The Teleprompter Training

How to Become a Teleprompter Boss!

This is a free training. There is nothing for sale here. I just wanted to introduce what we do to people who are unfamiliar with Visible Authority.

If you follow these instructions, you will be able to read a teleprompter and never look stiff or feel restricted in how you say what you say.

You don't even need a teleprompter to learn my method, though you will need to get one eventually to do this at your very best.

I've never seen these ideas explained anywhere else, so I'll ask you to take it on faith that they do work. They've worked for me and for my clients for many years, and I know they can work for you, too.

In any case, it's all explained step-by-step in this 17-minute video.

All the steps build on one another, and if you do them all, you'll end up being really comfortable, confident and pretty awesome on camera.

On with the show!

 

 

 

Get Answers To Your Questions

86 responses to “Teleprompter Training”

  1. Beyond exceptional…I am excited to practice, practice, practice as shown…to get “back to natural”!

  2. Wowww…

    Steve, this solved 99% of my problems within 20-30 minutes.

    I love writing and tend to do so as if I were writing to a friend .. but when producing scripts I made them too formal ..mistake number one!

    Watching this video I soon discovered many more mistakes. And I kept asking myself why can I stand in front a of live audience and have no problems; but be so rubbish in front of a camera?

    The answer suddenly dawned on me. In the live situation I was me. But when I stood in front of a camera I tried to be someone else!

    I reached the third section of the video and realised that I didn’t really need this bit so much. As I’ve read from the cueprompter in part two I’d already added in my movements. In fact the hardest thing for me is to talk without using my hands .. head, shoulders .. and even my feet to dance a bit!

    Thanks Steve. I owe you one.

    • Thanks Stefan! We’ll have to move you to the front row now, as you’ve clearly “grokked” it beautifully.

  3. Very comprehensive Steve – thank you. Great attention to detail and exploration of the subtleties in Teleprompter use. A skill to master for sure.

  4. Steve…. marvelous advice! Wish I had you as my coach back during the days of my broadcasting career. So many of those talking heads on TV could really benefit from what you explain and the way you explain it in this video.

    • Those folks may never know how easy they have it.

      Their prompter may be up to 20 feet away, so they have parallax working in their favor, (no eye movement can be detected).

      Thanks for the kind words, Mel!

  5. As usual, you hit the nail on the head. Thank you so much for all of the work you do to help us get better at video. This is one of your best videos yet!

  6. Hey Steve,
    This was a great training- super instructive!
    I have one question: what do you think of voice-activated prompters? Would you recommend any brand in special?
    Thanks!
    Susie

    • Great to see you, Susie!
      Amazingly, there is still only one solution on the market, but it works great when you use a mic with it. It’s called PromptSmartPro and works with both Mac and PC tablets.

  7. Thanks, Steve. I appreciate the concept of having the words jump off the page. That’s much easier than rote reading.

  8. You’re the best. I’m willing to try it again now…I just need to stop wanting to edit the script on the run which gets me lost and miss my point…which makes me lose my PG rating.

  9. Thanks so much, Steve. You always have such valuable and usable content in these videos and, as usual, managed to solve one of my biggest problems with video at the moment – taking all day to shoot a 5 minute spot – over and over and over again!

  10. Very good. Years ago I followed your suggestion and got a teleprompter from Prompter People. However the software they use is not that good, the hardware is great. For that reason, I used Powerpoint slides to use the teleprompter. But always had to be clicking to change the slide. I run a PC. What is a good, fairly priced software package I should look at for the teleprompter I use. I do not have a tablet that I can use with this system. Any help would be appreciate.
    Like · Reply · 45m

    • I’m still using my Prompter People hardware, but I felt the same way you did about the software, so now I use software called simply “Teleprompter” for the mac. It’s a download from the app store and works on laptops and computers. It’s for when you’re using a regular monitor for your teleprompter, as you would be with most of the Prompter People hardware.

  11. Thanks Steve,
    I have repeatedly tried to use a teleprompter, but had been unsuccessful in making it look natural. Your tips are great. I have practices them, they seem to make a big difference, and I am looking forward to my next recording session to see how much difference they make!

  12. Thank you so much. “It’s better to think how you might say this certain thing to a friend (rather than write it down as an important point, then translate it later into how you might say it, and then write that down)” – priceless: thank you!

