ZaPrompt Record with a script · iPhone guide
How to read a script while recording on iPhone
Keep your words near the lens, set a comfortable pace, and record a clean video without the script appearing in the finished take.
The simplest setup is an iPhone on a stable support and a teleprompter app that records the camera while showing your script. In ZaPrompt OnAir, Camera Prompter places the reading area above the camera preview. You read the words on your phone; the saved video contains the camera and microphone recording, without the reading text or controls.
1. Start with a script you can say aloud
Open a script in ZaPrompt OnAir, or create one in the library. Paste your text into the editor. Break long sentences into shorter thoughts and place each thought on its own line. Read the draft aloud before touching the recording button: words that look fine on a page can be awkward to speak.
For a first test, use this short product introduction. Replace the brackets with your own details; do not read the bracketed cues aloud.
Hi, I’m [name].
I help [audience] with [specific problem].
Today, I’ll show you one small change
that makes [task] easier.
[Pause.]
Let’s start with [first step].
Use the free script timer to estimate duration. The estimate uses words per minute; your actual take also includes pauses, demonstrations, and the time needed to say names or numbers. If the script is too long, remove a point before increasing your speaking speed.
2. Put the camera at eye level
Choose portrait or landscape before recording. Secure the phone so you do not need to hold it while reading, clean the camera lens, and place a light or window in front of you. Frame your face and shoulders with enough space for any gestures.
Open Camera Prompter from the editor. Allow camera and microphone access when prompted. Use the preview to check framing, then look toward the script near the lens rather than continually watching your own face.
Adjust text size and reading margins until you can comfortably see a short phrase without sweeping your eyes across the phone. Larger text is not always better: if it leaves one word per line, the scroll can feel choppy. Find a width and size that let you read in phrases.
3. Rehearse the controls, then record
- Choose a comfortable starting pace. Use Settings to adjust scrolling, lines on screen, and any countdown. ZaPrompt’s scroll control uses lines per minute; it is not the same number as the words-per-minute estimate in the script timer.
- Run a short rehearsal. Tap the reading area to play or pause. Swipe up to speed up or down to slow down. Swipe left or right to move through the script. Spread two fingers to enlarge the words or pinch to make them smaller. Learn these gestures before the take.
- Record a ten-second test. Tap Record video, allow any countdown to finish, speak, and tap Stop. Review it for audio, framing, and visible eye movement.
- Record the full script. Leave a small pause before your first sentence and after your last. If you stumble, pause, return to the start of the thought, and deliver it again. You can edit the saved file in your preferred video editor afterward.
- Export a copy. Open Saved takes, review the recording, and save it to Photos or export to Files. Verify the exported copy before deleting the take from the app.
You can use Set your look before recording if you want to preview the available appearance adjustments. It is optional; get the light, framing, and audio right first.
Troubleshooting your first take
| What you notice | What to try |
|---|---|
| Your eyes move side to side | Narrow the reading area and simplify long lines. Review a test clip at your intended camera distance. |
| You keep racing the words | Slow scrolling and add breathing space between ideas. Shorten the script if the video has a fixed duration. |
| The camera or microphone is unavailable | Check ZaPrompt’s camera and microphone permissions in iPhone Settings, then return to the app. |
| You cannot find the video in Photos | Check Saved takes. Recording into the app and exporting a copy to Photos are separate steps. |
| Your delivery sounds read aloud | Replace formal phrasing with the words you use in conversation. Practice the transitions, not just the individual sentences. |
Do you need a separate teleprompter screen?
No separate screen is needed for this phone-recording workflow. A connected talent display is a different setup: one device operates the script while another shows the reading text. For desktop prompting, start with the Mac and Windows app and the setup documentation.
Next: Make teleprompter delivery sound more natural · All guides and tools