Read without looking like you are reading
Why a teleprompter over the camera lens beats notes on the side, and how to set one up so your eyes stay near the viewer.
Everyone has watched the video where the speaker's eyes drift to the left, then back, then to the left again. They are reading notes on another screen, and the viewer feels it before they can say why. Eye contact is a small thing that carries a lot of trust.
A teleprompter fixes this by putting the words close to the lens. In Facecast the text sits over the video, at the top or bottom of the frame, or beside it. It is never part of the recording, so the viewer sees only you, looking roughly at them.
Put the text near the lens#
The closer the text is to the camera, the smaller the eye movement. If you can, put the teleprompter at the top of the frame when your camera is on top of your screen. A narrow column of text moves your eyes less than a wide one. Make the text large enough that you do not lean in: the size runs from 20 to 120 px, and most people are happier bigger than they expect.
Let the pace do the work#
The reading pace runs from 60 to 260 words per minute and starts at 140. A calm talk is closer to 130 than 180. Try the pace on the full-screen prompt first, out loud, and change it until you stop rushing the ends of sentences. The line you are on is bright and the rest waits, so you do not have to hunt for your place.
Do not read everything#
A script does not have to be read word for word. Facecast reads the same text as topics, as bullets or in full. If you know your subject, topics keep you honest and let you sound like yourself. Bullets are a nudge. Full text is for the sentences that must be exact, such as a price or a promise.
Rehearse once#
Read the script out loud before you record, in full mode, and mark the sentences that trip you. Then switch to bullets and say it in your own words. Whichever sounded better is the mode to record in. It costs a minute.
What it does not do#
A teleprompter does not make you a good speaker, and Facecast does not write for you. It has no built-in AI, so the words are yours or those of your own AI, if you connect one. What it does is take away the one thing that looks wrong on camera: the glance away.
If you would like to try it, request access and read how to write a script first.