Talking to camera comes naturally to some but others are less comfortable. No matter where you sit on that scale, being able to talk directly to the camera is key and being able to read from a script is also vital for some but how do you do both? Well, that is where a teleprompter comes in handy. In essence, a diagonal mirror sits in front of your lens, with a screen at 90 degrees, reflecting your script so it appears in your eyeline, allowing you to both read and keep contact with the viewer.
Teleprompters are a fairly niche item, even in a niche field like filmmaking and photography but there is an ever increasing need for them, as more people take to social media and youtube in an attempt to build audiences. This means people seek ways to level up production value and one way to do this is to make sure you can talk directly to the audience/camera with as few retakes as possible. Rerecording ‘um’s and ‘er’s is a pain but it is worth removing them, as it builds trust that you know your topic well and don’t need to think too much about what you are saying. You just know it.
