Why I wanted to incorporate a teleprompter into my process
Part of the reason I’ve been creating more video content lately is because I want to work on my presentation skills.
I feel they’re pretty good, but they could be better.
Sometimes if I’m doing a software demonstration there will be a million ums and arrs in there. And to be honest, it probably doesn’t matter. To err is human. And the feedback I have received from people seems to indicate they don’t care, but I kind of do. It bothers me.
For this reason I’ve been really interested in incorporating a teleprompter into my video creation process.
Most small teleprompters are designed to work with a serious SLR camera lens
Now the thing that you need to know about most small teleprompter devices is that they’re designed to attach to an SLR camera lens. This was never going to work for my little Sony ZV-E10 lens.
What I was really interested in was finding something I could attach via the Elgato Multi Mount system.
And I don’t know if you’ve been in this situation but when I searched Google I came up with nothing. So after looking at thousands of different models I ended up buying this Desview T3S teleprompter.
Side note: You will see this brand referenced across the Internet as both “Desview” and “Besview” because of a pretty confusing logo. In reality it seems to officially be “Desview” with a D.
The Desview T3S has a railing system
The thing that captured my attention about this particular unit is that there is a railing that acts as a support for both the camera and the teleprompter.
In reality, it still needs a serious SLR lens to support the teleprompter. But fortunately it had a 1/4″ thread at the bottom of the unit so I could attach it to an Elgato Strong Arm.
Mounting the teleprompter to the Elgato Multi Mount with two Strong Arms
Essentially what I ended up doing was using two Strong Arm Mounts on the Elgato Multi Mount, one slightly higher than the other, for the camera, and the lower rung for the teleprompter. And this has actually worked really well.
Download the Desview Teleprompter App
You can download the Desview teleprompter app from the Google or Apple store. Adjust your settings, add your text and you’re ready to go.
Using the Teleprompter Bluetooth Remote with the app
This unit came with a Bluetooth remote. In the Desview app, the Ok button at the top of the remote will act as a Play/Pause button. While the X and B buttons will take you back and forth in your script if you prefer to move manually.
A Smart Phone only option – Teleprompter for Video
Of course this kind of hardware and mounting equipment is an investment. If you’re not ready to spend money, you can download the app —or other similar apps— for free and just put them as close to your camera as possible.
They say, “The best camera is the one you have with you.” So I’ll just briefly mention a smart phone only option, “Teleprompter for Video.”
The free version will allow you to record scripts of up to 750 words. It has options for removing green screen and adding captions and they’re okay, they’re not great, but just get started and see if a teleprompter would help improve your workflow.