Definition of teleprompter

The word "teleprompter" derives from a combination of the prefix "tele-," which means "distant" or "far," and the word "prompter," which refers to a theater device used to provide actors with written dialogue or cues that are displayed just below their line of sight. The teleprompter, as the name suggests, is a device that uses technology to display prompts or scripts for speakers or performers, allowing them to read from a displayed text without appearing to do so to the audience. The teleprompter was first developed in the early 1970s by producer Robert podgorny, who came up with the idea after watching a filmed interview in which the subject kept looking down at their script. The device's initial design consisted of a rotating mirror system that sent a spoken participant's line of sight via a camera to a monitor displaying the script below it, creating the illusion that the participant was looking directly at the camera while reading the script. This invention revolutionized the broadcasting industry by making live, scripted content more accessible and efficient to produce, as it allowed for longer, more scripted speeches to be delivered without a loss of naturalness or spontaneity. As teleprompters became more widespread and advanced, they also enabled the addition of cues for camera angles, timing, and other stage directions, streamlining the entire production process and making it easier to produce high-quality content. In summary, the word "teleprompter" combines the concepts of distance and prompter technology to describe this game-changing innovation in the world of communications, allowing those delivering messages to do so with greater ease, efficiency, and professionalism.