How Wise Guys Uses the Elgato Prompter on Every Shoot

Wise Guys is a commercial video production agency based in Milton Keynes, UK, producing commercial film work for brands including Burberry, Audi, Canada Goose, Siemens, Nintendo, Condé Nast and more. For over a decade, they have built a reputation for pairing creative direction with the kind of professional camera and production setups that top-tier clients expect on set.

That combination of high-end client expectations and the practical realities of shoot days is exactly where prompter choice matters most, especially when scripts change fast and clients are watching closely.

Before switching to Elgato Prompter, the Wise Guys production team relied on a bulky iPad system that slowed them down on set. It worked, but it wasn't built for the pace of a real shoot day.

We spoke with the Wise Guys team about why Elgato Prompter earned a permanent spot in their kit and how it's changed the way they handle client changes on set.

Wise Guys: Before the Elgato Prompter we were using an incredibly clunky prompter that you slotted an iPad into. We hated using it. It was slow and looked unprofessional. It needed its own tripod which meant repositioning the camera was a nightmare. The problem is that consumer-grade systems are fiddly and a pain to use, while pro systems are expensive and annoying to rent, especially if you haven't used them before. Typically a daily rental was upwards of $200.

Wise Guys: It's an absolute dream on a shoot day, and I mean it when I say we will literally never go back. It weighs almost nothing, which makes it super easy to travel with. It also means it can sit directly on 15mm rods right in front of the lens, butted right up to the front element, which eliminates any light leaks or glare.

Wise Guys: As much as the crew love it, the clients love it more. It's incredibly quick to dial in a client's preferred text size and scroll speed. There are always changes mid-read, so being able to rapidly change text and jump between sections means clients are never left waiting for adjustments — it just happens straight away.

Wise Guys: It's just part of the regular kit now, even when a teleprompter isn't planned. Its size and weight mean it costs nothing to bring along, and because it's so quick to set up, we always have it on hand for emergencies, like if a speaker decides last minute that they need it. You just plug it into a laptop and you're on your way.

Wise Guys: The screen size is perfect because you don't see a speaker's eyes scanning during takes. It's durable too... trust me, we know, because it's been dropped a couple of times. It's incredibly well-priced for something we use so regularly, and honestly, I can't believe it's not part of every commercial film set yet. I don't think it will be long before everyone catches on.