From news broadcasts to TV sitcoms, all professional media incorporates a teleprompter these days. Its presence makes shoots go by more quickly and provides reliable results. Learn why teleprompters shaped how we now film media as you shop for new equipment. Add a prompting device to your proverbial toolbox and watch the difference in action.

Fewer Takes

A shoot goes by much more quickly when your actors get their lines right the first time. Their job gets much easier when they’ve got the words readily available. This ease makes for more productive shoots; you’ll get much more done in a day when you don’t have to worry about actors flubbing lines over and over.

Clearer Communication

If you’re shooting a newscast or video essay, you (or whoever is speaking) will deliver those lines more clearly when the words are right in front of you. Delete those pesky “ums” and “ahs” from the speech by displaying those carefully chosen words at the right pace with the right prompter. There’s a teleprompter for sale for every type of filmmaking, whether you’re shooting a YouTube video essay or a feature film.

Decreased Anxiety

Many actors and public speakers still get pre-show jitters, no matter how experienced they are. Forgetting or flubbing lines is an actor’s nightmare! Boost their onscreen confidence and dispel their worries by having that teleprompter ready as a backup.

Increased Complexity

When you film a movie, you’re telling a story—and you want that story to engage your audience. Complicated scenes require both dialogue and blocking (staging when and where your actors move). If you’ve got the script on a teleprompter, you can focus on creative camera movement and precise blocking without worrying about the words.

If you’re accustomed to improvising and ad-libbing, you may not have considered a teleprompter before. However, prompters can make your life as a filmmaker infinitely easier. They take the anxiety out of shooting and streamline the post-production process. That’s why teleprompters shaped how we now film media, and they’re not going away anytime soon.