Teleprompter (or autocue) isn’t always the answer, but often it is. Here’s eight reasons why you should choose to use a teleprompter for your corporate video project:
1. A teleprompter is great for detail or data heavy scripts.
When you want to communicate facts, statistics, compliances, dates etc, it’s a big ask for talent to accurately remember everything and deliver it dynamically. So, having it up on a teleprompter means you get all the information in, and you get it right . Removing the need to remember this super specific content also frees the presenter up to focus on their execution.
2. It can be helpful when content is legally contentious or socially sensitive.
In these cases, often precise and carefully crafted phrasing is needed. You can avoid reputational harm or legal issues through getting the script right, approved in advance, and read word-for-word off the teleprompter.
3. Choose to use a teleprompter because it gives the talent something to focus on.
Being on camera can be hard, knowing where to look, what to say, how to move, and how to deliver content is challenging for anyone. The teleprompter will do a lot of that heavy lifting for your on-screen talent by providing exactly where to look and what to say.
4. It helps craft professional, smooth and polished videos.
In the world of corporate video, it is often desirable to have a really polished delivery, and a teleprompter will help achieve that. Unless it’s a conversational piece that you want to feel raw and candid, then a teleprompter can be a great choice.
5. Because it gives you control over messaging.
Avoid your talent going off on tangents or expressing misguided messaging. As the person responsible for a piece of corporate communication, you know the key messaging that you need to get across and the way it needs to be articulated. It’s not always easy to get your on-screen talent in sync with the aims of the video, but a teleprompter is a really good way of doing just that.
6. Choose to use a teleprompter because it keeps duration controlled.
Video production quotes are usually based on the duration of the end product. Also, audience attention spans are generally short, so having the on-screen talent read from a teleprompter is a straightforward way of making sure, in advance, that your video sits at the optimal duration. This way costs don’t blow out and there’s less chance of audiences tuning out.
7. A teleprompter helps put a face to the voice.
While voice-over or animation can also be a great option for your corporate video, those approaches don’t have eye contact, facial expression, visual demonstration of personality, and the human connection point that having on-screen talent provides. When using a teleprompter it feels to the audience as through the person on screen is speaking directly to them, and this fosters a sense of engagement. By choosing someone with pre-established authority and trust (like a CEO, subject matter expert, or public figure) to present, weight and credibility is added.
8. Because, as they say, practice makes perfect.
With a teleprompter script, the on-screen talent can practise beforehand and run through on-camera tests. Generally the more familiar someone is with the content, the more confident and expressive they can be in their delivery and the less nervous they feel.
While choosing to use a teleprompter has all these great benefits, using it is in itself a skill to master. At Rocket Productions we not only provide the teleprompter, but we’ll coach, direct, encourage and work with you to achieve the best results for your corporate video. You can find some of our tips on writing for and reading from teleprompters here. Or contact us to talk through your specific project needs.