ProPrompter HD

I have often looked into buying many of these cheaper prompters since I am on jobs at least a couple times a month where a prompter is called for and I have to hire the service. They cost $500-$650 per day. I figured I could make a lot of money if I had my own...

But the reason I never did was the weak link in the chain is the operator. Perhaps if you have a partner/employee who can know the system real well then it will work. But hiring a PA or someone new, that would be a disaster for me if I was filming someone important. They always want to change the script at the last minute and I can't imagine it looking professional doing it on an iPhone. You'd have to bring a laptop and have a thumb controller for variable speed. The scrolling action is extremely important. I have had clients get angry when the prompter operator was not very good. So this model may be cheap but I would try it out with the assurance you could return it if you don't like it.
 
nedcam said:
I have often looked into buying many of these cheaper prompters since I am on jobs at least a couple times a month where a prompter is called for and I have to hire the service. They cost $500-$650 per day. I figured I could make a lot of money if I had my own...
Click to expand...

I'm in the exact same boat. The teleprompting work I do is simple, but it costs
$600 per day for an operator. The Pro Prompter HD (not the iphone model) looks really good. Simple and portable.

I'd love to know if anyone has purchased this. How well does it work? What's the software like? Are their good variable speed controls? Is the weight of the unit a problem since it's attached directly to the lens with no rods?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Peter
 
I tested the unit yesterday and it seems good... I could stand at least 10-12ft away and could see the text no problems...

The iPhone software is cheap and seems to work well...

The unit clips on the front of the camera and was robust and not heavy...

It's about $1300aus and comes in a pelican style case...

Then you can upgrade and get the LCD Screen and software that you could then run off a laptop...

As I said the software for the iphone is pretty sweet and would be really no issue to update on set...

If the gig's a goer next Thursday I might buy one and see how it goes...


I'll just have to train my CEO I reckon...

Cheers
 
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Let me know how you end up controlling the speed of the scrolling. One of the
major drawbacks of "cheaper" systems is there was no professional control that
the talent could hold in their hand off camera.

Thanks.

Peter
 
Just my .02: I use ProPrompter for iPhone/iPT and it's great. My prompter needs are minimal, and the prompter software is by far one of the better solutions available IMHO.
 
I typically work alone and often have to set up and run the prompter (along with lighting, audio etc etc). I have a Prompter People 15" flat screen that works pretty well. The construction is a little light weight but OK for me. I did notice recently on their website that they have changed their designs. I run it off my laptop and have found that the up/down arrow keys are usually good enough for speed control.

I work for a large utility so my "talent" is almost always employees and, of course not used to being on camera let alone reading off the prompter. Still, after a couple of takes the vast majority take to it fine and word has gotten around how easy it is to use. This adds to the confidence of non pro talent and they are much more relaxed and willing to be on camera. It also helps with their message as they can write and revise it at their convenience and email it right to me. I convert it into prompter friendly files and away we go! No awkward memorization!

I am probably quicker at editing a script than a newbee, but I must say that even a "volunteer" operator can usually figure out how to scroll properly after a few minutes.

Kevin
 
Looks like the gig is on for me on Thursday so will get one and post the results...

Looks like they have an attachment for a pocket PC which could also be interesting...

Cheers
 
Lez said:
Looks like the gig is on for me on Thursday so will get one and post the results...

Looks like they have an attachment for a pocket PC which could also be interesting...

Cheers
Click to expand...


Yeah. I was just looking at the Sony VAIO and wondering how that world work.
 
Hey Mark, can you tell us how the ProMag performs in terms of the distance between it and the talent? Would you say that it reads easily from 12 feet? I'm concerned that a corporate client who needs glasses ends up squinting into the video.

Lez, which model did you end up getting? Please write your feedback after Thursday. Thanks!

Mark Whalen said:
Just my .02: I use ProPrompter for iPhone/iPT and it's great. My prompter needs are minimal, and the prompter software is by far one of the better solutions available IMHO.
Click to expand...
 
Hi.. I got the Pro Mag.. I'm going to try it with the iPhone first up...

There's some sort of doggy plastic lens zoomy kinda thing you can slide in that seems to double the iPhone font size but it looks kinda weird and distorts the text...

