Necessity being the mother of invention, I decided to build myself a Rube Goldberg teleprompter. Additional motivation was supplied by Andy Weir’s novel, The Martian. I am also cheap.
For those not in the TV business, a teleprompter allows talent to speak into a camera lens while simultaneously looking at the script through a reflected image. Light from the performer passes through the front side of the glass into the lens, while a shroud surrounding the lens and the back side of the glass prevents unwanted light from entering the lens.
The text is piped into the monitor from a laptop computer via HDMI cable.
Here is the recipe:
– an old, broken luggage cart (wheels removed)
– old wooden picture frame spray painted black
– standard picture glass (mirrored prompter glass is better, but I’m cheap)
– Panasonic Lumix GH4 camera
– Manfrotto MVH500AH Tripod Head
– tripod
– Konova K2 Slider
– Apature 7″ monitor (mounted to the slider with an articulating arm)
– black cloth
– An old TV monitor for use as a viewfinder
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