Any time a presentation calls for the delivery of pre-written, detailed information within specific time frames, it’s time to use a teleprompter. Also referred to as prompters or auto-cues, teleprompters are widely employed on television to deliver news or weather reports, in entertainment such as game shows or advertising and also for documentaries and life style programming. Teleprompters also find use in non-broadcast video work. Many professionals find a pre-recorded message the most effective method to get their message across to associates, work force or even for prospective clients.

Auto-cues are fairly simple in use and the end result highly effective, making them customary for live events such as award ceremonies, conferences, launches and even as tools for keynote speakers. Anyone new to using a teleprompter might be a bit apprehensive. New users might experience discomfort, the onset of nerves or even sleepiness. Some new presenters can even come across as looking dishonest. The information in this article is designed to give you a summary of what to expect on a video production and how to get the best results from using a teleprompter on your next production.

Word Smithing

All the information for your presentation is contained in the script. More than just written words, a script should be designed to be delivered, rather than simply read. Scripts usually go to a production company who pass these to their auto-cue operators for formatting. Most production companies can accept almost any word-processing formats on PC’s or Mac’s. Just be sure not to leave it to the last second. Use the contracted form of words whenever applicable. This gives your script a more flowing delivery and better reflects how people speak. Concise sentences will get your message across more accurately. Your auto cue script should only contain the text to be read. No formatting, tables, indents, charts, borders, scene directions . . . just your monologue. If your presentation relies on visual aids, confine these to graphics that can be displayed to your audience. Once the teleprompter operator receives your script, this will typically undergo some pretty basic formatting to make sure the script flows well and the words are clear on the auto-cue monitor. Making your script too complicated by using images or storyboards for example could well incur expensive editing. Stick to the basics…just the script!

Clothes Maketh the Man

After your script is completed, it’s time to take a look at some of the visual elements of your presentation, namely, how you will look on video. A script is usually written with a particular audience in mind, so dress accordingly. Theatrical aspects not withstanding, presenters would do well to wear comfortable clothing, reflecting the mood and general tone of the message they are trying to get across. Avoid striking reds wherever possible and steer clear of bright white clothes. These don’t reproduce well on video and are usually less than flattering to your skin tones. Patterned fabrics with fine lines such as pinstripes or hounds-tooth should be avoided as these can look distracting on camera. Makeup is used for both cosmetic and technical reasons . . . covering up spots is one thing but lights used in both video and stage environments are bright, harsh and hot, so makeup is often used to cover up the shiny spots on the T of the face caused by the heat (and sometimes by nerves). Stage and video shoots are strange environments to get used to. The end result is what counts. A video shoot might look and feel wrong in the making, but if the end result looks good, that’s essentially all that counts. Don’t feel too badly if you have makeup applied or your clothing rearranged. The producer of the project will be the best source of information and advice regarding your wardrobe and general appearance, in order to better mesh with the overall tone of the project.

Location, Location, Location

Productions can take place in studios, offices, houses or even streets. The most basic rule of any shoot, regardless of the location is simple. Safety first. Be aware of stray cables, low slung overhead rigging, light stands and any other props in dangerous spots. Not only are the lights intense, they often burn very hot . . . so don’t touch them! Upon arrival, the Director will fill you in with all the details on how the set is actually set up and make all the necessary introductions with the crew. For a shoot involving the use of a teleprompter, the crew will usually consist of at least four people. The teleprompter operator, the sound operator, the camera operator and the Director.

You probably won’t play a part in any of the technical matters and most of the tricky stuff will be for before you arrive and after the shoot is finished. Your first stop will be makeup and wardrobe, but if you do have any last minute additions to the script, get these to the teleprompter operator these as soon as possible. Most of the teleprompter’s function is turning computer output into smooth scrolling TV output for your monitor. It usually has very basic text editing functions, so the more lead time the operator has, the better the output. Word changes are easy, but if you want to add a whole page of text, that will take as much time as it takes to enter or copy it from one file to another. When the script is finalized in the teleprompter, it’s your time to act. A glass of water and when the Director says “3-2-1″… it’s action time.

3-2-1 ACTION!

