EyeDirect Rental
EyeDirect Rental
$250 per day and $750 a week.
The EyeDirect can be picked up in New York, Miami, Toronto, and Los Angeles, and we can ship it anywhere in the world. FOB (Freight on Board) is safe shipping worldwide from New York or Hollywood.
The unit measures 25″ X 18″ X 12″ weighs 30 lbs. and fits in a small Pelican case.
Get in touch
EyeDirect does not require a professional operator. Instructions on rig and operating the unit are included in the Pelican case and are sent via email after rental confirmation.
The EyeDirect can also function as an iPad Teleprompter when using the tablet mount included in the case.
The EyeDirect rents for $250 per day or $750 for a 3-day week.
EyeDirect Folding Mark E Rental
We have both the standard Mark II EyeDirect and the folding Mark E EyeDirect.
The Mark E is suitable for small camcorders and DSLRs. It is very light and folds to the size of a laptop case for easy and cost-effective shipping.
If you need a bigger monitor or a multifunctional unit, the Interrotron may be a better option for you.
The Interrotron Rental NYC package, which includes an experienced operator, rents for $945 for a 10-hour day.
The Interrotron can also be used as a Standard 19” Teleprompter.
EYEDIRECT
EyeDirect Mark II and the Interrotron III
The EyeDirect is a perfect solution for a shoot in a distant location where an experienced technician may not be available. Keep in mind, however, that it is not the same as an Interrotron.
What’s the difference between the EyeDirect Mark II and the Interrotron Mark III?
The EyeDirect Mark II
The double mirror configuration allows for the director to see the subject’s face in proper left/right orientation and the same is true with the subject’s view of the director. (Note: This is also true with the standard Mark III Interrotron.)
The Mark II is a precision-made instrument with very few moving parts. Consequently, it is a perfect unit to take on the road. It is highly reliable.
The unit comes in a custom-fitted road case which offers maximum protection.
There is a tablet teleprompter slot incorporated within the Mark II. It takes but a minute to switch from “Interrotron mode” to “teleprompter mode”. Producers can control the tablet with a Bluetooth smartphone or use the “airplay” function of a Mac laptop. By simply inserting a tablet into the slot, one can instantly transform the EyeDirect into a teleprompter. (You simply download teleprompter software) Note: You can rent an iPad preloaded with teleprompter software with your EyeDirect.
The unit is so simple to use that it does not require a technician per se. A grip or AC should have no problem getting the unit up and functioning very quickly.
Cost. The unit is less expensive to rent than its larger, more professional siblings, the Interrotron Mark III or Mark IV.
The professional Interrotron Mark III is a dual unit system. This allows the director to sit comfortably in “video village” while the one piece EyeDirect makes the director stand (or sit) right next to the camera. This often forces the choice between setting the tripod height either to accommodate the director’s comfort or the quality of the shot.
The subject’s unit is a modified, professional “gold plate” Autocue Teleprompter. It will easily accept Red Dragon, Phantom, Alexa, C300, F35 and virtually every professional camera made on its sliding rod and plate system.
Like the EyeDirect, the Interrotron can also function as a standard teleprompter. In fact, all of our operators are trained teleprompter technicians so in seconds you can switch from Interrotron mode to prompter mode.
The Interrotron Mark III
The Mark III has 16 X 9 video monitors so the director sees the subject properly composed for HD and above. The EyeDirect has a standard def aspect ratio.
The two video monitors on the Mark III are HD. Mirrors replace the monitors on the Mark II.
The Mark III is delivered and operated by a professional Interrotron tech who is also an experienced teleprompter operator. The EyeDirect must be picked up from and returned to our studio. The Mark II prompter software is more rudimentary. It needs to be operated by someone who often is not an experienced, professional prompter operator.
The Interrotron Mark III has a true professional camera production monitor in which to view the subject. So the director sees just what the lens of the subject’s camera sees. The right focus, the right exposure, the right framing. The director can simultaneously have the best, most comfortable, most accurate, most productive “one on one” conversation with the subject, but also can do so while monitoring every technical aspect of the shot.
The Mark III directly accepts every type of camera output: HDMI, HD-SDI, Component, and Composite. Each has a “pass-through” for additional monitor access.
The EyeDirect is made for the road.
The case is fitted with highly protective density foam to ensure the different parts of the system remain intact. The Mark II comes with a special riser to accommodate a DSLR or small camcorder.
The EyeDirect Folding Mark E
It has the same basic functions as the Interrotron Mark III and EyeDirect Mark II but is smaller, less expensive and less costly to ship.
Folding Mark E
The original Folding Mark E is a lighter, smaller version of the now standard EyeDirect Mark II. Like its big brother, it allows for perfect eye contact between the director and talent. It functions just like the Mark II, but it folds to the size of a standard laptop.
Like the Mark II, the user can attach an iPad or tablet and thus convert the Folding Mark E to Teleprompter mode.
Both models allow for the director or interviewer to be on either side of the camera.
Eye Direct Mark-E – Setup & Overview
Reviews
“The EyeDirect is a filmmaking marvel. We set out to make Pony Excess look like nothing the viewer had seen before – I mean we’ve all seen thousands and thousands of “talking heads” interviews in our lifetime, right? To reach that goal we utilized everything from achieving close to the shallowest depth of field possible to using Kino bulbs naked from their casings directly in frame but it all began (and ended, frankly) with the EyeDirect. Everything else we did was to augment the immediacy that the EyeDirect delivers right out of the box. Speaking for myself and the entire Pony Excess team, we couldn’t have been happier with the results.”
– Thaddeus Matula, Director, Pony Excess, a 30 for 30 ESPN film
“One of my favourite things to do when making documentaries is to get interviewees to not look at me but look at the camera, to talk to the audience. If you have ever tried this you will know this is not an easy thing to do. It’s very unnatural but worse than that because you are not making eye contact with them it’s much harder to connect with them and get the best out of them, especially if they are novices in front of the camera… I have just come across a really simple solution. It’s called the EyeDirect and is made by US based cameraman Steve McWilliams.”
“It turns an interview into a conversation.”