iPhones-iPads as prompters

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Nino

Well-known member
For the last few days I've been using my iPhone as a teleprompter. Few days ago the producer and reporters asked me if I have ever heard or used an iPhone as a prompter. It so happened that a few weeks ago I downloaded a prompter app but never got into, until a few days ago. This morning I'll go buy an iPad because the producer, and reporter, loved the time they saved with just using the cheap prompter app on the iPhone.

The way their system works is that the producer and reporters write their stand ups using the company issued Blackberry phones, often they have several scripts about two minute long each. These scripts include several sport statistics so they have to be accurate and often they are hard to remember.

They email the script back to the studio where someone will check them for accuracy and make necessary changes. The approved script is emailed back to them and the entire process takes less than ten minutes.

What they did they forwarded the approved script to my iPhone and I copy n' pasted it in the prompter app.

The producer held the iPhone below the lens and at ten feet away the reporter did his things without a glitch; good thing he had good eyesight.

This particular cheap app has no working speed control but speed can be set in the menu, so what he producer did was doing was to stop the scroll and keep up with the reporter reading. Although very crude the result was that we did all the stand-ups in one take each, and that alone is worth any investment.

To my surprise even thou the reporter was reading below the lens, on camera it looked like he was looking directly into the lens.

So my question is, has anyone here have any working experience with any of this? I've seen plenty of products at NAB and keep reading about it. I'm not looking for a teleprompter, I have one of those. I'm looking for someone who has a good experience with software apps and I'm looking for something fast to mount the iPads just below the lens, "quickly".

Some of the softwares apps that I've seen advertised on the web also use the iPhone to remotely adjust the scroll on the iPad.

Anyone with real time experience?

Thanks gang
 
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Run&Gun

Well-known member
We've been using the iPhone as a prompter with the Pro Prompter app($9.99) with some ESPN folks since last year and we recently started using the iPad about a month and a half or two months ago and the one's that use it LOVE it. We mount it just above the lens with the bracket that the Pro Prompter people make and use a NOGA arm and it works great. We also use an iphone or touch to scroll and start/stop the scripts.

It makes life so much easier, especially when you're in a situation with only a limted amount of time to do the stand-up, whip, etc (like a 5-10 min window of quite at the racetrack between practice sessions).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/683586-REG/ProPrompter_PP_IPBK_iPad_Bracket.html

https://apps.bodelin.com/proprompter/producer/

Nino, email/PM me and I can send you a pic or two from my BlackBerry of our set-up.
 
Focused

Focused

Well-known member
iPrompter

I have not done this yet, but I have pics from NAB in 2008 where all sorts of smart phones were being used as prompters. I thought it was really cool at the time because there was a universal bracket that mounted just about every phone. So, whatever phone the reporter had could be used on the spot. Its also smart--having a another use for what is already in your pocket and requiring less gear to get the job done.

I would think the iPad would be better than an I phone because of the larger display.
 
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Capt. Slo-mo

Well-known member
A couple of weeks ago, I was in the local gear house, and they were taking production stills of an IPad-based prompter system.

It used the IPad in a horizontal to the ground mount, bouncing up into a standard looking mirror in front of the lens system, much like normal prompters, only with very little hardware hanging on the camera. It looked pretty slick and was readable from about a mile away.

They don't seem to have the system posted on their website yet. Bummer.
 
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Run&Gun

Well-known member
It's been my experience, so far, that in the field from a normal stand-up distance, you do not need a mirror system. The iPad or iPhone/iPod Touch mounted directly above the lens is just fine, it does not look like talent isn't looking into the lens.
 
D

Douglas

Well-known member
I don't have any suggestions for an app, but it's been my experience that holding a cue card (now an iPad) above the lens usually looks better than below the lens. Try it.

Sent from iPad.
 
D

Douglas

Well-known member
I have I-prompt Pro (free) but have never actually had a reason to use it in a real situation.
 
N

Nino

Well-known member
Run&Gun said:
We've been using the iPhone as a prompter with the Pro Prompter app($9.99) with some ESPN folks since last year and we recently started using the iPad about a month and a half or two months ago and the one's that use it LOVE it. We mount it just above the lens with the bracket that the Pro Prompter people make and use a NOGA arm and it works great. We also use an iphone or touch to scroll and start/stop the scripts.

It makes life so much easier, especially when you're in a situation with only a limted amount of time to do the stand-up, whip, etc (like a 5-10 min window of quite at the racetrack between practice sessions).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/683586-REG/ProPrompter_PP_IPBK_iPad_Bracket.html

https://apps.bodelin.com/proprompter/producer/

Nino, email/PM me and I can send you a pic or two from my BlackBerry of our set-up.
Click to expand...
Thanks R&G. Here it is. Very easy to DIY. I used Manfrotto articulated arms that I already had with some minor modification; and also the iPad mount that you suggested. It takes less than a minute to mount it on the camera.

I already had the app in my iPhone and I downloaded one for the iPad, there was no charge for the extra downloading so the software costs me $9.90, not a bad deal. Now I can control the iPad via bluetooth from my iPhone.

The entire rig adds less than 4 pounds and I also tried on the shoulder with no problem, although I’m not going to suggest it to to the producer.





 
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expert75

Member
Does anyone still use i-Prompt Pro. I recently purchased the wired controller therefore I am able to play/pause the script while the iPad is attached to the camera and also can speed the script up and slow it down. It really helped me with my production. I also got it at a discounted price as I am led to believe that the price of the controller will be going up in August.
 
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Run&Gun

Well-known member
Just used it about two hours ago. We use it all the time for ESPN(several times a week/weekend). Makes life so much easier when you're in a time crunch and talent has a very long script and/or it's very stat-laden.
 
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expert75

Member
I've found the wired remote really useful. Do you guys use this. I am now thinking of buying the wireless one because the range is so much more.
 
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Run&Gun

Well-known member
We mostly use an iPod Touch as a remote with the iPad. One of the producers and one of the shooters both have iPhones, but most of the time we use the Touch now. I bought one just for use as a remote. We keep the iPad and Touch together in the same sleeve so they don't get separated. We have T-brackets with Cine-Locks on our camera handles and have a Noga Arm with the mounting bracket and matching Cine-lock end for quick and easy mounting of the prompter on the cams. Overall, it's a very good system that has helped make life in the field easier.
 
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Run&Gun

Well-known member
expert75 said:
Using the iPod Touch as a controller can you change the speed of the script while it's in use?
Click to expand...
Yes you can. You can speed it up, slow it down and pause it. You can also reset the script. You can load the script(or multiple scripts) into the touch and it sends it to the iPad via BT while it is linked(it doesn't download it to it, though. It's only available while they are linked together).
 
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expert75

Member
I spoke to the creators of i-Prompt, i-Prompt Pro this week. They will be releasing a new prompting app close to IBC called i-Prompt Live. Here you can control the device by Bluetooth by using another apple device. They also have a new web interface feature where you can create/upload scripts using their online service and these will be sent directly to the app for prompting. Apparently there are more features but I wasn't told about them. I got to this stage because I asked them about a Bluetooth option. After talking to them for sometime the guy I spoke to offered to put me on a mailing list to beta test the new software so I will be able to let you know soon what it is like. If you contact them then they might add more people on too.
 
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