How does an Interrotron work?

An Interrotron replaces a camera lens with a friendly face. 

Instead of talking to some off-camera stranger, the subject speaks right to the camera. This way, your audience is in the conversation, not just eavesdropping. The great documentary filmmaker Errol Morris popularized direct to camera interviews with his creation, the Interrotron. With our HD Interrotron rental system, there are two teleprompters, each fed the video signals of the opposite camera. The subject sees the face of the interviewer and vice versa. They just have a one-on-one conversation over video.

Typically the interviewer and subject are in the same room. There have been situations where the two have been in different cities or countries. For instance, we worked for Al Gore in San Francisco who was simultaneously interviewed by students around the globe.

The movies and commercials Errol Morris made with this technique are downright riveting. Many reality TV shows now use this concept with fantastic results. The name Interrotron came from Errol’s wife, who combined “terror” and “interview.”

An Interrotron creates Interview Magic. 

The system is dependent on your needs, but typically includes:

• Two teleprompters with 19″ HD LED monitors

• A friendly, skilled operator to deliver, set up, and maintain the system throughout your event

• All necessary video cables and accessories

• An HD camcorder to provide the director’s image

• A stand to support the B-teleprompter and camcorder unit

• An LED light for the director.

Our HD Interrotron can also go out as a rental, after an initial training session has been completed. While Neil Tanner Teleprompting is based near San Francisco, our multiple Interrotron units can be shipped anywhere you need to rent them.

We now offer an internet based Interrotron flypack.

This flypack comes with laptop, IFB earpiece for the subject, headphone amp, and cables. You can get one from our storage centers in Sacramento, San Francisco and San Jose. Or we can ship our Interrotron flypack to facilitate long distance interviews anywhere you need. We’ll connect via Zoom, Webex, Skype or Google Meet.

With such a hybrid name, some misspellings are expected. We’ve seen it listed as interrortron, interratron, interatron, interotron, interretron, and even nteratron. Sheesh 😉