A teleprompter for online courses

Course videos are long, accurate and recorded in batches. A teleprompter keeps every lesson on script and at the same pace, so modules feel consistent.

Import a lesson scriptUse this phone as the remote
0:00 / 0:22 3 steps

Step by step: fit a script to an exact time

  1. Paste the script. The editor counts the words you’ll actually say, leaving out # labels and [notes], and shows how long the script runs at your speed.
  2. Type a target in Fit to. Need it to land at 2:30? Type 2:30 into Fit to and save. Reframely sets the speed for you: here, 165 words a minute.
  3. Read with the time left in view. The prompter counts down the time left as you read, so you know at a glance whether you’re on schedule.

Organize lessons

  • One script per lesson. Import each from Word or Google Docs; headings become sections.
  • Sections for retakes. Split each lesson into short sections and re-record one without starting over, jumping from your remote phone.
  • Consistent pace. Keep one words-per-minute setting across a module, or fit each lesson to a target length.

Recording setup

  1. Choose the preset for your setup: glass rig, laptop webcam or phone camera.
  2. Import the lesson and check the estimated length in the editor.
  3. Pair your phone as the remote and keep it out of shot.
  4. Record section by section, and use the remote's section buttons for retakes.

Technical lessons with code or numbers? Use the Mono font and a slower speed, and put exact values in brackets as cues so you read them carefully.

A workflow for recording a whole module

  1. Write all the lessons first. Keep each one between 3 and 8 minutes; shorter lessons are easier to update later.
  2. Time them. At about 140 words a minute, a 5-minute lesson is around 700 words. The speech length calculator does the sums.
  3. Record in one sitting per module. Same light, same clothes, same mic distance, so lessons cut together.
  4. Name takes by lesson and section in your recorder, matching the # headings in the script, so editing is a matter of lining them up.

Screen recordings and talking-head lessons

For lessons that switch between you and your screen, keep the prompter on the camera side and the app you're demonstrating on another monitor. Write cues such as [SWITCH TO SCREEN] into the script; they show on the prompter but you don't read them. Pause the scroll during demos with a clicker or foot pedal, so both hands stay on the mouse and keyboard.

Updating a lesson later

Keep each lesson's script in Reframely's script library, or as a file. When a feature or price changes, edit only the affected section and re-record that part. Because the pace and setup are the same, the new section matches the old ones.

Questions

Should I use a script for online course videos?

For accuracy and consistent length, many creators script lessons fully or as detailed bullet points, then read them from a teleprompter.

Can I import my course outline?

Yes. Import a .docx, .txt, .md or .rtf file; headings become sections you can jump between.

Last updated .