RJ Yenesel

RJ Yenesel

Presidents have been using Teleprompters for over half a century to deliver speeches and address our nation both in times of peace and when at war.

There are some who believe that none has relied on the use of the “Speech Prompter”   as much as our current President Obama.

Presidential Teleprompter and President Obama

Presidential Teleprompter

Barack Obama takes full advantage of the presidential teleprompter.

 

It enables him to keep direct eye contact with the camera lens and thus the audience. This negates the need to fumble around with notes on index cards or papers and allows him to concentrate on what’s important, delivery of the content.

 

You may have noticed these presidential prompters in use during his speeches.

 

Two, tall, thin, clear, pieces of glass are placed to the President’s right and left.  From the audience’s point of view they are virtually invisible. On the side facing the President, however, is crystal clear text being fed to him by the teleprompter operator’s computer.

 

Presidential Teleprompter, and President Obama

Presidential Teleprompter, and President Obama

This type of teleprompter also called a “speech teleprompter” can be raised and lowered remotely and comes in a variety of sizes. It has become incredibly popular given the ease and subtlety of its use.  It is synonymous with presidents and politicians and is actually referred to as a Presidential Teleprompter.

President Obama began using a presidential teleprompter in 2004 at his keynote address to the Democratic Convention. He took to it like a fish to water and it soon became a permanent fixture when delivering speeches. Some presidents in the past have frowned upon using a teleprompter, but some people are simply better at reading copy off a prompter.  President Obama is a shining example of the benefits a teleprompter can give an already skilled orator.

His reliance on them has caused some backlash in the right wing press. TeleprompterPresident.com for example, is a site exclusively devoted to President Obama’s flubs during speeches.

Errors happen no matter what.   One doesn’t have to strain the imagination to think of the countless mistakes that must have occurred without the use of a prompter.   Simply think back to George W. Bush’s presidency.  He preferred to rely on note cards and his speeches undoubtedly suffered as a result.

 

Shot of presidential prompter at Conde Nast Traveler show

He was a nervous speaker and frequently mispronounced or misused words.  (Had he used a prompter and not been familiar with the text, this also could have happened.) He was often seen looking down on his notes, lose his place and become addled.  I am certain he was familiar with what he had to say, but he was not the best at improvising and speaking extemporaneously.  Had he been instructed to use a teleprompter rather than note cards he could have concentrated on infusing the text with feeling and emotion.

President Obama is a master teleprompter reader and an incredibly confident, articulate speaker.  By using this tool, errors are kept to a minimum.  He relies on the presidential teleprompter’s accuracy so much that he has used all different types, including the traditional ones.

Both AmericanMovieCo.com and TeleprompteRrental.com offer a wide variety of teleprompters at competitive prices. Our operators are professional and passionate about their work.  We have the traditional units, both the regular Presidential Teleprompter and the one with remote capability, and, of course, the coveted Interrotron.

We also feature a wireless director monitor for all prompters, which enables the director to see exactly what the talent sees.   With this added piece everyone on set is on the same page.

I know that what I am going to say next pales when compared to the intricacies, the complicated and unique circumstances of President Obama’s presidency.  If I may be so bold, I assert that his use of Teleprompters have aided him immeasurably to a successful two-term tenure.

 

Just imagine what a Presidential Teleprompter can do for you!

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