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Using Teleprompter/Autocue to camera
Practice using Teleprompter/Autocue free
10 top tips for using Teleprompter/Autocue at a conference or other live event

If you want to try using teleprompter, follow the link below to download a free version of teleprompter software.

By all accounts they made light of it, and amused everyone which is the best way to handle it.

Teleprompter is best used is for large set pieces where the words have been carefully crafted, or where sensitive information needs to be 100%.

Becoming reliant on teleprompter even for short statements can reduce credibilty, and increase the likelihood of gaffes like this occurring more often.

It highlights the need to have a plan B.

In the early days of teleprompt the discs were prone to corruption. I remember opening a conference and the words started to jumble, and slide down the screen like a videogame. Plan B was a paper copy of the script nearby . Out of the corner of my eye I could see the two executives I was about to interview scrabbling under their seats for their notes. Their bullet point answers were also on teleprompt.

That was a technical problem and it rarely, if ever happens these days, short of a power cut!     I did a car launch presentation, and the big moment was the “reveal”, accompanied by swirling dry ice, pounding music and flashing lights ( all this for a Vauxhall Corsa!) . When I came back on the stage to conclude the presentation, power to the teleprompt panels had been cut so the screens were blank. Fortunately I knew the gist of what to say so it wasn’t a problem.

But in a TV studio there’s nothing worse than smugly concluding an interview, turning to camera to move on to the next item and finding a blank screen. That’s why newsreaders always have the paper copy nearby – it’s not just a prop to shuffle during the credits!

Cut and paste doesn’t help either. Scripts can get so mauled by changes, it becomes nonsense ( more so than usual) Even one stray word or missing full stop can make it incomprehensible, so best always to check it on screen if there’s time.

For more see 10 top tips for using teleprompter at a conference

How to rehearse with teleprompt for a conference

Using teleprompter free

Using teleprompter to camera

Let’s be clear – using Autocue with glass panels or monitors doesn’t do away with need for rehearsal and preparation. Teleprompt is like having notes on cards -you just glance occasionally to keep on track. So to be a good presenter, and use it effectively here’s what to do.

Read the script several times out loud – if you’ve written it yourself you’ve got a head start, but reading it aloud shows up the weaknesses, tangled sentences, and frankly even the bits where you bore yourself!

Divide it into sections making sure you know what the point is of each section.

Decide what your attitude is in each paragraph – for example, are you being positive and enthusiastic, critical and full of foreboding, or fairly neutral with non contentious material. You may well find other attitudes depending on the nature of your speech.

This will give variety in the way you present, and break it up in your mind (this incidentally makes it more interesting to present too). Your job is to lead the audience through those breaks, but your changes of pace, body language, tone of voice, facial expression etc. will give a lot of clues.

To make it look good on Teleprompt load the text in (download the free software below  for rehearsal).  With a fairly large font stand back from the screen(s) and see how much of the text you can deliver looking to one side or the other of the screen(s). Just come back to the screen(s) when you need to.

Try to read ahead so you get a good look away from the screen(s)

At first it’s quite hard, but the more familiar you become with it, the easier it gets. Stock phrases or information you know, will be easier to deliver without looking at the screen.

Think of the screen(s) purely as reference notes. If you find you’ve slightly departed from the printed text, see if you can seamlessly get yourself back on track without panicking or stumbling over the words.

If you get a chance to rehearse with full Autocue and two screens, concentrate on talking to the whole auditorium, again just glancing at the panels for reference. This way you will have much more contact when there is an audience there. The same applies if you can freely move about the stage, and monitors are rigged at the side and rear of the auditorium. Many people will not realise you are using any from of prompt at all. Your presentation will be more interesting, have more impact, and make all that rehearsal worthwhile.

See also Using Teleprompter/Autocue to camera
Practice using Teleprompter/Autocue free
10 top tips for using Teleprompter/Autocue at a conference or other live event

Continuing this series of tips about using Autocue or Teleprompter what about a conference, or similar event where there is  an audience?

The difference here is that instead of looking straight in to the camera lens, the script is reflected from floor monitors up on to glass screens placed in front of the speaker.  You will be familiar with those screens (once believed to be bullet proof protection!), and used very skillfully by Tony Blair and Barack Obama.   If you want to get an idea what your speech looks like on a teleprompter screen see Using Teleprompter/Autocue free

The screens are placed either side of the speaker at about a 45 degree angle The reflected script is visible to the speaker, but of course invisible to the audience who are on the other side of the screens.

• The key thing to remember with these screens is to check if they are in the right place for you to see them, but also a good portion of the audience is behind them

• If they are placed so that your eye line is above the audience, this gives the impression you are aloof, and can’t bear to look at your audience

• Alternatively if they are too low you may be speaking to the front rows but ignoring the back.

• If they are too wide apart it could give the appearance you are talking to the walls!

• Ideally they should be placed so that a good proportion of the audience to your left and right are behind the screen. Then when you look at the glass and read the script the impression is given that you are speaking directly to that portion of the audience.

• The exact position of the screens depends on the size of the audience, shape of the auditorium, rake seating, or a stage for the speaker

• Switch betweeen the two screens about every 5 to 10 seconds.

