How-to: $35 DIY Teleprompter for LCD or iPad

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Video teleprompters can cost over $1,000, so I built my own cheap, portable DIY prompter with a camera mount, for only $35 in parts. I used a 10" LCD monitor I already owned, but you could easily modify the build for an iPad, Kindle, or tablet PC. Without the camera and LCD, the unit weighs 4 lbs.
Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or suggestions!
I LEARNED
1) It's easy to build a cheap teleprompter!
2) Regular glass, although not super bright or sharp, works pretty well. You may not need to spring for more expensive beamsplitter glass designed for teleprompters. Update: I found even better glass, for free: • Free teleprompter glas...
3) At 10' from the camera, it's hard to notice the talent's eyes darting back and forth while reading, and it looks much better than an off-camera monitor or cue cards.
SHOPPING LIST
($14) 8x10 solid wood picture frame -- to position the reflecting glass
($7.50) 2x2' sheet of birch plywood -- as a monitor base
($1) 4' pine 1x2 -- for the camera mounting arm
($3.50) small hinges -- to attach the frame and monitor base
($0.60) 5/16" dowel rod -- to support the frame
($1.20) 4 shelf hooks -- to hold the monitor in place
($0.20) 1/4-20x1.5" screw -- to mount the camera
($1.10) 1/4-20" wood insert -- as a tripod mount
($4.50) square yard of flannel -- to shield the unit from light
($1.40) and an elastic band -- optional: for a lens-hugging sleeve
TOOLS I USED
jig saw
miter saw
drill
hammer
screwdrivers
screws and nails
wood glue
gaff tape
sewing needle and thread
I'm using freeware Prompt! Light for PC/Mac, available at movieclip.biz/p...
DETAILS NOT EXPLAINED IN THE VIDEO
-I found the 10" LCD monitor last year through DVXuser: www.dvxuser.com...
-Text on the regular picture frame glass looks slightly blurry, especially at small sizes, because the image is reflecting off both sides of the non-mirrored glass, creating a slightly offset duplicate.
-I included a thin strip of aluminum sandwiched between the monitor base / camera mount and bottom strip of plywood. It makes the design slightly more wobbly, but it gives me peace of mind that the camera mount won't crack and fall off.
-The 6x6" transparent mirror sample my local glass shop provided was too dark (even if I bumped up my camera's exposure in a well lit room), but after this video, I found a lighter, 12x12" sample, and my glass shop cut it to 8x10" for free! Video update: • Free teleprompter glas...

[@JerryRigEverything]

Im finding your videos all over the place man. First the GH4 review, now the teleprompter. Keep up the good work!

[@john.Nikhil]

Damn jerry😂

[@LifeByMark]

Here's a tip I've learned from work. Have no more than 3 words per line to minimize your eye movement.

[@romansten9]

LifeByMark yes, but nobody cares if someone's eyes move. people blink too.

[@marianomontiel]

@@romansten9 Im coming from the future to tell you that, yes, I care

[@andrieslee1716]

@@marianomontiel You're right, eye contact is the key to build trust with your viewers, and I have experienced using slides in a teleprompter is definitive guide to keep eye contact because you always have the whole concept in front of camera, but you would have to mirror-flip the slides with PPT Mirror tool.

[@drogers5511]

That is THE BEST and simplest design I have seen for a strudy looking teleprompter. This one, I will go with. I opted to seek beam-splitter for use in brighter situations and you need the contrast for the talent. EBAY has some good sellers and at a lower cost than a specialized teleprompter shop. Thanks, David

[@indymogul]

@live4mac, Before making my own, I drew inspiration from a lot of other DIY prompter builds on KZbin, yours included. Thanks for producing your video, and for being an Indy Mogul fan! I'm glad we could learn from each other!

[@RichJohnstun]

Big thanks for this video. I just finished building mine. I made a couple of changes. Instead of using dowels, I used threaded rod with some threaded wood inserts. On the ends of the threaded rod I put some rubber stops. I did this to give myself a little bit of adjustability. I also used some sima quickconnects to make things easier. Great build.

[@VexedFilms]

Way slicker than a lot of other indy mogul stuff, I've never seen you before either. Quality and cheap is what we like!

