompter that used a paper scroll (can't even find a picture of it online).
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
CP - Ive asked this before.. but im after a good scroll software..
-pc.
-a good feel
-ideally a flipped window for a second monitor
(i can flip on some but not all of my monitors and Id like a cheap bigger one sometime)
Feel wise I like (as the operator not talent) it to be running about 10% fast and use a space bar as a brake.
-pc.
-a good feel
-ideally a flipped window for a second monitor
(i can flip on some but not all of my monitors and Id like a cheap bigger one sometime)
Feel wise I like (as the operator not talent) it to be running about 10% fast and use a space bar as a brake.
CharlesPapert
Director of Photography
SMM--I don't really know the good software for conventional prompters--the app I use for the iPhone and iPad-based prompters I own is PromptSmart, which uses a companion app in the Pro version so you can control the speed via swipe on a second iOS device. Despite the video in the top post, I'd still want something controllable if I was making my own videos and I'm pretty sure there are pedal interfaces for the scroll speed on the good software.
For my Zoom setup I have an iPad prompter perched on a box I built to elevate it and house the cable distro to the various components. I'm using my phone as the camera via the excellent Camo app, and Luna Display to extend the desktop to the iPad. After a LOT of testing I found Luna to be the only stable version of this that also includes the critical image flip (maybe someday Duet will include this but not yet).
For my Zoom setup I have an iPad prompter perched on a box I built to elevate it and house the cable distro to the various components. I'm using my phone as the camera via the excellent Camo app, and Luna Display to extend the desktop to the iPad. After a LOT of testing I found Luna to be the only stable version of this that also includes the critical image flip (maybe someday Duet will include this but not yet).
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
So prompt smart has a win version. A good place to look. Thank you.
Personally I think voice rec sounds like a terrible plan (like all AI.. focus, exposure all the rest)
Can you use it with scroll wheel mouse space bar?
Personally I think voice rec sounds like a terrible plan (like all AI.. focus, exposure all the rest)
Can you use it with scroll wheel mouse space bar?
CharlesPapert
Director of Photography
Not sure because I've never used the desktop version--the mobile version is designed to be scrolled via touch.
paulears
Veteran
If you want to really cringe = popular UK news channel GB News has a presenter called Michelle Dewbury. She isn't too bad interviewing, but she cannot read an auto cue hardly at all - it's simply awful to watch. She's not a trained presenter, she was in the TV show The Apprentice - and didn't do too well in it. She has been doing it for ages and gets worse and worse!