DuoPromptGuide
How to read a teleprompter naturally
To read a teleprompter without looking like it, keep the words right next to the lens, use big text with short lines, and let the prompter follow your pace instead of chasing a fixed scroll. Rehearse once out loud, and talk to one person, not an audience.
Get it the day it launches
One email when it's on the App Store, plus the $97 lifetime offer. No spam.
Updated
Put the words next to the lens
The farther the text is from the camera, the more your eyes drift and the more obvious it is that you're reading. On iPhone Duo, DuoPrompt puts the script on the upright half right beside the front camera.
Keep lines short
Wide lines make your eyes sweep side to side, which viewers notice. Larger text means fewer words per line and less eye movement, so bump the size up and step back a little.
Let the prompter follow you
A fixed-speed prompter forces you to chase it or wait for it, and both show on your face. Voice-follow scrolls at your pace and waits when you pause.
Read it out loud first
Your first read of any script sounds like a first read. Run it once or twice off camera so the words feel like yours.
Mark the beats
Put a line break where you want a pause and start a new section where the energy changes. Pauses are where you sound most natural.
Talk to one person
Picture a single friend just behind the lens. You'll use their name in your head, soften your tone and stop sounding like a presenter.
The setup that makes this easier
Most of reading naturally is geometry: where the words sit relative to the lens. A half-folded iPhone Duo stands on a desk with the front camera on the upright half, and DuoPrompt puts the line you're on right beside it, large, with the word you're saying in amber. See how to use iPhone Duo as a teleprompter and the creator setup guide for lighting and audio.
The other half is the script itself. Write it for the ear, in short sentences you'd actually say.
Reading questions
How do I not look like I'm reading a teleprompter?
Keep the text as close to the camera lens as possible, use large text with short lines so your eyes barely move, and let the script follow your voice instead of a fixed speed. Rehearse once out loud so you're delivering, not reading for the first time.
How far should the teleprompter be from the camera?
As close as you can get it. The goal is for your gaze to stay within a few degrees of the lens. On a regular phone that means text near the top edge; on iPhone Duo half-folded, DuoPrompt places it right beside the front camera.
What speed should a teleprompter scroll at?
Your speaking pace, which changes line to line. That's why voice-follow works better than a fixed speed. If you prefer manual scroll, start at your measured pace (DuoPrompt measures it during setup) and nudge it with the speed slider.
Should I look at the camera or the text?
Look at the text, but keep it so close to the lens that it reads as eye contact. Glance to the lens directly at key moments, like the first line and the call to action.