Video "Teleprompter" / script reading techniques?

[Sam Smith]

Hey,

Sooooo when you make a vid, what strategies do you guys use to read the script.

Best I can think of with my current low-tech set up is a lot of practice runs and maybe blue-tacking pieces of script behind the camera.

I think sitting there with paper notes and looking down every few seconds might not be the best idea!



So... what strategies do you guys use to convert a good message into an outstanding video?

I think this particular area of internet marketing is considerably overlooked. I don't even know of many resources. (StomperVision is one of the only ones, and for me it was dissapointing.)

[Bill Farnham]

Just for grins, check this vid out...

How to Make A Teleprompter | Graspr.com

KJ

[Don Schenk]

If you have more $$$ than you know what to do with :-) This...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...t_15_High.html

(not an affiliate)

:-Don

[Information Publishing]

Myself I tend to just do a quick point sheet of the main benefits of my message for the product or service, then just speak off the cuff about it to the camera, usually 2 - 3 takes. Reading a prompter is okay but you really want to get some emotion behind your message and convey that in the video, if its a topic you know about you won't have a problem going into it, just do a summary sheet to get the meat of the message across.

[Josh Anderson]

If you have an ipod and are just doing head shot close up type stuff you might try the ipod teleprompter:

ProPrompter Wing with Mobile Clip | ProPrompter | Bodelin Technologies

Personally I spent $1000 on a teleprompter and only used it a couple times mostly with clients who did not spend that much time in front of cameras.

For my own content I just get an idea in my head and run with it.

I never write a script unless its for a short 2 min or under promo video. And in that case whether I am shooting myself or using talent we just memorize it.

[Scott Lundergan]

I have the one below that gets used on shoots. It's for Mac and PC and I've taught the software to people in less than 45 seconds, it's that easy.

cheapteleprompter.com teleprompter and software Website

I have it set-up where I don't need to attach it to the camera rig, as I have another dock set-up to just slip the teleprompter onto the camera.

A few tips with teleprompters are to make the font a nice medium size font with the text closer to the middle so the eyes aren't noticeably moving from one side to the other. Also, having a bit of distance between the camera and the person enough to where someone viewing isn't focused on trying to find out if the person is reading from the teleprompter because they can see their eyes close up (in other words, not too close, but not too far away where the reader is squinting).

You're right, it is an overlooked part in many cases and as Josh mentioned..it can seem to be for different styles of presentations. Offline, we use one to deliver language specific content for single person camera delivery, but most of the time when I've been around internet marketers, it's "winged from the hip" while knowing just the bullet points that are going to be covered with the end call-to-action or outcome in mind.