If your spokesperson isn’t a trained anchor or actor, you still need them confident, concise, and on-brand—today. A well-run teleprompter can make that happen in minutes, not months. Used correctly, it doesn’t create “robotic” reads; it removes cognitive load so real people can focus on presence and clarity. Below is a practical, producer-level guide to getting natural performances from non-professional talent with a prompter.
Why Teleprompters Work for Real People
Non-professionals struggle with three things: remembering lines, pacing, and managing nerves. A teleprompter solves all three by:
- Freeing working memory: No memorization—talent can concentrate on tone and body language.
- Controlling tempo: The operator matches scroll speed to the speaker’s breathing and emphasis.
- Reducing take-count: Clear, pre-approved language means fewer resets and tighter schedules.
The Right Prompter for the Job
- On-camera beam-splitter (standard): The camera shoots through a piece of beamsplitter glass while the script reflects toward the talent. Best for direct-to-camera messages, leadership statements, product explainers.
- Large-glass units: Wider glass allows more eye travel with less visible eye movement—ideal for longer scripts or slower readers.
- Confidence monitors (off-axis): Floor or eye-level displays for talks where direct lens contact isn’t required (walk-and-talks, demonstrations).
- Two-way interview aids (e.g., “eyeline” devices): Useful when we want the subject to look at an off-camera interviewer without losing connection.
Script Engineering: Write for the Mouth, Not the Page
Great reads start with scripts designed to be spoken aloud.
- Target pace: 120–140 words per minute for non-professionals; trim aggressively.
- Sentence shape: One idea per sentence. Prefer active voice. Avoid stacked clauses.
- Readable formatting: Sentence case; generous line breaks; no centered text; avoid all caps for body copy.
- Pronunciation guides: Add phonetics in brackets (e.g., “biologics (bye-oh-LAH-jiks)”).
- Stage directions: Lightly annotate [beat], [smile], [gesture], [hold] to cue energy and pauses.
- Brand/legal: Lock approved claims and disclaimers early to eliminate on-set rewrites.
Pro tip: Build two versions—Full (with details) and Tight (headline lines only). If a reader struggles, the Tight version can save the day without losing message integrity.
Performance Coaching That De-Mechanizes the Read
Teleprompters don’t make people sound stiff; poor coaching does. Here’s the fix:
- Warm-up: Two “throwaway” takes at slightly faster scroll to lift energy.
- Eye focus: “Look through the glass, not at the words.” We place the lens behind the text and use a longer focal length to minimize micro-eye movements.
- Chunking: Encourage thought groups (one idea per breath). We pause the scroll at commas and restart on the inhale.
- Energy ladder: Record 10–20 seconds at 90% intensity, then again at 105%—pick the one that fits brand tone.
- Hands and posture: Ground the stance, unlock the knees, and bring hands into the frame when appropriate to naturalize cadence.
- Safety alts: Capture one “conversational paraphrase” pass for authenticity, then one “precise claims” pass for legal.
Camera, Lens, and Lighting Choices That Flatter Prompter Reads
- Lens selection: 85–135mm (full-frame) places the camera back and compresses eye movement; 50–85mm on Super35/APS-C.
- Distance: Back the camera away to reduce visible eye tracking, then push in with focal length.
- Prompter brightness: Balanced to key light; too bright causes squinting and glass reflections, too dim invites reading strain.
- Glasses & reflections: Tilt the prompter glass and adjust key/fill angles to avoid double reflections for talent wearing lenses.
- Line-of-sight height: Align copy to the optical center of the lens; even a 1–2″ mismatch can look “off.”
The Operator: Your Secret Weapon
A dedicated prompter operator (separate from director and cam op) listens for breath, marks emphasis, and rides speed dynamically. They also:
- Maintain script versions, apply last-minute legal swaps, and build bookmarks by section.
- Insert visual signposts (— long dash, • bullets) to cue phrasing.
- Coordinate with sound for breath-friendly pacing and with lighting for glare management.
Remote & Hybrid Prompter Workflows
- Remote executives: Use a compact, camera-mounted prompter plus a teleconference return so we can coach eyeline in real time.
- Live webinars: Confidence monitor near lens for slides; brief headline lines in the prompter to keep presenters off script-heavy decks.
- AI assist: Script timing, pronunciation flags, and pre-read voice previews can be generated ahead of time to set scroll targets and reduce surprises.
When NOT to Teleprompt
- Testimonial authenticity: For emotionally nuanced stories, consider guided interviews instead. We’ll prep beats, not verbatim lines.
- Fast back-and-forth dialogue: Bullet prompts or line-by-line cues often play more naturally.
- Highly technical demos: Use hybrid—teleprompter for open/close and lower-thirds for precise specs while the talent speaks freely.
Risk Management: Brand, Legal, and Compliance
- Route scripts through brand and legal before shoot day.
- Lock “do not change” lines (claims, regulated language), highlight in the prompter UI, and capture a clean “compliance take.”
- Plan captions and translations at the script stage to prevent post compromises (line length, on-screen real estate).
Measuring Success (What Decision Makers Care About)
- Fewer takes -> shorter crew hours and room rentals.
- Message fidelity -> fewer post pickups and reshoots.
- On-brand tone -> consistent delivery across executives and product lines.
- Faster approvals -> pre-approved language reduces review cycles.
Producer’s Checklist
Pre-Production
- Lock script (Full + Tight).
- Add phonetics, beats, and compliance highlights.
- Book prompter operator and large-glass unit if text is long.
- Choose lens package (85–135mm FF).
- Schedule 20 minutes for warm-ups per speaker.
On Set
- Calibrate prompter brightness to key.
- Align copy precisely to lens center; test eyeline with a 20–30 second read.
- Run two high-energy throwaways, then capture the keeper takes.
- Record one paraphrase and one compliance pass.
Post
- Deliver captions from the final script (no drift).
- Create short social cuts that reuse on-brand lines captured verbatim.
- Archive final scripts, approved claims, and pronunciation notes for future sessions.
Sample Script Format (Excerpt)
- Opening hook [smile]: “If your team is still scripting from scratch for every market, there’s a faster way.” [beat]
- Value prop: “A teleprompter lets our people speak naturally while staying on message.”
- Proof point [gesture small]: “That means fewer retakes and faster approvals.”
- CTA [warm]: “If you’re ready to scale video across the org, let’s plan your first session.”
About St Louis Video Services
Since 1982, St Louis Video Services has helped businesses, marketing firms, and creative agencies across the St. Louis area capture confident on-camera performances—from first-time speakers to seasoned executives. We’re a full-service professional commercial photography and video production company with the right equipment and a seasoned creative crew for successful image acquisition. We offer full-service studio and location video and photography, plus editing and post-production, and licensed drone pilots. We customize productions for diverse media requirements and specialize in repurposing your photography and video branding to gain more traction. We’re well-versed in all file types, media styles, and the accompanying software. We use the latest Artificial Intelligence tools across our media services for speed and consistency. Our private studio lighting and visual setup is perfect for small productions and interview scenes, and our studio is large enough to incorporate props for a complete set. We support every aspect of your production—from setting up a private, custom interview studio to supplying professional sound and camera operators and providing the right equipment—ensuring your next video production is seamless and successful. And yes, when the brief calls for it, we can fly our specialized drones indoors.
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