[@delftsurgery4258]

Thank you for the review, A teleprompter helps a ton, I have experienced difference between using Script and Slides is the eye contact and sounding natural execution, slides leads because you don't read word for word and the advantage is you always have the whole concept in mind therefore its a definitive guide that keeps you maintaining eye contact and sound natural on camera.

[@zacko10f]

I was a little skeptical with having a new host. But I think this video proves that IndyMogul is still alive :) Beautiful build Griffin! I don't need one but you did a great job. To answer your question, my mom got me a Motion Slider.

[@Highcastle_of_Tone]

This is the best solution I've seen, I was surprised this video was this old, it has aged very well. I'm going to repurpose a Glide Gear teleprompter (which is too janky for my druthers) and use the glass from it within a design like yours. I'm not using it as a teleprompter, but rather as an additional monitor that will be directly in line with my camera (a la dslr video shooter's design).

[@bsimp07]

I had drawn up an idea for a free-standing holder for my iPad as a prompter, but I like your idea of mounting it to the tripod and camera much better. Thanks for sharing this.

[@dirtlifemagazine]

Just made one of these and wow what a difference. Would have been better if you had measurements of the pieces for the tripod point that would have helped. We had to watch over and over to guess the dimensions. I'll post some pics and mention you guys on Twitter so you can see. Thanks again!!!

[@21x9Ratio]

Love how 11 years later this video still holds up! ❤️

[@TheAdnan898]

The man of 2012 for so far loool.... U just made my life muchhhh easier. thanks dude

[@mitchwilliams94]

Not only was that a great build, but Griffin, you actually made that song listenable! Good job!

[@TraceDominguez]

I just created one similar to this for $8 (it would have been $6 but I wanted a nice solid frame). I used duct tape a cardboard, it looks ghetto, but works great! Thanks for the inspiration.

[@wraith0127]

A little tip that might help with your eye tracking issues at closer ranges...if possible, set the justification of the text to "center" instead of "left". It will keep your eyes more centered and make the eye movement less noticeable while reading off the teleprompter. Let me know if this helps any of you out there get better quality!

[@acm0045]

Just did this for my iPad Air 2 and it works great. I only had to buy a frame and wood, I already had two stand. Thanks so much for this. I'm finally using that iPad box I held on to. I did it a bit different by just cutting, a whole out of the top, slightly smaller than the picture frame hole.

[@ReelMinutes]

One of the best DIY teleprompter tutorials around. Going to follow your instructions, which were very clear. Thanks!

[@youtubechannel12371]

Holy cow this video was so far ahead of its time. It’s still looks great 10 years later!

[@coldpawofthefurs]

Good job. I like the way you listened to the fans and gave us a DIY episode but kept it practical,

[@TheMostlyBaldITGuy]

Just finished building my teleprompter and I am really impressed. Love that you showed us how to build it step by step. Just starting my video venture and looking forward to learning more on your channel. GREAT JOB!!!

[@MrBando96]

Barely finished mine and the video quality behind the teleprompter looks amazing. Thanks Griffin.

[@tvbarbante]

Very well done. I built mine out of my Android tablet's box, using lots of glue, tape and whatever I could find. It does not look like the one you did, so I will always keep the camera behind it, never in front of it. Because I got used to it my expression does not look terrified anymore.

[@rorkimaru]

So, is Indy Mogul back? This was a fantastic build I must say. I was looking at making a news show myself and a teleprompter would be a fantastic time saver. Great build guys! I really hope you keep the show going

[@AFCuttin]

this is the oldest video I found about DIY teleprompters, and the only one that does a field test showing the final result ad different distances from the camera!

[@Rickaroonie58]

I'm no video making master but imo, you've put a lot of effort into making that video. Simple and to the point and well narrated. Nice job. I'm building that very teleprompter with a couple of changes. Where the dowl rods are, mine will be adjustable to fine tweak the angle. Thanks for all your effort with that.

[@Kinsata]

I did not realize that teleprompters were filmed through. I always figured they were just there to replace the guy with the giant posterboard cue cards! (Which, is probably still a side effect.). So, I learned something extra ontop of what you were already teaching! Nice work!

