Teleprompters: Read your presentation from a script?
Reading from a script is the very last thing you would consider doing when giving a presentation. Why is it then, that as soon as people start making web videos they think they are playing a newsreader on TV and want to read a script from a teleprompter? Just say no to teleprompters for your business videos!
Lighting
This video uses a flat lighting setup with 2 equal intensity lights in front of me and to either side of the camera. This gives a flatter overview look to the video than the more traditional 3-point lighting setup.
You will see flat lighting used on news shows and a lot of video productions. It is easy to set up and allows people to move about without casting odd shadows. While the setup is easy, I am not really that happy with the overall result.
For the next video I think I will go back to the more traditional 3-point lighting setup as this gives a more defined structure and gives a better separation from the background. However, there is never a right answer on lighting, so it is very much a try it and see situation.
Lighting and audio are the two most important points to get right in creating business web videos. I will be therefore go into these subjects in detail in future videos to help you decide the best way to get started without wasting a lot of time and effort.
Next time
In the next few videos I will take a peek behind the scenes and share with you the monitor setup I have assembled around my Canon LEGRIA HF S10 camcorder, starting with how to place your tripod to keep your camera safe from knocks in a busy office environment.
I have found this a productive way to check what the camera is seeing, as well as being able to view production information and key bullets when recoding a video.
When you are watching web videos watch the eyes and see how often people blink. You will soon spot when people are reading from a teleprompter. It sticks out like a sore thumb!
Tags
3 Point, Bullet, Flat, Lighting, Presentation, Resolution, Teleprompter
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5 Comments and counting
Even though Sell to Camera is retired, if you’ve anything to add please post your comment below or get in touch with me direct. Thanks.
Norbert Nigg
October 5th 2009 at 21:42
Great! One video, one message, and the title contains the message. Clear, understandable and unforgettable. This is the style I like.
Ricardo
October 6th 2009 at 10:18
I share your comments about how “artificial” is to present reading a script and not being able to “transfer” properly concepts, description of things, ideas, services or all of them combined.
The body language, voice speed and other “personal” elements of self-behaviour are critical or the most important when being in front of the public (in real-time or video).
Coming myself from “latin roots” (moving a lot my hands) and interacting with different cultures when doing presentations, demos or training, I consider the delivery of emotions and transparent self-convincement into voice and body messages, to be very important to arrive to people minds.
Simon - presentations training
October 6th 2009 at 14:57
It was all going so well until I read your title: “You’d never read a presentation script” because many of the clients we get would do just that if we let them!! :)
Simon
Andrew Biss
October 6th 2009 at 15:27
Hi Simon,
Thanks for your comment and welcome to SellToCamera.
It is not just beginners that want to read from a script.
Although they don’t think about it in this way, even experienced presenters have a tendency to bore their audience by reading long-form text from their slides.
In my experience this is often because they don’t spent enough (any?) time practicing their presentation to become familiar with the content. They are using the slides to remind them what they want to say.
Moving to web video will be more difficult for such presenters as they cannot read from a screen and present to camera at the same time. In this case some additional real-world presentation training would be a good idea, to bring their skills up to scratch before facing the camera.
Andrew.
Simon - presentations training
October 6th 2009 at 15:40
Absolutely – our take is that if you’ve got enough material on your slides to read, you’ve got too much on your slides! :) :) :)