Setup for walking with teleprompter

[bricksnmortar]

Hi All,

I need to shoot a host walking and speaking to camera while reading a teleprompter (but not looking like they are). I think that means I need to get some distance between cam and talent which also helps keep perspective of face a bit more flat. Will put a lav on talent with small recorder attached on their belt, so sound is all separate and self contained. And it would also be good if I don't look like I'm filming something big eg wearing any form of harness or big arm. And cant use a dolly.

So what gear are people using if they need to do this?

I was thinking I might use

- Lighter autofocus vid cam with face tracking like Sony a6500

- ipad teleprompter and beam splitter glass

- Manfrotto fig rig 595b because I guess this will be a bit heavy for an active or passive gimbal.

What do you guys think I should be using? Would above work and any suggestions for other types of kit or specific models?

thanks in advance.

 

[Sean Nelson]

I need to shoot a host walking and speaking to camera while reading a teleprompter (but not looking like they are). I think that means I need to get some distance between cam and talent which also helps keep perspective of face a bit more flat. Will put a lav on talent with small recorder attached on their belt, so sound is all separate and self contained. And it would also be good if I don't look like I'm filming something big eg wearing any form of harness or big arm. And cant use a dolly.

You're right that if you get close to the subject his larger eye movements will make it a lot more obvious that he's reading. Unfortunately, the longer lens you'll need to compensate for the distance makes stabilization more difficult. Without some of the more heavy duty equipment you've ruled out I'm not sure what you can do to make it work.
Yeah, so not helpful I guess. But I'll be interested to see what suggestions come out of it.

 

[bricksnmortar]

when you say heavy duty equipment do you only mean a gimbal?

I guess I'm happy to do that if needed even though it looks quite pro when I'm trying to not draw attention to myself.

 

[Sean Nelson]

when you say heavy duty equipment do you only mean a gimbal?

I'm thinking of your comment about a "harness or big arm". For a longer lens I'm thinking you'd need something better than a consumer-grade motorized gimbal. And to be honest with you I have no experience with full sized Steadicam rigs and I don't know if they'd be up to the task either.

But this isn't something I've ever tried to do myself. Perhaps someone with actual experience can give you a more informed opinion. My guess is that the "walking down the hall while talking" scenes you've seen have been by actors who have memorized the lines rather than trying to read a teleprompter - but I'm prepared to be surprised.

 

[Off The Mark]

Maybe you just need to think small instead of think big.

You can use a teleprompter app on a phone (without beam splitter glass physical teleprompter box), and put it in the hotshoe of the camera.

And that MIGHT be good enough where the eyes of the talent are looking close enough to the center of the lens so that it doesn't look like they are wandering off.

If you are going to use a teleprompter box, how are you going to monitor what you are recording? the cloth on the back of the teleprompter box has to fit well otherwise reflections from behind the camera can show up in the glass. Guess you can add a monitor if you want, but then have to figure out how to mount it. And it is a whole special skill you will need to develop to be able to keep the camera on subject while looking at an off-axis monitor (some people find it easy to do, for me it is a total challenge).

 

[robertfel]

I would do a modified version of this shoulder rig.

 

[bricksnmortar]

ok so this will need some testing. I'll need to get a cheap android phone with a decent size screen and mount it as close as I can to the camera and see how far away the talent can still read it.

I guess I better do a search for mounting phone onto hotshoe and see which option is close. This would also mean I can keep it a bit lighter and wouldn't be a front heavy.

If I can still tell they are reading something off lens centre then I'll have to buy a beam splitter setup. Maybe I start that with a phone splitter and mount that on the lens as test number 2.

 

[bricksnmortar]

Maybe you just need to think small instead of think big.

You can use a teleprompter app on a phone (without beam splitter glass physical teleprompter box), and put it in the hotshoe of the camera.

And that MIGHT be good enough where the eyes of the talent are looking close enough to the center of the lens so that it doesn't look like they are wandering off.

If you are going to use a teleprompter box, how are you going to monitor what you are recording? the cloth on the back of the teleprompter box has to fit well otherwise reflections from behind the camera can show up in the glass. Guess you can add a monitor if you want, but then have to figure out how to mount it. And it is a whole special skill you will need to develop to be able to keep the camera on subject while looking at an off-axis monitor (some people find it easy to do, for me it is a total challenge).

Am assuming I can find a beam splitter with a ring for the lens size I'd use and it just mounts to that. Will have to buy one to research I guess like

Padcaster Parrot Teleprompter Kit

The best teleprompter for smartphones is the Parrot Portable Teleprompter Kit from Padcaster. Only $99

padcaster.com

Ipad would be a fair bit heavier and might not be as happy on a light camera.

