Talking Head video prompting and placement

I cannot remember my script when I do a head shot.

Very surprising because I have community theater acting experience. But there is something about looking at a camera lens that makes my mind go blank. (Couldn't be that being 74 years old involves memory loss, hm-m-m?)

And the feedback from my test video was that I need to adjust my camera so I do not appear to be looking down.

One thought is to place my camera on the keyboard, place the whole laptop with the camera on a stack of books and program my editor to scroll my script behind the camera.

Seems to me there should be a better solution. What do you do?

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unknown

@
,

I tried reading a printed script held by my wife just off camera and got the same result with people asking what I was looking at.

I since got an attachment to mount my Surface Pro tablet on my tripod. I then run Teleprompter Pro on my Surface so that the line I'm reading is just below the camera. Works much better.

Hope this helps,

---Brian

unknown

If I'm reading you right, it sounds as if raising my laptop high enough that I am looking up at it is a viable alternative to the tripod you bought after all. Is that right?

The reviews I read for Teleprompter Pro gives it a very good rating but says scrolling may be too slow and is not good for camera work. But it sound's like your experience was okay. I'm going with your thoughts.

unknown

That's an odd comment since I believe you can change the scrolling speed (I have yet to do so).

I guess that given your hardware setup I would go with your original plan and consider running Teleprompter Pro or something like it (there are a lot of these tools) on your portable screen behind the camera on a mini tripod so that you're looking at the center of the screen. I just hope you can read the teleprompter behind your camera.

For $199 you can get a reflective teleprompter screen that you can shoot through. You need a tablet to run something like Teleprompter Pro to reflect up onto your teleprompter screen. This is a little too pricey for me but is the best option for looking directly into the camera and being able to see your teleprompter screen (note that even with my current solution I'm looking slightly below the camera).

Hope this helps,

---Brian

Gill

I am just starting out and am trying to only use things I currently have but still get a good result. I have based a DIY teleprompter on https://conradknowhow.com/2017/04/26/how-to-make-a-do-it-yourself-teleprompter/ which uses a tablet. I don't have a tablet but am using my Kindle. I have also changed some of the materials he uses to things I already have. So far it seems like quite a good solution.

unknown

Thanks, Gill. I'll take a look at it.

I've changed my strategy a bit in that I am writing out all my scripts in detail, including those for screencasts, before creating any videos. So I'll hold off checking out your link until I'm done with that.

Again, thanks for your reply

LawrenceMMiller

Brian,

I am 73... no excuse! :smileyhappy:

A couple suggestions.

First, get a real camera on a tripod, stand up, and look at the camera imagining that the lens is a real student and just talk to them. Don't try to follow a script! You're not an actor. Each time you turn on the camera have just two or three points you want to make and discuss those as if you were speaking directly to a student. Then turn off the camera and decide on the next two or three points. Repeat.

If you screw up, it is ok. You are going to make it all good and make it flow in editing. Movies are made in small bites of a minute or two, then edited together. You will get comfortable with this. Just keep trying and repeating.