DIY iPhone Teleprompter

UPDATE: Martin Just added an explanatory image of the model along with a sketchup model for the matte box. See image and links at the bottom of the page.

DIYP don’t often feature video or iPhone hack. It does, but not often. When I see a hack that is both video and iPhone, though, the little geek inside of me simply commands a post.

Reader Martin Taylor came up with a very cool teleprompter project. It requires nothing more than an iPhone, a Fresnel sheet magnifier and a sample piece of beam splitter glass. It is designed for 50mm lenses.

OK, a Teleprompter is the thing that news persons read from when they sit down. It’s kinda like the scrolling opening of StarWars. (this is why it looks like newsman are watching ping-pong while broadcasting the news). The cool thing is that the camera sits right behind the teleprompter so it looks like the anchor is looking straight at the camera.

This is possible because the lines are reflected off a semitransparent glass called a beam splitter glass, which allows the camera to see through the glass while simultaneously projecting lines of text.

Martin’s DIY design uses am iPhone loaded with Prompter Pro (though martin suggest the use of the free i-prompt), a Fresnel sheet magnifier (to doubles the size of the iPhone screen) and a beam splitter glass. Those along with some black foam board and a hardwood block make the entire construction.

The only thing left to wonder is what will go on the news if the anchor’s girlfriend (or boyfriend for that matter) texts them that this is it.

For the entire project and a fuller explanation follow this link and watch the notes on the flickr image.

For a sketchup diagram that will explain how to build the matt box follow this link, again curtesy or Martin Tylor.