The Importance of Using A Teleprompter

When you’re making a video (especially one of your own) your first thought is probably: “Piece of cake. I’ve got the cameras, the lights, the studio, I wrote and memorized the script, I’ve got everything covered!”

Incorrect translation: “You don’t need a teleprompter.”

Well, that is not the case….I know this from experience.

Nick Pupo and I are producing a new company Vlog: The News of the OC.  We wanted to deliver the news and going-ons of Odyssey Creative and deliver them reporter-style to the camera. We worked hard on our scripts, and even memorized them. We knew EXACTLY what we wanted to say, so how hard could it be? We’re professionals, right?

Nerves kick in, you forget your words, your pace is uneven, you have uncontrollable laughter… The world ends! Well, ok not really. But it feels like it does.

So, we scratched the Day 1 footage, and decided to try it again WITH a teleprompter.

“Yessssss!”

A teleprompter is seriously one of the most valuable pieces of equipment to have on set, it literally saved the project. We were dead in the water without it, but once we set it up it just took a few tries to get it right. Then, we were pros again!

Don’t just take my word for it, check out the teleprompter facts:

     – Once you’ve done a test read on camera, the teleprompter operator can easily edit any parts of your script that don’t sound quite right when read aloud.

     – Your operator can set the pace easily, even slowing down or speeding up in real time while you’re rolling, adjusting to your individual pace.

     – And best of all, you DON’T have to memorize!

Don’t need a verbatim script? Try using a teleprompter with bullet points so you can go off the cuff without missing key messages or losing your place.

There’s a reason even the most seasoned reporters of our time use them EVERYDAY…it works!

“I don’t memorize. Period.”

So the moral of the story is: when you need to deliver a consistent script on camera, always add a teleprompter to your production package. You will be so happy you did!

-Nikki