Make your video presentations more
professional with this DIY autocue
·
Skill level: Anyone can do it
·
It will take: An hour or more
·
You’ll need: Load of stuff! See the tutorial for
a full list
Have you ever wondered how TV newsreaders,
presenter, and politicians are so word-perfect and confident when speaking
directly to the camera? Just how do they manage to remember what to say without
looking away from the lens?
The secret, as you may already know, lies in
a device called a teleprompter. Also referred to as an autocue, a teleprompter
sits directly in front of a video camera and displays a presenter’s script in
front of the camera lens so that they appear to always be looking directly at
eth camera.
A
teleprompter consists of a monitor, beam-splitting glass and a camera.
A fully featured, remote-controlled,
professional teleprompter similar to the ones used in television studios can
cost upwards of a thousand pounds. Having said that, you can buy a premade
teleprompter rig for use with a smartphone or iPad from around $375. But why
spend $375 or more when you can make one yourself using some basic tools, a
little time and under fifty quid’s worth of everyday parts?
Why spend $375 or more on an autocue rig when
you can make one yourself using basic tools?
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to
make a foldable teleprompter that’s small enough to take with you wherever you
go, and will work with an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. It even includes a tripod
mount, so that you can use it with the existing tripod and camera equipment you
have.
The basics
A teleprompter consists of three basic
components: a monitor displaying text, a piece of half-mirrored or
beam-splitting glass, and a camera.
Mounted directly below and just in front of
the camera, the monitor projects a mirror image of the scripted text upwards
onto the beam-splitting glass, which is held at a 45-degree angle to the
monitor.
An
iPad Teleprompter
Because of the basic laws of reflection,
any light hitting the glass form the monitor bounces off the glass and is
reflected out towards the front of the teleprompter.
Meanwhile, light from in front of
teleprompter passes through the beam-splitting glass and into the lens of the
camera, which is located in a darkened chamber behind it.
This makes it possible for the presenter to
read the script and look directly into the camera at the same time, without the
viewer even knowing the next is there.
What you’ll need
Our design works in just the same way as a
professional teleprompter, but is built using some simple everyday items, a few
tools, and some DIY supplies.
With a little planning and thrifty
shopping, you should be able to source the parts for as little as $30, although
you may find yourself paying a little more if you opt for the beams-splitting
glass. Here are the parts you’ll need to build your teleprompter:
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Two wooden picture frames (large enough to sit
your iOS screen inside)
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A piece of strong metal or wood at least 25cm
longer than the shortest side o0f your frames
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A pair of butt hinges
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A cabin hook
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A black towel or thick piece of fabric large
enough to drape over the top of the teleprompter
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A ¼-20 UNC bolt at least 4 inches long, and at
least three corresponding washers and nuts
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Some Velcro strips
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A tripod with a standard quick-release camera
mount strong enough to hold the weight of the teleprompter, camera, and iOS
device
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A piece of beam-splitting glass or mirrored
Perspex (optional)
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You’ll also need the following tools to make the
teleprompter:
·
Masking tape
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A drill and set of bits suitable for drilling
metal
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A set of screwdrivers for the various hinges and
catches
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A suitable hacksaw or Dremel to cut the metal
Finally, you’ll also need a camera to
record the presenter, and of course, an iPad, iPad mini, iPhone or iPod touch
running the necessary teleprompting software, which we’ll discuss later.
Quick look: How a teleprompter works
1. Screen
The screen displays a mirror image of the
scrolling text to the read by the presenter. In a professional studio, the text
scrolling speed can be controlled remotely/
2. Beam-splitting glass
Sometimes called half-mirrored glass, this
material reflects the monitor’s text and bounces the image, right way round,
towards the front of the teleprompter.
3. Camera
Hidden behind the beam-splitting glass in a
darkened chamber sits the camera, which can clearly see the presenter, but not
the monitor displaying the text.
4. Presenter
Stood in front of the teleprompter, the
presenter can read the text as it scrolls upwards, while being seen clearly by
the camera behind the glass.
Quick
look: How a teleprompter works
Regular or beam-splitting?
While beam-splitting optical glass
can set you back $150+, it is possible to find a Perspex alternative
As we mentioned earlier, it’s quite
possible to build a do-it-yourself teleprompter using a basic piece of glass,
provided that the area behind it is completely dark.
While most of the light hitting the glass
will be passed straight through it, a certain amount of light hitting a regular
piece of glass straight through it, a certain amount of light hitting a regular
price of glass at a 45-degree angle will be reflected back out.
In a basic setup, and provided the area
behind the glass is completely dark, the reflection should be bright enough to
let you read the text without a problem. However, in areas where there isn’t
great lighting (outside, for example) the reflection may be too dim.
Beam-splitting glass (sometimes known as a
two-way mirror or half-mirrored glass) reflects more light than it allows
passing through, meaning you’ll see a brighter and clearer image of the text
than you would with a regular piece of glass.
While official beam-splitting optical glass
can set you back anything upwards of $150, it is possible to find a Perspex
alternative for much less. We were able to get a small off-cut of ‘two-way
mirrored Perspex’, but you may be able to find them from eBay or a local
Perspex retailer in your area.
It’s important to note however, that while
two-way mirror Perspex is far cheaper than professional optical beam-splitting
glass, its silvered coating can easily be scratched. If you do decide to use
some in your teleprompter, you’ll need to be extra careful not to scratch the
Perspex while you’re putting it all together.
