How to Replace EyeDirect for the Fraction of the Cost Using a Pad Prompter and Free Software
The EyeDirect® is a patented device designed to be placed in front of your video camera in order to guarantee eye contact between any interview subject and the lens. EyeDirect® use a patented combination of mirror and beamsplitter to guarantee eye contact with any interview subject, regardless of age or mood. Subjects see the interviewer’s face while actually looking directly into the camera’s lens. (eyedirect.tv)
EyeDirect is not cheap and if you have a pad propmter, which is dirt cheap compared, you can replace it easily. What you would need is the following:
- Pad prompter (any type will be fine)
- iPad or other tablet (bigger the better)
- Laptop with camera (we are using MacBook Air with Quicktime)
- Cable between your laptop and iPad
- Yam Display free software (https://www.yamdisplay.com)
Here is how to set up your own pad prompter “EyeDirect”
- Install your pad prompter on the camera as usual.
- Install Yam Display both on your laptop and iPad to see your laptop’s display on your tablet.
- Connect the laptop with the iPad. Now you can see the screen of your laptop on your iPad.
- Open Quicktime Player – if you are using a Mac – on your laptop. Double click the Quicktime icon and choose “New movie recording”. You will see your image coming up on the screen. That image will show up on the tablet as well.
Now you have your own working pad prompter “EyeDirect”.
Here are some samples how we used this setup for interviews, where close eye contact was critical.
Remote video production in Vienna for a Canadian documentary production.
Corporate shoot for Barclay Bank in Prague, Czech Republic.
Talent facing our prompter (in the left corner) for eye contact with the interviewer.
