When we started Video Podcasting, we tried memorizing the necessary scripts and speaking off-the-cuff. And quickly discovered that this approach doesn't work well with detail-heavy content as our shows are. So we looked at turning an under-used laptop into a teleprompter.
There are several very expensive teleprompter programs out there, as well as one free (as in open-source) and one free (as in trial-version) but crippled one. The open source program is TeleKast, but we couldn't get it working on either machine we tried. The trial version program is Prompt! Lite, which does exactly what it claims to but is limited to 2500 characters (a rather small amount for us) and uses a rendering interface we simply found hard to make work the way we wanted.
So when an engineer doesn't like the current solutions, he writes his own. And the result is PodPrompter.
The first version of PodPrompter took less than an hour to get working in Java. Java was chosen because we do a lot of other Java programming, even on cellphones, and because our production system is a Macintosh even though most of our systems run Windows. Java is the easiest language to quickly implement for all platforms on.
Version 1 worked well, but when the keyboard was tapped to change the speed of scrolling, the screen would briefly flash, and the speeds were somewhat limited by processor power due to how much repainting was being done. Version 2.0 was written to avoid those issues and to wrap a slightly nicer interface around it. That's where we are now.
Please consider visiting our website and watching our Video Podcasts. PicoVisionProductions.com.
PodPrompter runs on Java Version 5.0 (AKA 1.5) or later. You should have a current Java runtime installed; most people do. If not, click here to download it.
Then to run PodPrompter, just double-click on the .jar file. No installer is included because everything you need is in one file. So just download it to the directory or folder you wish to run it from, and run it from there. Click here to download PodPrompter.jar
The Settings Screen allows you to import text (loading a file), save text, edit (or paste, the clipboard) text, select a font size and typeface, and render the text.
Any line of text beginning with two hash marks ("##") is skipped by the renderer. These lines are assumed to be production notes, and therefore need not be displayed to the reader. For example...
## The scene is a dimly-lit dinner table, our intrepid host across from the camera...
Oh, there you are... I was wondering when you would arrive. Please, sit.
## Camera zooms and dips, to feign sitting
Can I buy you a drink? On nights like tonight, I'm partial to Armadillo Whiskey.
## Insert logo of Armadillo Whiskey upper left, URL on bottom of screen.
This example would, on-screen, omit all the directions prefaced with "##" and just show the dialog. We generally use it to specify the images and text to be put on-screen after taping, so that our production team can all work from the same script.
The available fonts are determined by querying the system. The last font you selected will be listed first as the current default; this prevents you from having to select the font each time.
For best effect, use a sans-serif proportional font, such as Arial or Tahoma. A non-proportional serifed font, such as Courier, will be hard to read.
The last selected font size also is saved for ease-of-use.The Render screen has very simple controls, designed to be used by touch using a wireless keyboard or mouse. The only functions are:
| Keyboard | Mouse | Command |
| Up | Right Button | Slow the down speed, or speed the up speed. |
| Down | Left Button | Go down faster or up slower |
| Home | Go to the start of text and pause | |
| Enter | Pause at the current location and reset the speed | |
| Spacebar | Toggles pausing at the current location. Keeps the previous speed | |
| Escape F4 | Exit the Renderer |