While teleprompters used to cost thousands of dollars and were exclusively used by studios and big TV production companies, the dawn of smartphones and their app stores have allowed developers to create advanced teleprompter apps that can virtually do the same job but for a fraction of the cost.
What’s more, in conjunction with your iPhone or iPad, these apps could be an extremely convenient solution, especially when you are in a pinch or you just don’t have access to a conventional teleprompter. Among all the different applications, there’s a particular one that seems to have all the bells and whistles one will ever need when shooting this type of videos. According to Justin Brown of Primal Video, here’s the best teleprompter app for iPhones and iPad – Video Teleprompter.
The function of the app is simple and straightforward – it allows you to record video using your iPhone or iPad’s front-facing camera while displaying a teleprompter on your device’s screen, letting you read your lines as you record your footage.
The app comes in two versions: Lite and Premium, although this article will focus on the Premium version since it comes with more features. So, if you’re serious about using a teleprompter for your iPhone/iPad shooting needs, you may want to consider shelling out the cash for the premium version that, in fact, will cost you less than $20.
The most significant reason why Brown recommends Video Teleprompter Premium above all the other apps on the market is the array of customisation features that come with this version. In the app, you’re able to make adjustments to the font size, font type, text color, text background color, and of course the teleprompter scrolling speed. In fact, you can even choose to disable the auto-scrolling of the text if you want.
Furthermore, the Video Teleprompter Premium gives you the ability to adjust the area of the teleprompter text. The latter could be an extremely handy feature since by decreasing the area of the text, all your dialog is pushed closer to the side of the camera, making your eyes seem more like they are pointed at the camera versus at the screen. This makes your presentation look more natural and less like you are just reading a plain text.
In addition to the customisability, the app also offers basic filmmaking essentials that are absent from most teleprompter apps on iOS. This functionality includes features such as autofocus lock and exposure lock, which is necessary to avoid your video from constantly changing focus and lighting conditions mid-take.
But if you really want to nail down your presentation while using the app, try to make the text font of your script as small as possible. That way you’ll be able to fit more text next to the camera lens thus minimizing your eye movement to a minimum. It’s also important to use your own words in a friendly conversational manner and do some run tests in advance before you reach the point when you feel comfortable enough with your performance.
[source: Justin Brown – Primal Video]
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