Teleprompter isn't that easy, just ask my daughters!

My two older daughters volunteered to help me out at work today. One running the scroll control on the prompter the other as camera operator. I do an on-camera anchor man part for an annual test video. I introduce each scenarion and then give the test takers the questions. I usually do it all myself, but since they offered to help, who am I to argue.

Well Beth was first on running prompter. She found it difficult to keep pace, falling behind or getting ahead. Katie then gave it a shot. She did pretty well at first then had problems. So dad decided to go to the fall back plan and do it himself, just to get through the lengthy narrations.

Once I had finished they got a shot at being in front of the camera. (I will try to post some clips next week) they found that wasn't all that easy to do either. They say it was harder than they thought, especially when trying to follow the copy.

It's a skill that is learned thru repetition and practice. Much like reading copy and making it sound human. Reading phrases rather than words (which is tough with copy written by lawyers) but add in the visual aspect, head nods, shakes, eye movements, body language. Its just not natural, but its what you have to do to appeaer natural. Weird ain't it??

I also have to say, I am a bit out of practice myself. I have just been tied up with a ton of other projects. I need to find some practice time and "dust the rust."