How to build a teleprompter studio setup at home

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The layout

1. Camera on a tripod at eye height, pointed at you.
2. Beam splitter teleprompter mounted in front of the lens, with an iPad or iPhone as the screen.
3. Key light 45 degrees to one side, slightly above eye level.
4. Fill light or reflector on the other side, softer.
5. Microphone close to you but out of frame: lavalier or a shotgun on a boom.
6. A remote or pedal within reach, or voice scrolling on.

1. The teleprompter

For a home studio, a tablet-sized beam splitter gives you text big enough to read from about two metres, which lets you frame from the chest up. See our full comparison of the best teleprompters.

2. Lighting

Light matters more than the camera. One soft key light and one fill will make a phone look better than an expensive camera under a ceiling bulb. Keep lights to the sides: light hitting the teleprompter glass from the front causes reflections the camera can see.

3. Audio

Viewers forgive soft video; they don't forgive bad audio. A wireless lavalier clipped to your shirt is the easiest win, and it keeps the mic out of the teleprompter's way.

4. Support

A camera plus a teleprompter plus an iPad is front-heavy. A light travel tripod will tip. Get a tripod rated well above the total weight, with a head that locks firmly.

5. Control

In a TV studio, an operator scrolls the gobbo. At home you're alone, so the script has to follow you. Options: voice scrolling (the script listens), a Bluetooth foot pedal, or a remote on your wrist.

6. The screen: iPad or iPhone

The prompter needs a screen. An iPad gives bigger text for longer distances; an iPhone suits small rigs. Run Teleprompter Premium+ with mirror mode on, set a cue marker in the middle of the glass, and pick a font size you can read comfortably from your mark.

Common mistakes

• Lights in front of the glass: reflections show on camera. Light from the sides.
• Text too small: you'll squint, and it shows. Make it bigger than feels necessary.
• Lines too wide: your eyes scan left to right. Narrow the margins to three or four words per line.
• Standing too close: at under a metre, viewers can see your eyes track. Step back and increase font size.
• Scrolling too fast: set it to your real pace, or use voice scrolling.