Who I am

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:00:00 -0500

Prompter To Go is a service of Writer To Go and Feral Film, providing teleprompter and script services, wherever you need it.

To discuss my services, please email me or phone:

Or see my contact page.

Have prompter, will travel!

What I do

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:03:00 -0500

Teleprompter Operator was one of those jobs that found me, not the other way around. At the beginning of my career, I saw it as a mere stepping stone, perhaps a task worth learning, admittedly another way to earn a technician’s day rate, but not an end I was seeking. At first, I was just glad to be sitting in the studio, control room or on location, a perfect vantage point to see, hear and learn from a production crew firsthand.

But I was disappointed when clients discovered I had a knack for ‘prompting, especially automating the time consuming aspects (under deadline) with personal computers. Not only did they grow accustomed to editing the script right up to the last minute (because I could still load it into the ‘prompter right before we went to air), but those early clients became reluctant to hire me for “better” jobs.

Little did I know, then, that I’d still be doing it two decades later!

Without ever advertising or promoting this service, for over two decades, a regular (and growing) group of clients have been calling on (and referring) me for teleprompter, script writing and editing.

In the ’90s, when I became a producer, and raised my rates accordingly, I assumed that priced me out of this work. To my surprise, clients kept asking for me. At first, I thought this was just force of habit. But after they found other and cheaper teleprompter operators, yet still called me, I began to ask them why.

Clients call me when they need more than a teleprompter operator. My clients know they can hand me a script or an outline, or just a few bullet points, in almost any format, and I’ll make it work, in the time we have, tailoring it to our talent — whether that’s an actor or executive, reading ‘prompter for the very first time or the fifth time since lunch.

They know I’ll just get it done. <PAUSE> But what do you need done?

You just whipped up a script in Word or email. Do you need it cleaned up, formatted and easy to read before the CEO arrives?

You’ve got a dozen collaborators and four micromanaging executives in six different organizations on three different continents with eight different agendas writing at cross-purposes for five days. Do you need a calm diplomat who can work with them all to corral and correlate every contribution into one cohesive script?

You’ve got pages of jargon that no one outside your industry comprehends. Do you need a writer who can translate that into a clear and captivating message?

You’re crossed-eyed after hours, days or month rehashing the same words. (Which draft is this?) Do you need a fresh pair of eyes to help you see your words anew?

When that’s done, do you need any of that read off a teleprompter?

Finally, you’re in the studio or on location, but there are dozens of last minute changes to the script. Do you need printed and ‘prompter versions of the script to stay in sync?

I’ve been providing all these services, and more, for over 20 years.

That’s a little bit of my history and a few of the things I do to earn a living. This web site is a placeholder, until I get enough of a break from paying work to better promote myself. Thanks to everyone who keeps me too busy to get around to that!

Have prompter, will travel!