teleprompter instructions

Com 240: Introduction to Radio and Television

Dr. Janet McMullen

Instructions for Use of the Teleprompter

In Com 240 students will find the use of the teleprompter will help them do a better job in the P-4 and P-5 assignments. In the P-4 Television Commercial, students should prepare all of their commercial copy for the prompter. For the P-5 New-Interview program, the prompter should be used for the informal opening, the news copy, and the informal closing.

Copy should be typed as follows:

In upper and lower case
WITHOUT camera directions
Do not use special indentations.
Leave a single line between stories
Copy should be saved in an ASCII text file . This is extremely important, because the program for the prompter is dos based, and will not read other word processing files.
Files should be saved with the following file name: YOUR NAME and production number, but the file name must be limited to 8 characters (remember this is a dos file) Ex. McMull7 or you may name it by your group and number as in ABC-7.
File must be saved on a 3.5" IBM Formatted disc.
LABEL your disc with your name, production group and number. (McMullen ABC 7). The prompter operator will then be able to locate your file quickly and get it loaded.
You should plan to come early to test your file to make sure it loads properly.

How to use the prompter:

Make sure the computer and prompter is turned on. Check the followng:

the surge protector at the back of the computer
the switch on the back of the computer
the amplifier on the top of the computer
the switch the monitor
the switch on monitors attached to the cameras (if these do not work, be sure the electrical cords are plugged in properly, they sometimes come loose)

You will see as C>

Type CD/beacon

You will see C:beacon>

Type beacon20

The teleprompter introduction screen will appear. Strike any key.
You will see the operative screen for the teleprompter. You have two choices:

Type in your copy
OR
Get a file you have already saved

Select F2 (File Options)
Get File
Select your file (using arrow keys)
Your file will load
You can also change file path and load from the floppy disks. (B: on our computer)

Once your copy has loaded or has been typed into the screen, select F3 (Prompter)
F3 puts your copy into a mode ready to roll at full screen. Instructions will be on the screen telling you to select a number which will indicate the speed at which the copy will crawl on the screen. We have found that 6 or 7 works best, but this should be checked when the talent gives a voice level. Have them read from the prompter and tell you which speed works best. The entire copy should crawl for the P-4 assignment in 27 to 28 seconds.
If the screen will not roll or crawl, strike the HOME key. That will take it back to the top. Then strike the number of the speed you want.
TO BEGIN:

The prompter should be set with the first line of the copy near the middle of the screen by -1:00 to air
When the director says "Cue Talent" strike the number key you have chosen.
If you need to slow it down or pause it, strike the space bar to pause or another number to change speed.

TO END: strike the ESCAPE key to return to the main screen.
TO SAVE A FILE: GO to F2 and select "SAVE FILE"

enter talent's name and number
ex. Smith-4

TO COPY a file to the hard disk from a floppy: beacon>copy B:filename (if your prompt is in the C drive)

It is much faster to operate directly from the floppy drive, so once you are into the software, go to F2 and change file path to B: and simply select the appropriate file. For the next production, change the disk and repeat the process.

Dr. Mc usually asks for volunteers who wish to learn the teleprompter. Those volunteers from CBS will work during the ABC production and those from ABC will work during the CBS production. This is an excellent opportunity to get experience that can be very useful to you.