• Remember that you will have a favourite side probably linked to your dominant eye, so try to even things up.

• Have a hard copy of the script nearby in case of problems. I’ve had blank screens, jumbled up words, a virus in the software, and a power failure. Often for big occasions there’s a parallel system running as a back up, but you may not have that, so a good old paper script or bullet points comes in really handy.

• Finally delivering a speech or presentation using Autocue isn’t an excuse to avoid preparation. It’s human nature to think all you have to do is read it, and the audience will get the message. But we’ve all watched dire presentations where someone has gone through the motions, read from the two glass panels and bored everyone. To be successful you need to be so convincing the audience forget the panels are there, and you appear to be talking “off the cuff”

Of course, this presumes you are speaking from a fixed point, such as a lectern. The alternative is to place the monitors on stands at the side of the audience, and perhaps a large one behind the back row. The same principles apply – just watch out though. If you stare at the monitors too intently members of your audience will turn round to see what you are looking at. See How to Rehearse with Teleprompt/Autocue for a Conference

But if you go to www.cueprompter.com you can get something approaching the real thing – for FREE!!

If you have a script you want to practice, copy and paste it into the white box on the page.
Underneath choose BIG for screen size option, BIG for font size, and WHITE text on black background.

Then click START PROMPTER

The screen changes to the look of a teleprompter with a control bar along the top. If you click the FORWARD control the text scrolls upwards. There are different speed settings. I found 3 to be the most realistic.

Step back from the screen about 2 or 3 metres and start reading – this is where the large font comes in. If it’s going too fast or slow adjust the speed.

This is a really good way of practicing using a prompt without the pressure of doing it in public. You can get a feel for the way the words come up, how you need to space the text, where to put emphasis or marks into help, and the importance of decent punctuation

But there are two caveats. On a real teleprompter/autocue, the operator adjusts the speed to your delivery, which means you don’t have to stick to the same tempo. This is a major way of introducing variety and emphasis into a presentation.

Also most professional set ups have a little cursor on the left of the screen to guide your eye to the line you are reading on ( particularly handy if you look away from the autocue then back if you are conducting an interview).

But apart from those points it’s a good alternative, and a great way to find out how it feels, and what your strengths and weaknesses are. If you’ve got a camcorder why not video yourself to keep improving.

STOP PRESS I have discovered an even better prompter, which is a free download for a basic version. It has many good features and once installed doesn’t need internet access. Follow the link below

But this is partly because they’ve never learned to use a prompter properly. In some instances where legal or financial statements have to be 100% accurate to avoid potential confusion or unwanted repercussions, teleprompter is a vital way of guaranteeing this accuracy. But the time to learn is not two minutes before you start filming. Much better to learn the tricks of the trade in a more calm and relaxed atmosphere.

The script or text is shown on a monitor mounted on the camera, beneath the lens It’s in mirror image because it is reflected up to a glass panel in front of the camera lens which flips it the right way round and makes it readable. The text is scrolled bottom to top by an operator on a laptop. There may be a little cursor on the screen, towards top left to give a guide. To see more pictures go to Teleprompter photos

* Remember the speed of the scroll is controlled by the operator, and they will follow you. Don’t try to beat them or worry you’ll run out of words. If you pause, they will pause.
* Ask the operator to set the font size to suit your eyesight. The bigger the font the fewer words on the screen, so the less chance you have of seeing what’s coming up. Too small and you’ll be struggling to read accurately
* Unlike a document you can’t see very far ahead, so do read it the script beforehand and be familiar with it on paper. Of course if you’ve written it yourself so much the better.
* Mark in any changes of thought or topic, so you can navigate your way through the text. Speak to your operator who will type in any words in bold or underscore – whatever you prefer. Don’t ask then to type in too many “stage directions” though. These take time to read, can be distracting,and there’s always the risk you’ll read these out as well. This provides plenty of amusement for everyone else, but your credibility plunges to zero.
* Remember, in looking at the words you are also looking directly into the camera. So smile and speak to the camera as a friend
* Keep your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed. If you lock your head into a rigid position, only your eyes can move to read the text. If the camera is fairly close it’s very obvious you are reading, and it reduces your credibility.
* Let your head move naturally. Study how you speak to people in a normal conversation. Your head is rarely still. In fact it only needs tiny movements laterally and vertically to stop it getting locked into the “stare”

Used properly teleprompter can take away a lot of the strain and stress associated with presenting to camera. Instead of struggling for the right words, you can concentrate on being relaxed and believable. Where legal or financial requirements are paramount, there are no slips of the tongue which can come back to haunt you.

Except the whole thing was fake. The studio anchor had recorded her piece to camera several hours before. There was no link up, and my “report” was tightly scripted and on Autocue.

The news item was being made for a construction consortium to include in their pitch for a stake in the building project.

I filmed one piece to camera showing the positive headlines resulting from their involvement. The second report was a bad news item, reporting on overruns, delays, cost escalation and poor management – to highlight the sort of unflattering reports which would flow if less experienced competitors were used.

It’s a graphic way for one consortium to differentiate itself from the others. Was it successful? Well I’ve worked on similar projects where it’s done the trick. As for this one we won’t find out until later in the new year.

David Riley