CHAPTER 10. HOW TELEPROMPTERS WORKS.
Ever wondered how an anchor or a news reporter cangive a speech so fluently without any
script. So have they prepared the script and memorisedit or are they such good speakers? No,
they are NOT, So how can they speak by making sucha natural eye contact with the camera
(Hence audience). This is all done by Teleprompter.It is a
device that enables one to display the script on the
camera lens and thus with the help of it the speakeris
able to give such a good speech without looking
anywhere else but directly to the camera.
Teleprompters are used regularly by television reporters,
world leaders and public speakers to give a good speech
without seeing written notes and this creates a strong
rapport with the audience because of the natural eye
contact with them.
A teleprompter consists of a reflective screen fittedin front of a camera lens and a monitor
display placed horizontally under the lens which displaysthe script. The mirror is placed in such
a way that it reflects the script from the monitorplaced underneath. The screen is made of an
optical beam splitter or reflective glass in sucha way that it is
completely transparent on one side and reflectivefrom another side.
It is transparent from the side of the camera lensso that the video is
not affected by the script and it is reflective onthe side of the
presenter so that it reflects the script from themonitor and the
speaker is able to see it and give the speech.
We all know that a mirror inverses the image thatis reflected in the
same way the screen in front of the camera lens alsoinverse the
script reflected, so the script before displayingneeds to be inverse
so that after getting inverse by a mirror it is displayedin a proper
manner.
In most broadcast or production where telepromptersare used, there are crew members who
control the script speed and changing it at the exacttime but humans are prone to causing an
error and it is very difficult to maintain the speedand timing, so now there are paddle remote
available so that speaker can himself control thescript according to his will.
There are different types of teleprompters availablein the market-Camera mounted, floor or
standing and presidential(podium)