Using a Video Teleprompter to Deliver Your Message
Coming from a photojournalistic background I always enjoy creating heartfelt videos and photography with people speaking from the heart to develop humanistic stories.
I enjoy the approach of having a “conversation” with the subject vs. a formal “interview”. While the subject and I may share questions beforehand, we keep the questions and answers short and spoken in the moment. Typically the individual does not respond looking directly into the camera. I prefer this technique as speaking from the heart humanizes the subject vs written message they are reading.
Recently I began working with the Executive Career Coach Lori Giuttari, to produce a video course for her clients. She needs to speak directly to her clients and be on topic for videos that last about 5-15 minutes.
This is when a teleprompter comes in very handy. The teleprompter I use displays the written script from an iPad and reflects it onto a piece of glass. The camera is directly behind the glass. Therefore she is reading the text while looking into the camera in order to be connected with the viewer.
She was able to write out her lesson beforehand, and practice while recording herself with a voice recorder, in order to evaluate her messaging and timing. This allowed her to fine-tune her modules for the video course.
“Being able to use a teleprompter, speaking directly to clients, allowed me to focus on connecting with them, as opposed to worrying about every single point I touched upon.”
When we created the video she felt comfortable with her tightly prepared message and by seeing her text through the teleprompter, it allowed her to be sure she covered all essential parts or her lesson.
Both techniques of using or not using a teleprompter have their purpose in delivering your message and story. It’s important to decide what type of message you want to provide and who your audience will be.