I can read the iPhone no issues at 8- 10ft and looks like the CEO I'm doing has glasses so will be interesting if he'll have issues...

One thing I must note - the hood attaches to the camera via step ring and screw to hold it tight...

WELL IT DOES NOT HOLD IT TIGHT... first set up.. put the camera on a table.. accidently slide it back a bit and crash... the thing just slipped off luckily no damage but the iPhone clip and everything smashes into the mirror...

Really it needs to be designed with a bayonet mount so it can't slide off... in the field is going to be tricky...

I think in the long run some sort of pocket PC would be the go but I'm not sure about putting that much stress on the lens...

Cheers
 
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What's your camera? Did you got the appropriate step down ring? I would push back at ProPrompter to see if they can send you another ring in a different size.
 
No the ring fits fine.. using it on the 302 ... I cant see how the little thumb screw could ever hold it on max tight...

Anyhow I'm careful now... so hope it does not come off again...

Cheers
 
Thanks for the update.

I look forward to your next post. Perhaps you could post some footage using the prompter?
I'd love to see something other than the manufacturer's test.

Peter
 
Hi... just an update...

The shoot went well on Thursday... the room we set up in was tiny so that worked to my advantage I thought... Could only really set up so there was a table width between us...

Now I'd obviously pushed for the script to be finalized and sent to me so I could pre load it...
but only got a draft version...

So I got them to email me the script to the iphone...(the text was in the body of the email)... I quickly cut and pasted in the prompter app.. and he had our first crack at it...

The text was badly formatted.. so after a test read we quickly put some spaces through the text in the app.. and punched it out in one take...

Because I was only about 4-5ft away reading the iPhone text was no problem for the CEO... he was even keen to try and edit the text for himself..

Set up was 8am... by the time they stuffed sending the text and me loading the iPhone editing. text etc.. we buttoned on by 8.30.. out the door 8.45am... with the CEO talking up a number of shoots he'd like to do in the new year...

So overall I think a major success... and if I get them to buy the CEO a iPod Touch for christmas.. he could happily set it up himself and practice the speech from the tele-promoter software...

One thing to note... because there is no scroll wheel support the text is at a very constant rate...

Some words stretch over a few lines and this can really hinder the pace... I guess with proper set-up time you could edit the text... so to cure running out of text I made the CEO start the speech very late...

So the idea is you read from the top line as late as possible so you try and see where the next line break is.. in that way it is easy to pace the speech...

Unfortunately in all the mayhem I could not take any stills... but maybe next time...

Also to note.. although I was really close to the presenter you would think he would look like he is reading the text... the best results come from setting up at a distance to reduce the reading effect...

What I noticed that because the iPhone is so small there is no darting of the eyes... the spread of text is contained in quite a small screen compared the the real prompters I guess... so being up close was no issue..



Cheers
 
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Great stuff. Nowhere in the internet can you find some of the details you just posted. Thanks for your time to do this.
 
Thanks from me as well. I'm buying the ProPrompter HD as well. Not the phone model or the HDi. This way I have the option of one intergrated system should I need it. But I'm also getting the ProPrompter iPad Bracket, which I'm working to mount of 15mm rods. ProPrompter actually plans to do this in the future, but I thought I'd give it a try now.
 
This may be of interest: http://exposureroom.com/a41aa9dc7612484286a59a9ca78cea62/

The password is: asinats

Ultra low budget using ProPrompter and a pair of iPhones with me using one to control the speed of the other - the other being gaffa-taped to the top of the lens. The result is not brilliant, but not bad considering that the total prompting outlay was about five quid and the talent had no previous experience in front of a camera.

The biggest problem is that in order for one phone to control the other you need bluetooth enabled - which means that you can't put the phones in flight safe mode - which means every time the phone receives a bolt of energy, you hear it on the soundtrack. This resulted in plenty of retakes and quite a bit of frustration all round.
 
I've upgraded to an iPad now... testing it with a 7d... cheers
 

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Looks like a nice setup. I look forward to your review.

Does the Pro Prompter come with the rods and (blue) base plate? Can you break down the elements in your photos and where you got them?

Thanks.

Peter
 
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