👀 Viewers can tell you're reading long before they can tell what you're reading — it's almost entirely about where your eyes are pointed, not how good the script is.
1️⃣ Keep the text as close to your lens as possible
The further your script sits from the camera, the more obvious the side-eye. If you're on a laptop, position your online teleprompter window directly under (or as close as possible to) the built-in camera — not on a second monitor across the desk.
2️⃣ Write for your mouth, not your eyes
Short sentences. Contractions. The way you'd actually say it, not the way you'd write a report. A script that already sounds like speech is far easier to deliver without sounding like you're reading it.
3️⃣ Slow the scroll down more than feels natural
🐢 Slower than you'd guess → 😌 more natural pauses → 🎥 sounds unscripted
A script scrolling too fast forces your eyes to dart to keep up — the exact motion that reads as "reading" on camera. Slower scrolling (or voice-controlled scrolling that only moves when you're actually talking) leaves room for natural pauses.
4️⃣ Rehearse it once before you hit record
The first read of any script sounds like a first read. One rehearsal pass out loud — even a rough one — is usually enough to smooth out the awkward parts before the take that counts.