This way I guess I would just use the rear screen as a monitor because I want to avoid that weight.

 

[rmexpress22]

Have you considered analog? Someone holding a poster board with writing in big letters.

 

[Boomanbb]

Your assistant moves/dollys the teleprompter, otherwise they memorize what to say and you do it in several takes.

 

[bricksnmortar]

Your assistant moves/dollys the teleprompter, otherwise they memorize what to say and you do it in several takes.

Hi Boom, what do you mean moves the teleprompter?

 

[Boomanbb]

Your assistant moves/dollys the teleprompter, otherwise they memorize what to say and you do it in several takes.

Hi Boom, what do you mean moves the teleprompter?

Unless you are operating off of sticks, you shouldn’t be holding the teleprompter at all. Have an assistant take care of that, either on a dolly or some kind of monopod device. Otherwise the talent should learn their lines.

 

[LingoDingo]

For corporate videos I use a 17 inch teleprompter because many people can't read text on a smaller screen when standing 6+ feet away. ( text is broken into small single paragraphs, with a fairly large font for display )

Using something like an iPad would require your on camera person to have VERY good eyesight, especially if the whole set-up is moving around.

 

[bricksnmortar]

thanks for input guys. I've got a 16-70mm lens (24-105 equiv) on the a6500, have a teleprompter and ipad and will go do a shoot with it. I've tried the camera on the manfrotto figrig and its not great. Will have to look at a gimbal if I do the moving shooting that I want.

So for now I'll get the video workflow sorted first and shoot only on a tripod. Get the talent used to using the teleprompter before I start to complicate things with movement.

 

[uncle dunc]

If you're in good light, I'd use a Samsung phone on a gimbal, shooting in 4k so you can zoom in during editing. Samsung uses dual pixel AF, so no worries about that, and the phone/gimbal combination is light and easy to handle.

Ideally, the talent would be familiar enough with the material to not need to read it verbatim. As a musician performing live, all I need is the first few words of a verse and the rest comes automatically. With this approach, you could hang an ipad around your neck and use a lyric display program to slowly scroll through the material, displaying the first few words of each sentence or section. You'd have to work out the timing with the talent - or you could swipe your way through the program, but swiping on an ipad is not necessarily reliable, especially if you can't see the screen to verify the swipe actually took. A workaround for the unreliable swiping would be a convex rear view mirror mounted on the gimbal, giving you a view of the ipad screen.

 

[LingoDingo]

thanks for input guys. I've got a 16-70mm lens (24-105 equiv) on the a6500, have a teleprompter and ipad and will go do a shoot with it. I've tried the camera on the manfrotto figrig and its not great. Will have to look at a gimbal if I do the moving shooting that I want.

So for now I'll get the video workflow sorted first and shoot only on a tripod. Get the talent used to using the teleprompter before I start to complicate things with movement.

One thing that just popped into my head: What if you had a wireless ear-piece on your talent with no tele-prompter, and they just repeat what they are hearing ?

You could even have them prompt themselves if that's easier for them to follow.

 

[eFilm]

Hi All,

I need to shoot a host walking and speaking to camera while reading a teleprompter (but not looking like they are).

What do you guys think I should be using?

A team and plenty of time.

You need a talent who is accustomed to deliver even longer lines whilst also walking. Walking, talking and reading a teleprompter box fluently is a skill that needs some practising. Same with memorising lines and delivering them fluently. Whatever gear you have, it won't save your shoot if the delivery does not work and look natural.

Actors, speakers, performers and some seasoned politicians can do it fairly well, but a random client may need considerable amount of practise to make it look presentable. Walking and talking will add a level of complexity, and not just to the shooting part. The gear part is likely the least of your worries.

Hire/bring an assistant. Allocate enough time for memorising and retakes. Keep the option for memorising lines without a teleprompter open and shoot in shorter sequences whenever necessary.
Keep the script loose enough to allow some wiggle room for the delivery of the lines, especially with a less seasoned performer. Perhaps prepare to change/skip the walking part, too. Or let the talent enter from a distance whilst the camera is stationary. If you do the walky-talky shot, don't get too close when moving. Prepare to grab some b-roll to fill in possible gaps and jump cuts, with and without the talent.

One option between a teleprompter setup and memorising could be a talent holding large enough memory sheets with the main talking points and keywords for the talent to glance whilst delivering the memorised lines, mostly watching the lens.
The rest is up to you and the talent. Do your tests and see what works.