  13. Hi Steve and thank you for this terrific training!! It’s always a pleasure to watch and learn from you as you really are such a master of all this. I love how you always incorporate the inner work – I do the same in my teaching as it’s so important. This was one of the best trainings I’ve ever seen online and I’ve spent thousands on various programs over the years. Thanks!

  14. Great stuff as always, Steve. After 5 years I am still using my primitive method of running the teleprompter software on a laptop screen with the camera positioned right above the monitor.

    So my eyes are a tiny bit below the lens, but as long as I am far enough away from the camera, it is not noticeable.

    My entire studio is still primitive and rigged up, but it has created me a good and profitable business, in part thanks to your advice and input in the early years.

  15. Really interesting video.

    The biggest problem I have with using a teleprompter is finding the right speed for it. When we talk naturally we don’t say everything at a constant speed. I find that some parts of the script I get way ahead of the prompter and I have to wait for the prompter to catch up with me, while in other sections I’m struggling to keep up with it. I guess this is why people say having someone to operate it is essential.

    On a related topic, many of the things I want to put on video are already powerpoint based talks that I give and so I don’t need a script per-se but I do need to be able to see the powerpoint slides – but I’ve never found any software that will allow me to play a powerpoint presentation mirrored on an iPad so that I can use it with a teleprompter. Do you know of anything that does this?

    • To get the rate right, you practice once or twice, then either tighten up the text or leave spaces in the places you want to pause.

      As for using powerpoint, the best way is to simply play the powerpoint and use your remote to advance the pages.

  16. Steven
    thanks for empowering us with your videos, I already see myself practicing those techniques on my new ministry.

    • I think having great word choice could be very powerful in a ministry, though you’ll probably want to leave room for the spirit moving you!

    • And it’s there just to show you how to make that happen in your videos! (I hope). But thank you for the kind words, Leslie!

  17. Thank you for this Steve! So useful for me. I’ve tried everything from memorizing scripts, to speaking on the fly, to filling white boards with bullet points — and this simple way of using a teleprompter has had the best results so far. At least in practice. Now I’ve got to try it with my own script. Feeling excited!
    One question —
    Do you recommend any other kind of teleprompter software? I can use the cuepromter easily with my computer but with my iPad I can’t get the text to show on the full screen.
    Thanks again!
    Brian

    • Yes! One of the best for iPad is PromptSmartPro. And when it’s firing on all cylinders it will even follow your voice. Good luck!

  18. What do you think of using bullet points (embellished on the fly) rather than word-for-word?
    Thanks for this excellent training. It’s right up there with your advice on green screening.

    • Thanks, Terry! I think the bullet point thing is a personal choice and if you feel led to try it, you should.

      The only complication is that there would be no basis on which to have it scroll, so you would have to be able to fit all your points on one screen.

  19. In preparing word script, are you using 27 cracters, 12 pt arial? Margin size?
    When do you skip a line?

  20. Wow, I am so grateful for your teaching. Thank you so much.
    It’s New Years day and I’m finally going to make the move to doing the videos I’ve been thinking about.
    Thanks to you I now have what I believe will enable me to actually have some real guidelines to how to use a teleprompter properly.

  21. Hi Steven,
    Just discovered you site saw a few of the videos and I’m realy enyoing this. I think this is going to be a great help.
    I was wondering, What kind of microphone are you using? and what can you say about audio enviroment?

    Kindest regards.

  22. Before finding your videos on YouTube, then finding a link to this training, I had used a teleprompter for a handful of 15-minute videos. And before that, I had recorded a bunch of audio products using a script. So, I had some practice in reading a script without making it obvious I was reading a script. (Even so, I feel I could do a lot better than I have been doing.)

    The biggest problem I’ve been having is that the teleprompter scrolls at a fixed speed, and no matter how I broke up the lines of the script to build in extra time during the slower parts (a tip you seem to have missed in this training), during the actual recording, it always seemed that the performance of the script felt too constrained by the pace of text scrolling past..

    After watching this video, it seems that the answer to this is to use a smaller font to get more words on the screen, to act as a buffer for the timing variations.

    What would really be helpful is a video showing you and the teleprompter you’re using, to see what you’re seeing as you record a video.