[@badlydubbedkungfu]

I am so glad Indy Mogul is back. This is the best christmas gift ever!

[@JohannHinrik]

Looks better then the other teleprompter DIY tutorials on KZbin.

[@LTLS]

Awesome job Griffin. I really like how you made this tutorial informative, but still entertaining and fun to watch. The teleprompter looked great and it really helped keeping a connection with the person watching instead of doing a lot of jump cuts or looking away from the camera while talking. You're off to a great start just remember keep indymogul informative but fun, because the more fun you have making a video deffinately comes accross to the viewer. Happy Holidays -Larry

[@chwenhoou]

Wow! I'm surprised on many levels. This is the first time I've seen a diy teleprompter and, I must say, it works amazingly well. It's been a long time since we've seen a diy build from Indy Mogul. It's not BFX, but it definitely lives up to the original by offering movie-making tech on the cheap. Outstanding job. =)

[@OwenTuson02]

welcome back indy mogul! Oh yeah and for Christmas I got a 50mm lens, a dolly tripod adapter and a shoulder stabilizer rig!

[@meg3450]

Loved this. I am new to it all, and wasn't even sure what a teleprompter was, just that I needed one.

[@wedancedto9ether]

I think you just revived Indy Mogul in one swift upload. Good job Griffin, keep it up.

[@turnerbrowne1428]

It's true you will always get somewhat of a double image with regular glass.I started out using a triple thick piece of glass on a darkroom proof frame and I was using a small thin serif font. When I changed to regular glass and a large san serif font it all worked.

[@indymogul]

@U83RTV, That's quite the present! Have fun!

[@mulpatiJi]

I AM SO GLAD YOU'RE BRINGING THE CHEAP FX BACK!!! but seriously, we want the bfx theme tune aswell.

[@MegaMoviemaker13]

Omg love the new Indy mogul! You should keep doing shows about diy camera gear! No one has a show like that!

[@TehSemiN4p]

That’s one small step for the fans but one giant leap for Indy Mogul. btw nice build, the prompter makes a huge difference.. I like it! :D

[@MychealJones]

This is so cool; I would have never thought of building a teleprompter.

[@rorschachnite121]

Griffin, awesome build dude!!! now im planning on making this!!! and btw thx for the descriptive details on the description box!! now it's easier for me to understand what to do and such

[@freddyfredrickson]

With the teleprompter I couldn't see your eyes moving even at 5', but with only the LCD screen, 10' or less it became clear that you weren't looking into the camera. At 15', the LCD screen worked fine.

[@RedSpectrumPictures]

I received the canon holga pinhole lens and the 50mm 1.8 for my 600D, two great presents that I was so happy to get :) I used to ask eric to do videos that are actually useful, not props that most people don't need or want, so thanks for doing this build, can't wait to see what other DIY builds you can come up with. - Red Spectrum Pictures

[@stephane1234567]

Please bring back Indy Mogul.

[@Socksshoesandhats]

Yeah!!! And Backyard Effects!!!!

[@nathanielfoo7835]

ITS BACK

[@MeccaVideoPro]

cue cards are best put above the lens, which avoids the eyes half close, sleepy look. and head movements and gestures along with fewer words on each line in the prompter will help mask eye movement.

[@RcSkyFlier]

I like this guy....he's bringing back indymogl. He's kept my sub

[@mynameisandong]

watching this in 2020. how has griffin not changed except for a shave

[@ZacharyAaron]

This is pretty awesome! I'm excited to have you as the new host of whatever this tutorial show will be called. You've got a nice style, keep up the good work!

[@Bpjames]

Thanks for the informative video, and the use of lyrics in your testing demonstration is a great example of why I haven't listened to pop music since I was a teenager. : )

[@matthewacowling]

Yes! Diy builds are back!

[@earlgreybeard]

Sir, that is totally brilliant. I will definitely be giving this a go. If I may also say without wanting to sound patronising, you have a great presentation style. Very engaging.

[@kimchiman1000]

Almost 70,000 views and only 8 dislikes. Funny - even when I KNEW you were using the teleprompter, it still seemed like you were 'talking to me'. You've helped me make my mind up; I'm going to build one of these cool contraptions! Many thanks!

