DIY Teleprompter: A Simple Build and No-Build Options

• A reading phone, tablet or other display that can show and scroll your script.
• A suitable reflective panel in a stable, edge-protected frame.
• A secure support for the screen and camera, that can hold their combined weight.
• A dark hood to keep stray light off the glass.
• Clearance for the lens, charging cable and the speaker’s viewing position.

Autocue’s hardware setup guidance explains secure mounting and weight limits. Secure the glass and tablet properly before putting a camera underneath. Follow the instructions for your parts; you do not need to cut glass for this setup.

You can try ordinary clear glass, but the words may look faint or doubled. It also lets light through differently from a purpose-made coated beam-splitter. Check the camera image as well as the reflected words. A household mirror will not work because the camera cannot film through it.

If experimenting, protect the edges, secure the frame and test without valuable equipment beneath an unstable assembly. Compare the reflection and saved camera image before deciding whether the material is usable.

1. Position the reflective panel in a secured angled frame.
2. Put the script display where its reflection is readable from the speaking position.
3. Place the camera lens behind the clear part of the glass. Check that the hood and frame stay out of the shot.
4. Display LEFT 123 RIGHT and check that you can read it correctly in the reflection.
5. If the words are backward, turn on horizontal mirroring in either the software or the display. Turning it on in both cancels the flip.
6. Record a short test and inspect framing, brightness, reflections and dark corners.

Centering the lens in the glass helps keep the frame out of the shot. Adjust the spacing to suit your screen, lens and stand.

• Faint or doubled words: inspect the reflective material, angle and screen brightness.
• Room reflections: adjust lighting, hood and viewing position.
• Dark camera image: check transmission and camera exposure with the panel in place.
• Visible frame or corners: inspect lens alignment and field of view.
• Backward words: check for a missing or doubled horizontal flip.

To try prompting without building anything, put a second screen close to the camera. Record a test and watch where your eyes are looking. See mirror-mode checks and recording layout choices before adding more equipment.