How to Make Eye Contact on Zoom

[@johanlorenzo]

This video was BY FAR the best and truly, probably the only video focused on this subject that I've been able to find. I've been using my Canon DSLR but the eye contact is not even close to where it should be. This video is literally GOLD!! Great job putting this together and thanks again!

[@brightonwestvideo]

Wow, thanks!

[@rebeccabridgesbecky]

👍 agreed!

[@PranaWealth]

Brighton, this is a fantastic solution! It's hard to have a natural conversation without eye contact. Thank you!

[@brightonwestvideo]

Yes! Good to hear from you!

[@HollyLeeCoaching]

Love all your tutorials, thank you for making them!

[@pauldixon2637]

Bought a Lilliput A11 after watching your great content on teleprompters with the field monitor. What is the optimal resolution setting in Windows Settings for this secondary monitor please? I have it at 720p at the moment. Thanks in advance.

[@sphchurch]

Good videos. What I want to do is Picture in Picture using Keynote. I want to have myself in the lower right as I go through the slides. Any ideas for that? I’m using a Mac mini with a 21 inch and an HDMI 32 inch monitor. My notes are on the 21 inch monitor in Keynote. I remember the teleprompters on the big Blue RCA cameras and the big red tally light telling you where to look trying to get similiar for my KZbin setup.

[@yuval_kahan]

Wow! - problem solved!! Thank you so much!!

[@jeffreylevans]

❤ thank you. Exactly what I was looking for

[@brightonwestvideo]

You’re welcome 😊

[@CoachRachaelD]

Hello Brighton, thanks for sharing your findings and doing all the heavy lifting! Question: what are your ring light suggestions and how does it work with this particular set up?

[@brightonwestvideo]

I set up the ring light slightly above and to the left or right of the teleprompter. I use this one: amzn.to/3G13MVx. It's big and bright (and you can easily adjust color and brightness.) I actually mount it to a wall kzbin.info/www/bejne/enKrg2CErsaAmKs

[@choosehappinessandcivility4423]

Hi Brighton, this information is extremely helpful. You definitely solved a big problem that a lot of Zoom callers have. Kudos for always sharing valuable content. ~Choose Happiness and Civility

[@brightonwestvideo]

Thanks for your kind words Chandra!

[@michaelgriego9719]

Got it all set up, Thank You again for making this video. After going through with everything assembly and managing the settings on the 2nd monitor, I only ran into one complication that i'm still trying to figure out but i found a work around. I am using a windows laptop "Surface Laptop 3 Business" so when it came to managing the display settings, I had to change the setting "Multiple Displays" from "Duplicate these Displays" to "Extend these Displays". that helped making a full image on the 2nd screen, and when it comes to using Zoom you just have to drag the application from your main computer to the 2nd monitor with it being a extension from your computer. I'm still going to play around with the settings, but how it is works perfectly hopefully this helps any others that use windows.

[@fabianapanettaoficial]

Hi Brighton, very nice video, I really enjoyed it. Quick question, can you use the external monitor the same way you would use an ipad or smart phone when recording a video? I understand you've created this setup to conduct coaching and conference calls, however, can it have a dual purpose? I currently use Oratory on my phone to record my videos, but I am thinking about buying a teleprompter and came across this super useful set up. Thank you kindly in advance for your reply.

[@brightonwestvideo]

Sorry for my delayed reply. Yes, you can use this setup with a smartphone as your recording device - just use it in place of the webcam. I hope that answers your question.

[@fabianapanettaoficial]

@@brightonwestvideo, thank you for your reply!

[@cheshire6176]

Going to be testifying remotely in a court case and found your video. Keep the fingers crossed.

[@brightonwestvideo]

That would be a great use for this! Good luck with your testimony!

[@tommyaudio]

dope! just FYI, when u say "up here" and point up, there is no link bubble or anything. not even worried about it, just letting u know! great idea tho! cheers! ✌🤠

[@brightonwestvideo]

Thanks for letting me know. It should be fixed now.

[@lovesarita]

@@brightonwestvideo Still not fixed

[@TarlikaGTARealtor]

Hi Brighton, If I am using my smarphone for recording my video then how can I use it for reading the text from the same device on teleprompter. I hope I have put my question correctly. Thankyou in advance for clarifying my concern

[@brightonwestvideo]

Sorry - you need two devices. One to record the video and one to show the script.

[@kendricklincolin4981]

Great review, Thank you Brighton! Do you think if I use the PPT Mirror tool feature (to mirror-flip slides)and display them through the lens in teleprompter, would it be a good idea to level up my video quality, especially talking heads as I don't have to follow word for word because I always have my whole concept in front of camera?.

[@brightonwestvideo]

If you are talking about recorded video, that sounds perfect. But if you are presenting and you flip the slides with PPT, it would flip them for the audience too. But you can definitely flip PPT only for you with the the Lilliput monitor.

[@ricardososa7087]

Hi, the video came out nice!!! I have a quick question. I am trying to use an iPad with Duet with the Caddie Buddy but the issue is that I can't find a way to flip the screen on the iPad. There is an extension in Chrome that flips the webpage but is not what I am looking for. I am using Zoom for my classes and would like to go over the PowerPoint slides using the teleprompter. It seems that using a monitor is less os a hassle than using the iPad. This is my question :-). Would I be able to flip the screen on the monitor that you recommend when using the teleprompter? Thank you in advance!!!

