Did you know that the first teleprompter was made out of a suitcase and butcher paper? Over the years, it’s been adopted by politicians, newscasters, and presenters. Also known as an autocue, cue, or prompter, this invention allows a speaker to maintain eye contact and connect with their audience without missing a word.

History

Live television, with the pressure on actors to memorize lines, was the impetus for the teleprompter. There was a push to find an alternative to clunky cue cards and in 1948, Hubert Schlafly, an electrical engineer and director of television research at 20^th Century Fox, was asked to come up with a system. His response was a motorized belt and pulley system connected to a scroll of butcher paper. Actors’ lines were written in half-inch letters on the paper. Schlafly applied to patent his “television prompting apparatus” the following year, calling it a TelePrompTer. Here are some other milestones:

• First used on December 4, 1950, in the CBS soap The First Hundred Years
• Jess Oppenheimer, the producer of I Love Lucy, took out a patent for the first in-camera teleprompter in 1952
• Politicians were using the technology in the 1952 presidential election

• I Love Lucy used one in 1953, the same year it was adopted for newscasts
• The Compu=Prompt was a computer-based teleprompter invented in 1982

Teleprompter Types

There are two types of teleprompters: podium and camera. A podium teleprompter, also known as a presidential teleprompter, is the kind used in speeches made by—you guessed it—the president! It’s also used by others delivering speeches to a live audience. From the audience, this set-up looks like two clear Plexiglas panels mounted on stands to either side of the speaker. The speaker sees words reflected from a device that sits at the base of each stand. Placed three-to-five feet from the speaker, having prompters on both sides means the person can turn to address the entire audience.

A camera teleprompter is the kind of device used by newscasters and others who are addressing a camera. This kind of teleprompter uses a reflective screen placed in front of the camera lens, as well as a monitor displaying the script. The screen is see-through on one side and reflective on the other. That means the camera operator is looking at the speaker, while the speaker sees a scrolling script. Because this is done as a reflection, the script must be reversed on the monitor so it can be read by the presenter.

When to use a Prompter

When it comes to corporate video, when do you need a teleprompter? We find clients who have long or complex speeches benefit from using a teleprompter. If there are a lot of facts and figures that need to be accurate, it’s helpful to have this information fed to the talent. A prompter is also useful if the speaker is especially nervous or hasn’t had a lot of time to prepare.

There are advantages to using a teleprompter. It helps the person on-camera connect with the audience because they can maintain eye contact instead of looking down at notes. Preparing a script ahead-of-time means others can vet the material for accuracy or legality. A scripted delivery can be written to time, which helps with the overall planning of a video. Generally, a shoot using a teleprompter also goes more quickly.

Teleprompter Tips

If you choose to use a teleprompter, keep in mind that it takes practice to feel comfortable. Don’t get frustrated, especially if it’s your first time. Here are some more tips.

• read over what’s written, so you’re familiar with the material
• adjust any wording to make the delivery sound like something you’d say
• write out all words, including numbers, to avoid mistakes and make reading easier
• speak at your own pace
• use gestures and vary pacing to sound natural and less like you’re reading off a page
• don’t forget to blink
• if you’re a visual learner, go here for a tutorial on how to use a teleprompter

Our Set-up

At Key West Video, we use a laptop, an iPad, and a program called Teleprompt+ for our set-up. It works just like any other camera teleprompter, which is to say great! If you think your video could benefit from the use of a teleprompter, we can provide one on shoot day. It’s just one of the ways we make clients comfortable in front of the camera. Call us today for a free quote on your next video.