SIOUX FALLS, SD, JULY 6, 2011—The technical crew at Main Street Living, a Lutheran television program, spends its Saturday mornings on the road, traveling from church to church in order to produce its hour-long, weekly series. In order to meet his crew’s needs for portability, reliability and ease of use, Technical Advisor Gene Schultz recently selected two 15-inch TFT Entry Level Prompters (ELP) from Autoscript, the world’s leading teleprompting company and a Vitec Group brand, to join his production team.
Autoscript’s ELP 15 on-camera prompters provide an excellent prompting solution for houses of worship, small studios, schools, colleges and universities, as they feature all core prompting functionality in a rugged purpose-built system, designed to provide years of reliable performance. In addition, the systems are lightweight and portable, making them perfect for on-location shoots.
“In one session, we can film anywhere from six to eight ministers on a Saturday morning,” says Schultz. Used with hand-held Panasonic AG-DVX100 BP cameras on a tripod and a small audio board, the entire system can fit into the back of a van. “We are traveling around, packing the equipment up and taking it throughout the area, so it’s necessary for the teleprompters to be lightweight, portable and small. We work in a portable studio, so we need a system that doesn’t require us to set up days in advance. It’s supposed to work and it does.”
What’s more, Schultz uses a distribution amp to feed both monitors with the same text for the ministers during filming. “This allows us to get a different angle on-camera, helping to make the show more visually appealing. And it works great, too. You can go as fast as the minister is speaking or slow it down. It’s instantaneous and very professional.”
While Schultz is a former engineer, he says the system is user-friendly for the local ministers and volunteer crew alike. Whether it’s a first-time user or someone who is filmed frequently, his or her initial apprehension is put at ease once they receive a quick tutorial and use the system for themselves.
“They’re amazed at how easy it is to use and it helps to keep the ministers comfortable while keeping the sermons feeling real,” says Schultz. “In terms of our crew, we also don’t always work with the same technical staff, so the Autoscript system is really easy to teach someone how to use. It’s a simple and yet professional operation.”
Autoscript recently unveiled its new ELP 15 teleprompter, the ELP 15 Plus, offering a lighter, more streamlined design and enhanced features including: 50% less power consumption (AC or DC Power); 20% less weight; 20° wider viewing angle; 400 nits of brightness; TallyPlus or ClockPlus mounting and power integration; compact, rugged all-metal case design and suitable for small or large, ENG type cameras alike.
Main Street Living is endorsed by The South Dakota District of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Broadcast each Sunday on KDLT-NBC, Sioux Falls, at 10 a.m. CST and KEVN-FOX, Rapid City, at 9 a.m. MST, the first half hour of the program is a children’s biblical educational program, “Kid’s Crossing,” featuring host, Bob Portice; two puppets, Simon and Bernice and an additional cast of characters. The second half of the program features a local area pastor leading an abbreviated worship service, specifically designed for viewers at home.
For more information and to find an authorized Autoscript dealer, please visit www.Autoscript.tv or contact ussales@autoscript.tv.
About Autoscript
Established in the U.K. in 1984, with headquarters in the U.S. and the U.K., Autoscript is the world leader in the prompting industry. Autoscript provides a complete range of PC-based teleprompters, the best designed and built hardware, PC cards and software, and – with its expanding line of intuitive accessories – is the new definition in prompting. Autoscript is a member of the Vitec Group. For more information, visit www.autoscript.tv.
A Snapshot of The Vitec Group
Vitec is an international Group principally serving customers in the broadcast, photographic and military, aerospace and government (MAG) markets. Listed on the London Stock Exchange with 2010 revenue of £309 million, Vitec is based on strong, well known, premium brands on which its customers worldwide rely. Vitec is organized in three divisions: Imaging & Staging, Videocom and Services.
Imaging & Staging designs, manufactures and distributes equipment and accessories for photography, video and events.
Videocom designs and distributes systems and products used in broadcasting and live entertainment, film and video production and MAG.
Services provides equipment rental, workflow design and technical support for camera, video, audio, fiber optic and wireless technology used by TV production teams and film crews.
More information can be found at http://www.vitecgroup.com.
