Using the Teleprompter and Scripts

• The Teleprompter
• Entering Your Script
• Rehearsing Your Script
• Adjusting the Scroll Speed of the Script
• Manually Controlling the Teleprompter

The Teleprompter

The Teleprompter is the large area in the top center of the Vlog It! window where your script is displayed. You can import a script or outline from a word processor or type the script directly into the Teleprompter window. As you rehearse and record your show, the words of the script scroll upwards, allowing you to read from the screen as the show progresses.

Reading your script from the teleprompter really helps you focus on your speaking part, speak with greater confidence, and keeps you from uttering the dreaded "uh" that seems to spring from our lips when we are not quite sure what words to use.

If you've followed the steps we've handily provided in Finding your optimal camera position, you have placed your video camera just over the Teleprompter window. After a little bit of practice and rehearsal, it will appear that you, (or the person in your show), is looking in the direction of the camera while they are actually reading the words on the screen.

You don't have to use the Teleprompter to use Vlog It! You can create presentations, slide shows and other communications accompanied simply by music or sound effects.

Entering Your Script

If you can, put some time into developing a good script. A good script is one that has a clear message, is interesting to your audience and is easy for you to read as it scrolls.

1. Open Vlog It! and load a show. If you don't already have a show, one of the demo shows will work just fine.
2. Position your cursor at the point where you would like the script to begin. This may be at the beginning of the show or in sequence with a particular event in an action tray in the action area. Click the mouse in the Teleprompter window and a flashing "I" cursor will appear where your text will begin. You can either type or paste your script into the Teleprompter window.

   If you are copying your script into the Teleprompter from a word processing program:

   1. Open the program and select the text you wish to copy.
   2. Right-click and select Copy from the pop up menu.
   3. In Vlog It!, position the cursor in the Teleprompter window. Right-click and select Paste.

Changing the Font Size of Your Script

To change the size of the font in the Teleprompter, right-click anywhere in its pane and select Small, Medium, or Large Font. If none of those three options is just right, then select Custom Font. The Font dialog lets you specify not only a font size but also a type face.

Saving a Script

Your script is automatically saved as part of your project when you save your show.

Printing a Script

To print your script, click Print Script on the Project Tab. You can also press CTRL+P or select Print Teleprompter Script in the File menu.

Rehearsing Your Script

1. With the camera on, click the Rehearse button. The show will play and the script in the Teleprompter window and the events in the Action Area will start to scroll upward.
   
2. Read the lines in the Teleprompter as they pass through the colored Action bar. Avoid looking away from the bar (e.g. at yourself in the Output Monitor window), as it can be distracting to your audience.

Adjusting the Scroll Speed of the Script

If the script is scrolling too fast or too slow, adjust the Teleprompter's speed by dragging the Scroll Speed slider on the Director tab to the left to slow down the pace or to the right to speed it up.

If your script ends before the events in the show finish, space your text out accordingly. To add time for video clips, long graphic sequences, or dramatic pauses, add blank lines by pressing Enter on your keyboard.

Manually Controlling the Teleprompter

Vlog It! allows you to control the Teleprompter manually:

• Pausing the Teleprompter: To pause the Teleprompter, click the Pause button on the Director Tab or press CTRL+SPACEBAR.
• Jumping to the Next Effect: To trigger the next effect, click the Next Effect button or press CTRL+Enter. This command works regardless of whether the Teleprompter is scrolling or paused, but it's particularly useful for recording a show off-the-cuff rather than reading a script.
• Stepping ahead by a line: To scroll down by one line, click the Advance button or press ALT+A.
• Terminating the current effect: If you're in the middle of an effect and want to cut it short, click the End Effect button or press ALT+Z. If the current effect is transitional, then the media input from its tray will become the A Source; if it's non-transitional, then the previous A Source will return to full screen.
  Note that this action has no effect on the finished, published video because Vlog It! runs all transitions as they're programmed at the time you publish.

Positioning the Teleprompter for the Ideal Eye Line

If the show includes any live shots of you reading from the Teleprompter, then the ideal position for the Vlog It! window is centered under the camera's lens. If your display resolution is set to 1024 x 768, then the Teleprompter will necessarily be centered at the top of the screen. If your resolution is higher than that, then either drag theVlog It! window to the top of the screen or enable the Jump to Top of Screen option:

1. In the menu bar, click Settings.
2. Click Application Settings.
3. Under Rehearse/Record Options, click Jump To Top of Screen and click OK.

For pointers on where to position the camera, please consult Setting Up your Studio.