Supplying Scripts
We encourage you to email your scripts to us prior to production so that they can be checked for formatting issues. This will avoid some of the formatting issues that can be encountered.
The preferred format is a Word.doc file.
Other types of files or formats are possible but they must be discussed prior to the production date or on-set shoot date.
Formatting
The teleprompter script should contain only what the host or speaker will actually be saying. Minimum stage directions may be included. Production scripts that include table and charts do not belong in the teleprompter versions of your scripts and should be removed. If you don’t supply a clean version prompting script prior to arrival valuable time will have to spent reformatting them. Your text should be in a text only format.
What Not to Include
Tables
Graphs
Pictures
Stage cues
Excel files
Powerpoint (is a special category which should be discussed prior to use)
If any of the above are included in the file it will take a certain amount of time to remove the item(s) or to clean the script. How much time? It varies, it can be as simply as a few minutes, if the scripts are simple. If the scripts involve tables it can be a lengthy process. In some cases it’s a cut and paste scenario until it’s done.
Production scripts containing columns for scenes, video instructions and speaker parts can be quite complex. In some instances you can cursor down through the document highlighting the audio only portion, cut it and paste it into a new file. Other times you have to cut and paste each table entry. It depends on what template was used to create the original file.
Valuable production time can be save by e-mailing the scripts at least a day before production. If you have to supply the script on-set it’s best to supply them on a USB memory stick that can be plugged directly into a USB port. The only files on the USB stick should be the scripts required for prompting.