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Adventures in Teleprompting [1 of 2]

Taken on January 25, 2012

My wife is getting into podcasting. Video podcasting. The first thing we learned is that it REALLY helps to have a teleprompter.
By teleprompter we don't mean running a freebie program and putting the laptop right below the camera. That doesn't work as you lose 'eye contact' with your audience whenever you look down to read your script. No, you need an honest to goodness, shoot through the words as they're scrolling teleprompter.
Like the one the Big Zero uses.
Not having my own Congress that can increase my debt ceiling to $16T, I was forced to build mine out of stuff we already had:
- Unused picture frame
- Cardboard
- Tape
- Black plastic garbage bags
- Spare LCD display
My big concern was that I would need a piece of semi-silvered glass to keep the camera in behind from seeing the scrolling text. It turns out that I don't.
I'll hack something more permanent together out of wood next week.
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30801810@N08 2012-01-26

Cool! So what does the image from the LCD reflect off? The black garbage bag? And you can shoot through that?

61180839@N06 2012-01-27

The LCD is reflecting off the glass in the picture frame that is at a 45 degree angle. I need the garbage bags to act as a shroud over the back of the unit. While the camera can't see the light being project on the front of the glass, it does seen the ceiling being reflected nicely off the back, thus the black shroud. Also, the shroud darkens the glass and makes the words easier to read. The unit was impromptu based off these plans:

<a href="http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/22302.html" rel="nofollow">www.creativepro.com/story/feature/22302.html</a>

No idea now the fellow find it usable without a shroud, to be honest.

30801810@N08 2012-01-27

Okay, I get it now. Thanks for the info. In the link the guy says it works great in a dark studio, but in bright locations you need to shroud it.

Well now I know what to do if I ever need a teleprompter. Ha,ha!