Eyedirect MKII

The Eyedirect MKII is a mirror rig that lets a speaker look straight down the lens while reading an autocue or a hidden interviewer positioned to the side. It suits direct-to-camera pieces, corporate talking heads and documentary interviews where eye contact matters.

It is a purely optical periscope with no power and no software, so it is quick to rig and has little to go wrong on the day. A beamsplitter in front of the lens lets the camera see the subject while the subject sees the text or the interviewer reflected behind it, and it works with cameras from DSLRs and mirrorless bodies up to full-size cine cameras with big lenses.

The tablet tray takes an iPad or similar tablet up to roughly 7 x 10 inches for use as a prompter. The kit comes in a padded rolling case and includes the tray, foam protective cover, L bracket, baseplate, riser plate and mounting hardware, so it can be built up on a tripod or rails with the camera sitting behind the glass.