I was listening to the TV news and the newspeople were talking about following a teleprompter and others using this in television shows. Hearing this made me remember a few years back when I was in a project for my employer. I was an officer of a Global Disability Network Business Resource Group with other officers from other business resource groups. Each one of us represented the unique and diverse set of the population we have in the world and in our professional lives. We had the opportunity to be actors in a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion short film/video. This was more than just a simple film/ video. It was filmed in a professional production studio in front of a green screen so the producer could add whatever background was required for each scene.
The actors were split up into pairs to perform their parts. After we all performed our roles and said our lines the parts were edited together by the production studio to make the final short film. I was the only actor in this short film who was completely blind. This required me to memorize all my lines since I could not watch the teleprompter like the others to show me what I should be saying during my parts. I practiced many hours over many days, evenings and weekends prior to the filming painfully memorizing my lines. I did this in-between my other full time job responsibilities.
Finally, it was the day to do the filming. I met everybody at the small production studio and we all met with the producer and the people filming prior to doing the filming. We talked over what we were supposed to do to produce the short film/video. This relaxed us some, however it also brought on the stress as well since we all realized we were getting ready to do the filming and perform our roles.
Then everybody moved into a room with one way glass. Then the two actors whose time it was to do their part went into a soundproof room next to the room we were all in where the filming was being done. The actors who could see (all but me) could watch the filming through the one way glass. Then the actors said their lines back-and-forth to each other. If their part was not done to the producer’s satisfaction, they would have to do it again. Being on the other side of the one-way glass we could hear what was going on in the filming room due to the way they had the sound system setup. We could sense and feel the stress from the actors attempting to recite all their lines watching the teleprompter as they did not want to make a mistake. A couple of times they had to do a retake. I really felt badly for them because I could sense the tension growing on their second take with the additional stress. It was even more difficult, I sensed for them to do the second take without mistakes. One pair of actors had to do at least three retakes before the fourth one passed.
They finished their fourth take successfully. I could feel everybody in the soundproof room loudly cheering for their success. Plus, now we all realized the importance of performing our role on the first take without mistakes if at all possible.
Finally, it was my turn. All I kept thinking while I was going through in my mind as I said my lines and going back-and-forth with the other actor, I was partnered with to do our scene was do not make a mistake. I did not want to do a second take. Fortunately, my actor/partner and I did well and we finished our lines in the first take.
After we had completed the long day of filming, we were all extremely happy. Since my part in the short film/video was not playing the part of a person who is blind I believe I played my role well and did not have my canes in view in any of the scenes. Therefore, no one watching the film/video could not even tell I was completely blind.
Has anyone else been in a film/video and can relate to the need to memorize their lines? Has anyone used a teleprompter to give talks and could relate to doing so if it was broken one day? Has anyone used a braille display and took the time to learn how to use it plus learn braille? Were you able to read your lines on the braille display and how did it work for you?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments. Therefore, if you have any comments or feedback, please send an email to Bill Tipton since unfortunately the comments are closed to my blog site.
Bill Tipton
Contributing Author,
Global Dialogue Center
http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/
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