Last Monday at Samsung’s Consumer Electronics Show 2014 presentation, Transformers director, Michael Bay, was brought up on stage by Samsung EVP Joe Stinziano to discuss his endorsement of their new 4K Ultra HD TV. Abruptly, Bay found himself at a loss for words! He became flustered and cut his presentation short. Apparently, the teleprompter confused him. He became addled, unable to adlib and walked off. On his blog, Bay described the incident from his perspective. ”I was about to speak for Samsung for this awesome Curved 105-inch UHD TV. I rarely lend my name to any products, but this one is just stellar. I got so excited to talk, that I skipped over the Exec VP’s intro line and then the teleprompter got lost”. The type, he later added, was too big and it was difficult to know who was supposed to be reading it. He said that live shows aren’t his thing. I found it ironic that just before the embarrassing moment, Michael Bay was talking about being a director. He said that his aim when making a film is to create an environment, a world where filmgoers can escape reality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBQPFYZipRs
At the CES conference, after the now infamous gaffe and a few awkward pauses, he escaped reality! I empathize with Michael Bay. It was a human moment. It can happen to anyone. However, it is worth noting that total familiarity with the script before the actual presentation is essential. As Joshua Handler said in a previous blog post: “Teleprompters are here to aid you”. The operative word is aid. They are not something to rely on completely. Here at American Movie Company, we do our best to help you get comfortable with your script. We take the time to explain how the teleprompter works. We run through the script with you, and make sure you are fully ready before shooting begins. I’d like to think that one of our teleprompter operators would have been able to adjust the speed of the scroll and help Mr. Bay stay on message. But, as with all things in life, something can always go wrong. When it does, keep your head about you, take a deep breath and be human. Most people are forgiving and understanding. I know it’s easy to say this now. A person never knows how he/she will react in a given situation.
I do know that being familiar with the script and the teleprompter is a must.
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For all your teleprompter needs, please give us a call: 212-219-1075
