Learn how a teleprompter works and how it can help you deliver effective speeches in front of an audience. The autocue or teleprompter gives you freedom from flipping through cue cards or rustling papers.
Teleprompters are helpful for speeches
A teleprompter is a piece of equipment used to display text in front of a video camera. It allows a person to look directly into the camera while still being able to read bullet points or a script. Camera teleprompters are normally used in newsrooms, studios, and other settings where a presenter has to talk for hours without looking away from the camera.
This system has four major parts: hood, monitor, support, and glass.
A teleprompter is a device that displays any kind of text for a performer or speaker.
The teleprompter displays words in front of the camera or in front of the audience, so it looks like the person speaking has memorized what they are going to say or are talking without any script whatsoever. The words are hidden from the audience to maintain a professional image. Because of where the teleprompter is located, the speaker directly looks into the camera or at the viewers, making them look natural and focused to their audience.
The central piece of the teleprompter is a sheet of beam splitter glass which is angled in the teleprompter and then enclosed by dark fabric or plastic hood to essentially darken the glass and create a reflective surface for the script. Since texts are mirrored from the original screen, the script has to be reversed so the presenter is not staring at a jumbled mess of backwards words and letters. A laptop is connected to the monitor and controlled by a teleprompter operator who scrolls through the lines at a proper pace for the presenter.
Also, because the reflection is on the front of the glass, it will not show through to the camera. Thus, filming is made easier. It is pretty much like how the sun reflects off the front of a window in your home, but you do not see the same reflection from the inside. This is how the speaker is able to speak straight to the camera while reading straight off the script.
Teleprompters are very useful devices, but they can vary in quality
There are a variety of teleprompters for sale or for rent… from cheap AI controlled iPads, to systems costing $20,000 or more.
If you are tired of flipping through cue cards or rustling papers in hurried desperation just to get to the following page, a teleprompter might be your best solution. It will help you maintain a confident and professional appearance, providing your lines in just the right spot.
Teleprompters can either be arranged to sit on either side of a lectern or pulpit or right in front of a camera, depending on the situation. Either way, these devices help to remove the inconveniences of their paper alternatives. Ask about how a teleprompter —purchased or rented—can make all the difference in your next event.