# Interrotron

> direct interview video recording system pioneered by Errol Morris

**Wikidata**: [Q64399697](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q64399697)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrotron)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/interrotron

## Summary
The Interrotron is a direct interview video recording system pioneered by filmmaker Errol Morris. Technically classified as a camera model and a specialized variation of a teleprompter, the device is designed to facilitate direct, eye-contact interviews. It is distinct from standard video cameras due to its specific function in the interview process.

## Key Facts
*   **Inventor:** Errol Morris
*   **Classification:** Camera model
*   **Parent Class:** Teleprompter (display device)
*   **Secondary Class:** Video camera
*   **Primary Function:** Direct interview video recording
*   **Wikipedia Title:** Interrotron
*   **Wikidata Description:** Direct interview video recording system pioneered by Errol Morris

## FAQs
### Q: Who invented the Interrotron?
A: The Interrotron was pioneered by Errol Morris. It is recognized as his specific contribution to interview recording technology.

### Q: What type of device is the Interrotron?
A: It is classified as a camera model that functions as a specialized video camera. Structurally, it is considered a subclass of a teleprompter.

### Q: How does the Interrotron relate to a teleprompter?
A: The Interrotron is listed as a subclass of a teleprompter. While a standard teleprompter is a display device that provides electronic visual text of a script, the Interrotron adapts this technology for direct interview recording.

## Why It Matters
The Interrotron represents a significant innovation in documentary filmmaking and interview methodology. By technically functioning as a hybrid between a video camera and a teleprompter, it alters the traditional dynamic between the subject and the interviewer. Standard teleprompters are designed to allow speakers to read scripts while maintaining the illusion of eye contact with an audience; the Interrotron adapts this optical principle to serve the specific needs of a "direct interview video recording system."

This device matters because it solves a fundamental logistical problem in interviewing: the separation between the camera lens and the interviewer's face. By bridging this gap, the system allows subjects to look directly at the interviewer while simultaneously looking directly into the camera lens. This capability creates a more intense, direct connection with the viewer, a technique often cited as a "secret weapon" for unsettling or revealing interviews in Morris's documentary work.

## Notable For
*   **Unique Classification:** It is a rare example of a camera model that is technically a subclass of a teleprompter.
*   **Specific Utility:** It is distinct from general video cameras due to its dedicated design for direct interview recording.
*   **Association:** It is exclusively associated with and pioneered by the filmmaker Errol Morris.
*   **Interview Technique:** It is noted for creating a specific "direct" visual style in documentary interviews.

## Body
### Technical Classification
The Interrotron is formally classified as a camera model within knowledge bases. It exists as a subclass of two distinct device categories:
*   **Teleprompter:** A display device that provides a speaker with electronic visual text of a speech or script.
*   **Video Camera:** A camera used for electronic motion picture acquisition.

### Origin and Development
The system was pioneered by Errol Morris. The development of the device is linked to the need for a "direct interview video recording system." Unlike standard setups where a subject looks off-camera at an interviewer, the Interrotron utilizes the optical properties of a teleprompter to align the interviewer's image with the camera lens.

### Defining Features
As a recording system, the Interrotron is defined by its ability to create a direct visual connection. While teleprompters are traditionally used to display scrolling text for news anchors or public speakers, the Interrotron repurposes the technology to display a live feed of the interviewer, thereby aligning the eyeline of the subject with the camera's center.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.fastcompany.com/1663105/errol-morriss-secret-weapon-for-unsettling-interviews-the-interrotron)