Television Prompters
Prompting during a television production may be necessary to aid recall of forgotten lines, as an aide-mémoire in the form of a list of subjects to be covered, or the complete text (unlearned) to be read to camera as if delivered spontaneously.
Prompt card
The aide-mémoire type of prompting is often met in current affairs or educational productions. In its simplest form it may be a large card held up by the floor manager as near to the presenter’s eye-line as possible (when he/she is not on camera).
Hearing aid
A more sophisticated communications aid is the unobtrusive hearing aid worn by the presenter and connected to the director’s microphone by a switch. The director operates the switch when he wishes to pass cues, up-to-date information etc. to assist the speaker, unheard by the microphone or others in the studio. Known as switched talkback, it should naturally be used sparingly and considerately and never whilst the presenter is speaking or about to speak.
Electronic prompter
A type of prompter that contains the complete production text takes several forms. A system still occasionally found is the mechanically driven paper roll. The script is typed at a base station onto a cash-register roll of paper. This roll is viewed by a small industrial camera, its televised image appearing on the prompter picture monitor with reversed scans. This is viewed by the speaker through a semi-reflecting mirror in front of the camera lens. It now appears that the speaker is addressing the viewer directly. If necessary, film or videotape may also be displayed on the prompter monitor with the script superimposed. The eye movements of the speaker are hardly detectable as he reads the script. Last minute alterations are possible by simply cutting out redundant passages with scissors and joining on additions with clear adhesive tape, or for small changes, sticking a blank piece of paper over the script and writing in the alterations. Speed is controlled by an operator or the presenter. A more advanced system now universally replacing the paper roll couples the monitor to a special word processor. The operator can delete, add or alter the text, the word processor automatically justifying as the changes are made. The equipment is ideally suited to prepared statements, speeches and news situations where changes are often made whilst the programme is on air. Speed control is again by an operator or the presenter and most can link into other computer networks, e.g. news systems for automatic downloading of scripts.
The elements of a digital prompter include a specially programmed word processor (1), a monitor for the operator (2), and a hood attached to the front of the camera containing a semi-reflecting mirror (3) which enables the presenter to look straight at the lens when reading his script displayed on the reverse scanned monitor (4) fitted beneath the hood. The operator remains in contact with the director through headphones.