• This is the most common type.
• It’s used when the talent is facing the camera and the prompter and looking into the lens to read the copy.

These are primarily used for public events where the the speaker is at a podium speaking to a live audience.

There are two types.

1. Basic Presidential Prompter – $1295
   • It consists of two glass paddles on thin metal risers which are placed on either side of the podium. The speaker sees the text in the glass. But, from the audience’s viewpoint, the glass is totally transparent and virtually invisible. The speaker looks directly out at the audience and sees them and the text.
   • It is delivered and operated by a professional operator very experienced with live events.
2. Robotic Rise & Fall Presidential Prompter – $1595
   • This new type of prompter has all the advantages of the older “basic” model, but as it’s “robotic”, it can automatically adjust to the various heights of the speakers. This means that an assistant does not have to run out onto the stage to adjust the paddle height in the middle of a live event.
   • The Robotic units also have larger, brighter and sharper monitors. This helps the speaker to read the text much easier, especially if stage lighting is shining in his/her face. No more squinting!
   • When the event is televised, the paddles are lowered and, hence, invisible to the camera. When the speaker is at the podium in close up, the paddles rise up out of camera range. Again, when the speaker leaves, the paddles are out of sight. The audience never knows a prompter was used.

There are several types of Confidence Monitors.

1. The Down Stage Monitor (DSM) is often called a Rock n’ Roll Monitor. These are usually placed along the edge of the stage so singers or speakers can see the lyrics or copy as they walk back and forth. The audience usually assumes they are footlights or audio monitors. Additional DSM monitors are $150 per.
2. The “On Set” confidence monitors. If the talent is not required to look into the lens for eye contact with the audience, a large flat screen monitor(s) can display the prompter copy. Additional monitors are $150 per.

The Interrotron provides eye to eye contact between the talent and director. The connection is vital to put the talent at ease and get the best reaction… usually on the first take. There are many types of Interrotrons. The two most common are:

• Interrotron Mark III – $1,195 This is the traditional unit invented by Academy Award-winner, Errol Morris. It is essentially two connected prompter systems.
  1. The “Talent Unit” works with the main camera and shows the face of the director/interviewer to the talent.
  2. The “Director’s Unit” has a separate prompter, tripod and camera.
• Interrotron Mark IV, aka “Road Warrior” – $1,095
  1. The “Road Warrior” version was developed during Covid. It replaces the second prompter, tripod and camera with a “black box” which allows the client to use a laptop as the “director’s unit”
  2. The video and audio output from the main camera goes into the black box, which connects to a laptop. Then, the director uses Zoom to show his face to the talent via the laptop camera and sees the talent’s face on his laptop.
  3. Advantages of this Interrotron type go beyond the cost saving. a. With the Mark IV Road Warrior, the director can be across the room or across the country. b. Other executives can see the talent directly, as does the director through the lens of the main camera on set.

• The EyeDirect functions like an Interrotron. It gives the talent and director that eye to eye direct contact.
• But the director needs to sit with his/her face close to a mirror on the side of the EyeDirect.
• There are many advantages. For example, a 24-hour rental is only $250 and as it just uses mirrors, it’s great for documentaries shot far from a power source.
• We can ship an EyeDirect anywhere. It weighs just 30 lbs in a rugged travel case.

This unit uses a large iPad Pro with voice activated scrolling. Other iPad prompters use Bluetooth to scroll, which rarely works smoothly (if at all).

• Lightweight with a 10” square, high bright screen, the unit slides onto the rod block system of the camera. It’s powered by a small onboard battery or the P Tap from the camera battery.
• There are two wireless units available:
  i. Hollyland – $195
  ii. TeraDek – $295

This is the big brother of the SteadiCam prompter. It slides onto the roadblock system of the camera.

• It is preferred by many DPs, even when not used on a jib, because they can set up the camera first and then when they need the prompter, just slide it on. Then as soon as they no longer want it, they slide it off.
• Producers like it because they can give the prompter operator a later call and an early wrap to save any OT. This is because the camera can be built and in use early. Later the prompter can just be easily slid onto the rails. And at the end of the shoot, the prompter just slides off and shooting continues.