What teleprompter equipment do I use?

When I first started, a teleprompter was mainly studio only. I used my client’s crazy proprietary “remote” teleprompter system that would give a composite video out, but only display to the operator 3 tiny lines of text. So, I learned to be veeeeery focused. As a bonus, if you went backwards, it would crash.

When I got fed up using other people’s gear, I bought my own system. It was an Apple Powerbook 180, running Quickprompt by Marietta Designs. Prompting with a laptop computer? That was high tech! I fed it into a MirrorImage TP-140, a tank of a CRT (cathode ray tube… the non- flat panel monitors) teleprompter that was a very reliable albeit heavy system. It required a Magliner dolly to transport the massive Thermodyne cases and counterweights, but wow, no downtime, ever… definitely the early stages of portable teleprompters. To read more about teleprompter equipment go to www.neiltanner.com

Teleprompting in Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese

It was an example of working together as a team to help the client with something that was quite unique. The client had requestedMandarin, Cantonese, and the ability to handle traditional Chinese characters. I realized that while three of my team had worked in Pinyin and Mandarin in the past, this was beyond us. Following along was one thing, (see the Linguist post) but editing was another. I found a friend of mine, Tiffine, who spoke Mandarin passably while her mother spoke Cantonese and Mandarin languages fluently. Neither had ever teleprompted before, but Tiffine was computer savvy and willing to learn something new with her mom:)

Because of a time overlap, my teammate Ralph Kelliher set up the gear, then I showed up shortly after and relieved him. I trained Tiffine, introduced the native spokeswoman to teleprompting, and then let them take over. The key was to make sure someone was listening for the best take. Once we empowered the client to be the judge, the process was smooth and everyone left happy. To read more about teleprompter go to www.neiltanner.com

Ocean cliffs and our outdoor teleprompter

You’re at the mercy of the weather and geography, and often time hours from any support. Today we shot at Slide Ranch just North of the Golden Gate Bridge for two days, to support a cool Disney endeavor, “Pass the Plate.” Two awesome, professional child actors read from our outdoor teleprompter to share tips on organic, locally grown veggies, honey, and gluten free pizza crust while farmhands tended the bees and local kids milked the goats. To do this properly, we needed to be mobile and have an outdoor teleprompter that was 6 times as bright as standard units. These are expensive and rare in the teleprompter industry but we’ve found it useful to own several. If you’re teleprompting outside without a special highbright(aka daybright) monitor, it’s impossible to read. To read more aboutoutdoor teleprompter go to www.neiltanner.com

How do you go wireless with a Steadicam teleprompter?

This was a fun shoot. The director and agency were from England and kept using the British term for the teleprompter, which is “Autocue.” This was a challenge, not because of the accents:), but because the shoot called for the CEO of Bebo to read the script while walking around their offices and the streets of San Francisco. To read more about Steadicam teleprompter go to www.neiltanner.com

Multiple cameras, one teleprompter

Often times as video crews, we get just one or two takes with a politician or executive because their time is very limited. We’re familiar with the line “Okay that was a great take, now we need to roll back the teleprompter script to the top and do another take in a tight shot. I promise, this is the last one.” If your CEO has a plane to catch, or another business meeting to attend, you can get a pretty bad stare, or a flat out refusal. To read more about teleprompter go to www.neiltanner.com