[@brightonwestvideo]

Ricardo - the monitor I recommend can flip the screen. It's why I'm so excited to have found it. I tried Duet and I've tried other external monitors. And I found expensive converters that can flip the screen (but were over my budget.) The Lilliput Field Monitors all have the Horizontal Flip function. Probably anything called a "field monitor" will have that. BTW, here's my video on setting up the H-Flip and a few other things on the Lilliput: kzbin.info/www/bejne/janOqad8g5WXrck

[@ricardososa7087]

Dear Brighton, thank you very much for your help and recommendations.

[@melissacourtney8586]

Great videos, thank you! So to clarify, I could use an iPad to start, but if I do I lose the ability to use this as a teleprompter? Being able to use an iPad would save me some money at the start. Thank you!

[@brightonwestvideo]

It’s a bit confusing. You can use an iPad as a second monitor, but it won’t be reversed (so text will be backwards.) But you could use CuePrompter.con as a teleprompter app as it has a “mirror image” option. You just won’t be able to use your iPad to view things like PowerPoint or screen sharing applications. You could also use your iPad in the teleprompter without it being connected to your computer. The app PromptSmart runs on iOS and works great!

[@tombigley7929]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions and demos. How do you align your eyes or place the camera to appear to viewers like you're looking at them in the video? I stare at the lens while I record and the video looks like I'm not looking at the viewer. Thanks

[@brightonwestvideo]

It should look correct if you're looking into the lens. But if it doesn't, then you should experiment. Just record a short video where you talk and move your eyes. "Right now I'm looking 3 inches to the right of the camera. Now I'm looking directly at the camera. Now I'm looking 6 inches below the camera." Then watch the video to see which looks best and use that as a guide in the future.

[@playingwithpossible]

Hi Brighton, have been struggling with figuring this out and this could be the answer I have been looking for! I appreciate the info. Considering monitors you say the one you use in the video is "special?" But looking at available monitors with your links on your sight and then searching your sight and finding your recommendation in a different art of the Szoon 13.3" monitor wondering what the difference is between them. Looking for largest with least expense.

[@brightonwestvideo]

The Szoon 13.3" would work with this setup, but you wouldn't be able to read the text on the screen (it would be backwards.) So if you are only using this to look at someone on a video call, that would work. But if you want to do a presentation or share something on screen that you'll need to read, then you'll want the Lilliput. It is designed to reverse the image so that it looks correct in the teleprompter mirror. Lilliput has models A11 and A12 which are bigger, but more expensive. The A8 seems to be the sweet spot of price and size (at least for me.)

[@shailygupta7472]

What Mike are you using? please share the link, looking to buy one.

[@brightonwestvideo]

I'm using a Blue Yeti amzn.to/3qEKnjt, but a Blue Snowball is probably a decent less expensive option: amzn.to/3doE7ac

[@rena8202]

Thank you for explaining your solution. I teach art history, so appreciate my big iMac monitor to see all the details of images. Would your solution not work for me then, as the area is much smaller than my huge monitor?

[@brightonwestvideo]

Glad it was helpful! What I do is I have both my iMac and this teleprompter on my desk right next to each other. When I'm talking I usually look at the teleprompter, but if I need to see something in detail I look at the Mac. One note: tell people what you are doing beforehand. I usually say, "I have a really big monitor to my left, so when I'm looking over there I'm just looking at a really big picture of you."

[@dawn3632]

Hi Brighton, can this set up work with a dslr camera/webcam?

[@brightonwestvideo]

Yes, if your DSLR can be used as a webcam (not all DSLRs can do that) then this setup works. BTW, some DSLRs will turn off after 30 minutes.

[@jasonpark6709]

Thank you Brighton, I am asking if I am doing interviews on zoom and reading simultaneously from paper. Does this work for me? Thank you again

[@brightonwestvideo]

You'd still need to look down at the paper (which is natural.) You could put your questions into a text document and put them on screen - and split the screen between Zoom and the text document. That would work.

[@jasonpark6709]

Brighton West Video Thank you for responses. Do you mean by using the teleprompter or just using my normal screen. Thanks for clarification!

[@brightonwestvideo]

@@jasonpark6709 The teleprompter will be an exact replica (smaller obviously) of your monitor. So whatever you put on your screen, you will see in the teleprompter mirror.

[@erickajones4186]

Brighton, does this set up with well if I want to look at multiple people on zoom? Say 50 people?

[@brightonwestvideo]

Ericka - if you are willing to see them really small. The monitor is only 10 inches or so. 50 people in that space makes for pretty small images.

[@shelcny]

Hi Brighton, I need to be able to type at the same time as I'm making eye contact with the person. Do you have any tips or tricks for being able to see my typing in the same general area too without twisting or needing to look at a second monitor off to the side?

[@brightonwestvideo]

The teleprompter can display whatever is on your screen. So if you can open a word doc and zoom window together it would work. As an alternate, take a typing class and you’ll never need to look at what you are typing again - you could easily master that!