    • If you are able to use a monitor rather than a tablet to display your text, you might really enjoy using PromptSmart Studio, a solution that came out about a year after I made this training.

      It scrolls at your own pace. But don’t confuse it for the tablet version, which is not very good in real life situations, whereas the laptop version is flawless.

      Good luck!

  23. I’ve learned so much with this video. Even the text of the practice script gave me an insight of where I am at this point! I can’t wait to train this skill.
    Thanks, Mr. Washer!

  24. Thank you Steven. Your training is amazing! I have felt your sincerity since the first video I saw of you and you carry yourself honestly. You are very impressive and I appreciate your bundle offer I am now enjoying.

  25. So far so good. The best advice I have seen, and I have spent hours on YouTube trying to learn this stuff for a my YouTube channel I am about to launch. I was wondering, how do you manage the placement of a laptop and the camera lens to look like you’re speaking naturally rather than reading a script. The lens is going to be above the computer level when the eyes should be looking directly at the lens. Thanks Steven, Priceless information. Meral

  26. This was so great! I’m about to record a new course and this got me energized rather than dreading it 🙂 THANK YOU SO MUCH! The way you read off the teleprompter is very inspiring. You make it sound so natural.

    • The truth is, anyone can be natural with a prompter. It just takes a little practice to get used to reading less consciously so there’s room for your passion to take the stage.

  27. I have a teleprompter app, but this will help me I think I’ll do those exercises and replay it as I go along. You always do a great job in your videos.

  28. Oh my goodness… this just works so well, if you follow the steps and advice. Thank you for sharing, Steve. Your work is a real gift.

  29. Thank you Steve! Some excellent tips here!

    I use PromptSmart Pro but the voice-track option never seems to work well. And I cannot ‘colour’ parts of my script.

    What was the software you were using in the video? Not the online one but the one where you were adjusting colour etc.

    • I use PromptSmart Studio. It’s built to run on a laptop rather than a tablet. The tablet version can stick for no apparent reason. Not so with the laptop version.

      • Hi Steven, I’m curious how you use a laptop with a teleprompter?

        I have my video camera behind the reflective glass with an iPad running PromptSmart, laying flat below the mirror?

        Or do you use your laptop, angled, as the teleprompter, and have the camera placed just above the top edge of the laptop?

        • Nothing like that. There’s a cable that goes from the laptop to the “dumb” monitor in the teleprompter. It simply shows what’s on the screen of the laptop. Hope that helps!

          • Hey Steven, I wanted to let you know my son found an app (Duet) which allows me to use my iPad Pro as a second screen to my Macbook, either wired or wireless. I downloaded PromptSmart Studio and can put the script on the iPad in my teleprompter

            Today we film about 90-min of scripted content, as Module and Lesson intros for our upcoming online course,

            A 1,000 THANK YOUs for your expert guidance and your generous spirit!

          • Hi Steven,

            I wanted to let you know my son found an app (Duet) which allows me to use my iPad Pro as a second screen, so I downloaded PromptSmart Studio and successfully put the Script on the iPad in my teleprompter from my Macbook!

            Today we film over 90-min of scripted content, for Module and Lesson intros for the online course we’re creating, so we’re excited!

            A 1,000 THANK YOUs for your guidance, content and generosity of Spirit!

  30. This is why I’ve never minded Facebook “spying” on me. Because it always seems to magically deliver just what I’m looking for and when I need it. Thanks for the video and awesome website and business!

  31. Such great info. I’ve struggled with eyes shifting and moving too much. I see now my sentences have been too wide. I think I also need to slow down my prompter a bit. It’s running too fast. Thank you again and I have learned so much from your content..

  32. Just had to come back here this morning and tell you that I practiced yesterday with my teleprompter using all your techniques in this video. WOW, what a difference. If you’d like to check out the video I did, it’s here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaMvRIKvVYI

    I’ve been watching you on and off for a few years, and I’m ready to sign up for your video masterclass. Thanks again, Terry

    • Hi Terry,

      Great job on that video! Here’s one little extra tip to put you over the top.

      Look away every 10 seconds or so. That’s how we humans access new information from other parts of our brain, in conversation. And it keeps you from fixating on the lens.

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