Teleprompters can make speaking on video a breeze. That’s why TV news anchors use them. But they can be a hassle to setup and are very expensive. Enter the iPad, which can be a very simple and very effective teleprompter. And in this video, I show you how to build an iPad teleprompter for under $5.
Video Review of The Canon Rebel SL1, The World’s Smallest DSLR
Posted by Dave on May 10, 2013
Video Review of My Favorite Video Camera The Sony RX100
Posted by Dave on May 2, 2013
Amazon Elastic Transcoder – What It Is and How To Use It
Posted by Dave on Feb 1, 2013
What Is The Best Microphone To Use
Posted by Dave on Jan 18, 2013
How To Use CineGif To Create Dazzling Animated Images From Your Videos
Posted by Dave on Sep 22, 2012
WVU #39 – Review Canon Vixia HF S10 Part 2
Posted by Dave on Jun 8, 2009
Video Review of Avid Studio – WVU #124
Posted by Dave on Apr 15, 2011
How To Make Your Web Videos Play On Both Browsers and Mobile Devices – WVU #104
Posted by Dave on Oct 14, 2010
Video Review of the Canon Rebel T2i – WVU #78
Posted by Dave on Apr 1, 2010
How To Build An iPad Teleprompter For Under $5 – WVU #98
Posted by Dave on Aug 27, 2010
What Size Should Your Web Video Be?
Posted by Dave on Jul 3, 2009
WVU #62 – Want High-Quality, Low Cost Stock Video Footage? Try UnlimitedStockMedia.com
Posted by Dave on Nov 13, 2009
WVU #2 – Using Transparency In Your Videos
Posted by Dave on Oct 21, 2008
WVU #52 – BitGravity Player, The Fast, Free Way To Embed Videos On Your Web Site
Posted by Dave on Sep 4, 2009
How To Shoot Tall Screen Video – WVU #91
Posted by Dave on Jul 9, 2010
there is no usual video to click? ie. link to video that you usually give us.
You likely need to update the version of Flash on your computer – you need version 10 or higher:
http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/
If that doesn’t work, simply click on the HTML5 video banner above the video and watch on that page.
Hi Dave : )
An excellent and useful video.
Great flow and easy to follow from start to end (as usual).
Thank you…Lu
You have elevated your status from professor to the McGyver of web video. Bravo!! Now I have one reason to consider purchasing an IPad.
Hi Dave,
Great idea, but how to do you operate the ipod when you’re infront of the camera. Is there a remote control?
I build my own version of this from your design in your excellent course and it works very well, but I still need a second person to operate the computer & control the scroll rate. Can you recommend a remote control that can do this?
Thanks,
Simon
@CareHomeMarketingExpert – Depending on which teleprompter software you get from the app store, you can remotely control the iPad with an iPhone or iPod Touch.
are you using a different mic than the Sennheiser wireless ?
It looks bigger.
@Gadabout – Nope…same mic as always.
Dave,
Which sennheiser wireless mic are you using? I’d like to find a good wireless mic that won’t cost as much as a decent car.
Hi Dave,
Another great tip! And your videos always play so cleanly. My question for you is how do you stream your video tips? And what file format do you compress you video into? Is it a .mov, .flv, ect. I have been working on compression settings and quality, etc. Don’t know if you have addressed this in a prior tip, just joined about a month ago. Any information from you or other subsribers would be greatly appreciated. I currently make our videos 640 x 480 quicktime files with a video codec of H.264 for SD, 720 x 405 quicktime files for 16 x 9 HD, both square pixels, bit depth 24 bit and bitrate about 1,000.
Thanks!
Tom
@Tom – I cover all of these things in my paid training at:
http://www.webvideouniversity.com
@Tom… Dave covers it all in http://webvideouniversity.com – And quite frankly – video compression is an art that one can spend way too much time on!!! Just keep it simple. I use Sorenson Squeeze – but it’s kind of pricey – I just like the presets they have. You know – some other guy has worked all that out for me & the compression is great.
One main difference that Dave uses (that probably answers your question exactly) is WHERE Dave’s video is streaming from… And That’s “Bitgravity”. They are simply awesome at streaming video. Period. Even here at the bottom of the world in Australia it’s instant playback. There is no other service I’ve found that is that fast.
There’s a link/banner at the top of this page to them.
Cheers
Dave
Dave, this is ingenious! Great posting on building a cheap teleprompter. I’ve just been using my laptop just below the camera lens, but I’m tired of seeing myself glance down. Can’t wait to get this done.
Thank you much!
