How to Use a Teleprompter
A teleprompter shows your script on screen so you can read it while looking at your camera or audience. The trick is doing it without sounding like you're reading. Here's how to use one well — especially a voice-controlled teleprompter that scrolls at your own pace.
1. Load and format your script
Paste your script in short sentences and natural paragraphs. Break long thoughts into separate lines so your eyes can grab each phrase at a glance.
2. Position the screen near the lens
Place the prompter as close to your camera lens as you can. The closer the text is to the lens, the more it looks like you're making eye contact rather than reading off to the side.
3. Set a comfortable text size
Increase the font until you can read a line or two without straining, then step back to your filming distance. You should be able to read comfortably without darting your eyes.
4. Dial in the display settings
Beyond font size, tune the layout to your eyes: widen or narrow the left and right margins to shorten each line, switch between left-aligned and centered paragraphs, and turn on dark mode to cut glare and on-camera reflections. Shorter lines mean fewer eye movements, which reads as steadier eye contact.
5. Let your voice set the pace
Fixed-speed prompters force you to match a scroll speed. With a voice-following prompter, you just talk — the script keeps pace and waits when you pause. That single change is what makes delivery sound natural — when it actually works. Plenty of apps advertise voice following but simply don't track well, drifting out of sync even on a clean, straight-through read; Sayscroll locks onto the exact word you're saying and holds it there, so the script stays with you.
6. Do a quick test take
Record 20 seconds and play it back. Check that your eyes stay near the lens and your pace feels conversational. Adjust text size or screen position, then go.
Want the full natural-delivery checklist? Read how to look natural on camera.
Frequently asked questions
How do you read a teleprompter without looking like you're reading?
Keep the text close to the lens, use a voice-following prompter so you control the pace, and read in short phrases rather than word-by-word. Practicing a take or two helps your eyes settle near the camera.
How far should a teleprompter be from you?
Far enough that your eyes don't visibly move across the text — usually your normal filming distance. Increase the font size so you can still read it comfortably at that range.
Do I need special hardware to use a teleprompter?
No. A browser-based teleprompter like Sayscroll works on your laptop, phone, or tablet. A beam-splitter rig can help for studio setups, but it isn't required — and if you use one, Sayscroll has built-in horizontal and vertical mirror controls so the text reads correctly through the glass.
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