When you step in front of the camera, people may seem to be fussing over you . . . just let them. Unless alterations need to be made during your pre-read, you probably won’t hear very much from the teleprompter operator. Your first glance into the monitor will soon tell you why formatting and highlighting are a bad idea. The space they take up would leave little space for anything else on the screen. The Director is in charge of directing your delivery during the rehearsals and the actual shoot. If time permits however, the teleprompter operator will often provide a general outline of the cue. Be sure to check out part 2 of this series, where I outline the 5 main points to think about for your presentation.

Presentations are a part of everyday corporate life. Every company from automobile companies to newspapers, right down to the phone company and hardware manufacturers require presentations quite often to explain and/or illustrate how their business is running, showcase budgets and chalk out plans. An integral part of these presentations are charts. For effective data visualization which will convey and not confuse we need to use expressive charts that can present the given data in an aesthetic manner.

Recently, as I was making a series of slideshows for various presentations, I felt the need to make charts and realized that most of these looked very boring and difficult to comprehend. On investigation, I found a series of charting software that let one create visually arresting charts and tables based on an Adobe Flash Platform. These charting software are available at a price as well as free and are also very easy to use.

These presentation charts allow for greater variety and ensure that the attention of the audience is firmly on the information displayed at all times. The charts can also be made interactive by nature which makes it possible to insert drill-down options which could lead to another link or another function; one can include a mouse over option which will allow the viewer to access more details; one could also physically twirl the chart around to better illustrate the data showcased. The drag option lets the viewer play around with the icons further and also lets someone add secondary functions that can be accessed with the click of a mouse.

Flash charts effectively make your presentation look really good without compromising on data inclusion or comprehensibility. In fact, it makes it a lot easier for the viewers. Once the charts are better looking, the viewers want to pay attention. In addition to this we find that effective charting also allows to a greater amount of information to be included within a compact chart which means that we save both on space and complexity. The software required is freely available and are accompanied by efficient tutorials to explain their usage.

Follow my instructions for one moment: I command you to: Sit down! I command you to Standup! If you want to standup you must do it in the present. Your physical power is only in the now. You cannot stand up in the past. You cannot stand up in the future. You can wish you could stand up a month ago. You can wish you could stand up yesterday. You can think about standing up tomorrow. But you can only physically stand up right now. This illustrates the point that you have no power to change anything in the past and you need not worry about the future. What you can do is change your thoughts about what has happened in the past. No one has the power to change your thoughts except for you. You can feel guilty, sad, and angry about past events, but none of those feelings will change your present. If you let those feeling overwhelm you, then they can paralyze your actions. But just as your thoughts can paralyze your actions, your thoughts have the ability to move you forward in the present.

You must decide that you are here now. The successful accomplishment of your dreams and goals requires acknowledging that you are now where you are. Accept that where you are now is ok, at least for now. Obviously you wouldn’t be reading if you didn’t want to change things about your life, but for now accept that you are here now and nothing can change what has gotten you here.

You hate your job
You are overweight
You are in a bad relationship or abusive relationship
You have a handicap.
You have no confidence.
You feel unattractive or unloved.
You are financially broke or are in debt.
You have problems with your children
You have problems with members of your family.
You have no true friends.
You have no job

All of the above can be make you feel overwhelmed, but it is where you are now. If you are a mountain climber, it is important to know that you must firmly place yourself in one place before you can begin to raise yourself to the next step. If you tried to climb while, looking down you will be overtaken with fear, If you try to climb by looking up, you will get overwhelmed with all that is ahead of you. You must only focus on where you currently are in order to move ahead. You don’t want to get stuck on the mountain of life. You will starve, get weak, and fall off. Learn to reach for the next ledge and pull yourself up on inch at a time.

It is OK to be upset or angry with your current situation, but only as a way to create you to make positive changes and change your current situation. You cannot feel sorry for yourself because the rest of the world does not care. The rest of the world has its own problems. Whenever you feel yourself caught up in the emotions of guilt, anger, and self-doubt, say to yourself. “I am here now, now what? “This does not determine where I will go or what I can be” Then pick a course of action to move your forward to the future that you want.