Dave, it’s not clear which teleprompter software to use. There are a number of them, but I don’t see in the descriptions the ability to reverse the text so it works with the mirror.
Which one are you using?
@Ed – I use the ProPrompter app from Bodelin
Dave,
For some reason I couldn’t see the video either. Hmmm. I was just prompted to and upgraded Flash.
Thx.
You likely need to update the version of Flash on your computer. You need version 10 or higher:
http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/
If that doesn’t work, simply click on the HTML5 video banner above the video and watch on that page.
You’re amazing, Dave! I love the simplicity of your tutorials and learn more from your short tips than anywhere else on the web. Thank you for creating such quality content regardless if it’s associated with your blog posts or your membership site. You ROCK!
Obviously this is only a cheap solution if you own a iPad, which is ridiculously over-priced in the first place
What happens when the iPad breaks down within the first 12 months (It’s made by Apple, so we all know it will!), and you need the box to return it for a refund?
Pete
Pete–
That’s what the rest of the roll of duct tape is for.
I see no video here.
You likely need to update the version of Flash on your computer…you need version 10 or higher:
http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/
If that doesn’t work, simply click on the HTML5 video banner above the video and watch on that page.
Love it… great resourceful tip.
Dave…i am testing a samsung vibrant android2.1
i do not see any video on either option.
@Gary – That means your phone + Android doesn’t support Flash and full HTML5…not all Android phones do, including my HTC phone…it’s up to Google and the phone companies to push out updates that will allow this.
Dave,
This clip is just one prime example why you’re a video hero. Thanks much for the advice and giving me, really, the only reason why I would buy an iPad.
Dave B.
Hey Dave,
A little easier to build than the wood one (I’m still using) you showed in WVU course!
Thanks,
Howard
Another 5 star production from Dave K. Simply awesome! Great video.
That was fantastic! I don’t have an Ipad but great tutorial. Great course Dave!!
That’s real world strategy… love that you’re using the box:) Thanks again. Adriel
Hi Dave
You’re getting such a good response to this tip you ought to submit a press release and get some wider publicity! Anything to do with ipads & apple is hot at the moment
Simon
Dave,
As always you give us the good stuff and it’s free! I was just wondering where I was going to store my iPad box and now I know what I’m going to do with it. I already had the teleprompter app and was trying to figure out where to mount the iPad so I could see it when talking into the camera. Now I’m set.
I am new to video and all of your tips have been really informative and I have been looking at them for a while now. After this video I feel guilty getting all of this great information for free. I should subscribe to your site now and I will in a day or so.
Thanks again,
Ross Hubbard
Dear Dave,
Thanks for this awesome and generous video!
Question:
What is that film you put over the glass to make it reflective? Where can one find that stuff?
Thanks again – Lisa
@Lisa – It was window film/tint available from any home improvement store (Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc.). You want one with a bit of a mirror finish…but that isn’t too dark…as you want to avoid changing the color the camera see’s as much as you can.
@ Ross Hubbard
Hey Ross,
Don’t hesitate to subscribe. You will not be disappointed. It’s awesome content & it great value.
Good luck,
Simon
Great tip! Now I just need to get an iPad! LOL
Hi Dave:
Thanks for the great idea. How would this setup work with my good little Kodak Zi8? Would I be able to drape the dark cloth over the camera? Or would that darken things up too much?
The window tint film idea is pure genius. Of course you may need a bit more light than you would with a good beam-splitter but it’s got to be way cheaper. I used to have a front projection system and the cost of the beam-splitter would almost buy an iPad.
I think I’ll wait for an Android tablet to try this though. I’m too cheap to get an iPad.
@James – Yes, beam splitter glass is not cheap…around $60 for a 12 inch by 12 inch sheet is the cheapest I’ve found…vs. $2 for regular glass. You can actually accomplish the same thing with an iPhone, so it’s doable with an Android phone too (though I don’t know if the Android marketplace has any teleprompter apps). Plus you’ll probably need to rig something different as the box it came in likely won’t work.
Great idea … but seems a little overkill to buy a £600 iPad (UK prices) just to make an autocue!
I started to create my own autocue – but to be honest, have put it on the “back burner” for a while. I created my software using good old javascript, so it runs in a browser window in kiosk mode (full screen) It also features multiple uses so that several people can talk one after the other aka newsreaders.
The problem I ran into is it autoscrolls the window … and it can be a bit of a pain to set the speed to the speed of the reader. An alternative was to use the scroll mouse, and set the speed there, but again, that means a second person sliding a mouse too and fro to set the speed.
