How to use a teleprompter (and still sound natural)

Why use one

Without a script, most people ramble, repeat themselves and need many takes. Memorising takes time and breaks when you forget one line. A teleprompter sits in between: you have the words in front of you and keep eye contact with the viewer.

Set it up

1. Put the text as close to the camera lens as possible. On a phone, keep the lines short and near the top of the screen, right under the front camera.
2. Stand or sit far enough away that your eyes don’t visibly move left and right. A narrow text column helps.
3. Use large text and about 5 to 8 words per line.
4. Set the speed a little slower than you think, or use a teleprompter that follows your voice so it scrolls when you speak and waits when you pause.

Our free online teleprompter runs in the browser on your phone or computer and can follow your voice, so you don’t have to fight the scroll speed.

Write for speaking, not reading

Most teleprompter problems are script problems. Text written to be read sounds stiff when spoken.

• Short sentences. If you need a breath in the middle, split it.
• Contractions and everyday words: “you’re”, “it’s”, “don’t”.
• Write the way you talk to a friend, including small phrases like “here’s the thing”.
• Mark pauses with a line break, and stress with a word in capitals if it helps you.

Sound natural while reading

• Read the script out loud two or three times before recording, so you know where it goes.
• Talk to one person behind the lens, not to an audience.
• Let your face and hands move. Reading often freezes people; exaggerate slightly.
• If you stumble, pause, and start the sentence again. You can cut the mistake later.

TipRecord in short sections, one idea at a time. It is easier to sound alive for 15 seconds than for 3 minutes.