

No matter how much you practice or how proficient your teleprompter operator may be, you still may get lost in the prompter. This is a great way to assess your performance, but seeing yourself in the background might distract you. Once the words start scrolling, the text will be in the foreground, but your image will be in the background to ensure you don’t move out of frame. Your image is projected on the screen so you can actually adjust how you are framing yourself before starting to record. Some software uses the front-facing camera on your device to record your performance. Watch YourselfĪnother consideration is whether you’d like to record yourself while using the teleprompter app. You may need to invest in an external microphone that is designed to work with your laptop, phone, or tablet. However, if the room is noisy or the device picking up your voice is too far away, the accuracy of the scrolling may be compromised. You can even go completely off-script, and the words will stay put until you return to the text on the screen. The lines move as your device hears you say them. If you are leery of trying to control the scrolling speed while reading off the prompter, look for prompter software with voice recognition. The key is to make sure the accessories are compatible with the device running the prompter software. Many prompter software companies sell accessories such as foot pedals and handheld remote controls.


Some apps allow you to vary the speed using another device connected via Bluetooth. If you are using a laptop, scrolling can typically be controlled by the arrow keys, mouse, or track pad. Instead, I could choose only one speed and I was stuck with it from beginning to end. My first prompter software did not allow me to control the speed of the scrolling. However, for practice purposes, you can simply use full-screen mode unless you have decided you really, really need the full setup. They vary in terms of how scripts are loaded or imported into the application, but they all can convert documents into scrolling text.īecause these apps are often used with a teleprompter rig that has reflective glass, the text can be put into mirror mode, which allows the words to appear properly on the prompter. Prompter apps are available for almost all operating systems, and usually come in both professional and novice versions. What this means for you is that you finally have a way to practice reading off a prompter before it really counts. In fact, many smaller production houses and companies with limited production budgets have invested in equipment that turns tablets into viable teleprompter rigs. Teleprompting has spread to the masses thanks to prompter software readily available on laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