What i HOPE to do one day is find a way to control it via an external potentiometer which the user can turn back or forth to set the speed / direction. But that means developing software to generate digital “words”, (ie simulate the encoding wheel of the mouse) to control everything.
Oh, and my rig was set to be a LCD screen on an aluminium frame that could be packed away.
I’ll get back to redeveloping it – one day!
Another solution for a $70 teleprompter:
I bought a 15” lcd screen – connect it to my laptop.
On my laptop I installed a free great software that you can download from:
http://www.freetelepromptersoftware.com/
I connected the screen below my camera.
Dave, if you would like I can share the pictures here in this great forum.
Dave,
I just finished making mine and tested it. It works great – even though I’m just using plain glass with some Saran-wrap like film over it. I was concerned about the quality of the video, but there is no noticeable difference.
No more glancing under the lens to my laptop. This should make a real difference.
Thanks again!
Alas, my computer crashed just as I sent last message, but what I was also going to add that in computer modding circles, there is a “surface silvered” perspex plastic sheet (about 6mm thick) that acts like a see-thro’ mirror. Might be worth considering.
What an excellent suggestion, concept and presentation. I’m going to continue sharing your WebVideo University with my friends. Good stuff!
genius! i am off to the store to buy me some glass!
that is such a great video, well done
love it, great! Thanks for sharing
I’m viewing this page on an iPhone right now, and I don’t see any links to your video. Can you update site to work with iOS devices?
@Jasper – Our videos play fine on iOS devices. But you need an iPhone 4, iPad or iPad 2. If you have an iPhone 3 or older, you’re out of luck…they only support video up to 640×480 and our videos are 1280×720. We chose not to support iPhone 3′s or older because in a couple months they’ll essentially be obsolete.
Genius idea Dave to use the ipad box and then use a lightstand!!!! Thanks for all the great vids.
Very helpful. Thanks, Pavel.
This is absolutely brilliant! Appreciate the suggestion. –Bill
Hi
Great video.
I just found this, ordered mine today. Ipad teleprompter for $50.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320689673850&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:GB:1123
Positive feedback from other users.
Hope this helps others.
Jason
Just did this yesterday and used it on a corporate shoot. It worked brilliantly!
I couldn’t get the beam splitter glass, but I got my glass from a picture frame shop, as the glass they use is very light, and it worked brilliantly.
I also put the glass inside the lid rather than outside, for more mirrored area.
I used a double-tiered music keyboard stand to put the “Teleprompter” on instead of a lightstand, so it wasn’t quite as versatile but it all worked a treat.
Thanks a million for this video! It saved me yesterday!
Hey I’m building a teleprompter for my school newscast, but everything we buy (since it’s through the school) has to be from a local vendor. All beamsplitter glass that I have found is sold online, any idea how I can come up with an alternative?
@Cesar – You can use mirrored window tint from a home improvement store, but it will cut down the light the camera sees.
Thanks Dave,
What an extraordinary video, it is absolutely brilliant!
I’m going to get started on this right away!
Dave this is great. I am getting a kindle fire and noticed that I can get an easyprompter software FOR 99 cents that seems to have the features such as mirror and various speed controls that I could use. It would be great if there were a way to control the speed with an ap on my phone, but I guess that is getting pretty picky. I loved your clear and frugal approach to making a prompter. Great contribution to the world of frugal production.
What about a kindle fire, will that work or only iPad. Still learning about all this techy stuff. When I look at the both kindle fire and iPad it seems so similar yet the kindle is half the price. Let me know your insights. THANKS
I have both a Kindle Fire and an iPad, and I’ve used the iPad very successfully as a Teleprompter before, using the method described above The iPad is just about big enough in my opinion, The Fire’s screen is much smaller, and I reckon it may be a little too small for versatile use as a teleprompter. Remote control of the iPad via iPhone also works very well with and I’m not sure how remote control works on the Fire.
Thanks, that what I needed to know
This is really cool. I don’t think that we are going to build something quite like this. It seems a little to fragile for what we are trying to accomplish. I do like the idea. I think we will just not use cardboard. There should be a plexiglass option i would imagine.
Brilliant!!! Going to make one today!!!
bilbyfilms.com
Spot on Dave. love it. Thanks for making the effort. Andy UK
Dave, your excellent video inspired me to create this design:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Wd_gBCfQA
Thanks for the inspiration.
Excellent tutorial. What can I spray on my ordinary sheet of glass to make it more reflective and will it work for my teleprompter