So you’re going to be appearing in front of a camera and reading from a teleprompter! Teleprompters scroll through a script that you import on your screen, so that you don’t need to look to the side or below the camera lens to read from your script. However, it takes some getting used to. It’s an exciting, yet nerve-wracking feeling. But there’s no need to be nervous, as we’re about to take you through our tips for owning your address to camera. Here’s what you need to keep in mind.
Know your teleprompter script in advance
To start, know your script in advance. Even if you will be reading it from the prompter, there is large merit in knowing what is going to be said. Read the script a few times and plan how you want your pacing and tone to be. Make sure to read it aloud a few times as well – you’ll more than often find that “reading language” comes off a bit jarring compared to spoken language. Imagine if we all spoke the way we wrote, it would sound more than weird! Using common speech to make your content feel natural and conversational is usually best when delivering your message.
Practice using a teleprompter
Speaking of preparation, you can search for “Teleprompter Practice” on YouTube and find examples to familiarize yourself with how it feels reading moving text. Here is on example that you can try out to familiarize yourself better with using a teleprompter:
Try to imagine that you’re speaking with a close friend, and maintain a smile as much as you can. Try to keep your eye line as consistent as possible. and square your chin such that your face doesn’t move left to read as you read.
Adjust the teleprompter settings to your preference
Be sure to adjust the speed and size of the text to best suit your needs. You want the font just large enough that you have no issue reading, but otherwise as small as possible to have as many words available so you’re ready for the next line before it comes. Most teleprompter apps, or tools offer this capability.
And here’s one last little trick of the trade from newscasters – try to move your head just a little bit so people don’t notice your eyes reading as much.
Lastly, have fun with it! It’s an excellent experience and you’re going to do great. Using a teleprompter means you can focus less on memorizing your script, and more on delivering the feeling behind that message. Even for self-produced, DIY video content that you shoot on your smartphone, there are teleprompter options available for your smartphone. We encourage using these in our master class for self-produced video content for your business. Interested in generating your own video content, whether for marketing or internal communications? Then definitely don’t miss out on our course here ! Less interested in making video yourself and prefer a professional team to handle it for you. Then contact us about your needs here !
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