[@indymogul]

@queenofcrows, I was never taught to, but you're right; OSHA recommends safety gloves when operating power tools.

[@skycarl]

Excellent Griffin,,, the breath of fresh air is here.

[@ZankuroMinazuki]

Great video, thanks! I end up making a lot of my own studio equipment for the University I work at and the teleprompter issue recently came up since we have a lot of non professional talent who have difficulty memorizing lines or ad libbing. This was very helpful and I will be putting it to use soon! Thanks again!

[@MagicNewsTeleVision]

Blooming eck. Professional stuff on a budget. I have iprompt on my iPhone which I place just above the lens sitting on the cowling of my cannon xha1 Works well. Like the idea of the construction though. Thanks for sharing James

[@aghollingsworth]

Just spray paint that wood black and it will look like a professional teleprompter.

[@clonespeck]

I was thinking the same thing - I'd even add a logo on it to make it even more professional looking

[@EvilGenius.]

It works. Hoewever, when the promter is bellow the camera your eyes fallow and you don't even look like your even looking into the camera any more. that just makes it a little cheesey!

[@kimchiman1000]

Just got a teleprompter from telepromptermirrors dot something or other. But I'm going to build the base as per this video. Thanks very much Griffin!

[@undergroundKuztoms]

perfect How-to video, informative, fun and I like how you showed alternatives on how to build it....just great.......can't wait to see more...

[@DrgnTech]

I definitely need a teleprompter for my shots. I have been going by memory for my vids. this will make a huge improvement for me. Thanks!

[@indymogul]

@Fucas101, I'd looked to other DIY designs for inspiration, but yeah, this design is my own. I wondered why no one else had used a wood picture frame-that provides most of the necessary structure in one item.

[@andrieslee1716]

I could see your eyes moving slightly, but you can also try using Powerpoint as a teleprompter software with bullet points, you speak confidently and maintain eye contact with the audience because you always have the whole concept in mind.

[@FreemanFilms1]

I think that this may be the best Christmas present I got, I mean other than my new canon vixia HF R100, that shoots full 1080p HD, a big step up from my old panosonic that used cassettes. Thanks Griffin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@freakstate]

Hi Griffin, I made my own teleprompter last week thanks to this video, it works really well! I'd like to share BUT the one final thing left is the quarter inch wood insert - so difficult to find in the UK!

[@nathanksimpson]

I'm probably never goning to build that but watching slam poetry readings of those lyrics was worth my time.

[@shumworld]

Wow that was a pretty darn interesting tool. I wish I had the handy man skills to build myself a teleprompter.

[@TheCommidor]

I work as a TelePrompTer Operator. It pays pretty well; nevertheless, even after the many video shoots and live events I have done previously, it still can be very high pressure

[@nohaycamino]

Great. I specially thank you for the final tests, it really gives a grasp on the differences.

[@indymogul]

@millertime83, The software, Prompt Light, controls it. You could set it to one speed, or control it manually. My wife helped me out with much of it.

[@leetmurdoc]

finally, a build that took creativity

[@israelpsmith]

Thankyou so much for this video! Just created my own teleprompter from your video. Slightly less elegant than yours, but that's just my skill with tools :)

[@indymogul]

@forensicdrew, You're right; I noticed the same thing.

[@legosrule111]

someone should make a movie with EVERY SINGLE build backyard fx has done. That would be awesome

[@ThatGuyWhoFanDubs]

This is why I subed to indymogul, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT BACK!

[@10tmoore]

See this is what Indy Mogul needs

[@Ranchmountain]

This is awsome. I might not actually build this, but it's cool just by watching the video.

[@AnoniMArtShowPhotography]

i didn't know how they do it ... with filming and prompter ... now i know ... nice video

[@indymogul]

@VarietyShop, Besides the sound, it's nice adding a mic to your HDSLR-people know you're shooting video, so they stop posing for photos!

[@JesusLives888]

Someone said it is "one-way glass" that this guy (Indy Mogul) used in his video, and that is what you should ask for at the store if you want to use the glass he used.

[@einarssone]

I love this! I hope there will be more BFX type videos in the future. You're a great host, Griffin!

[@TheSpaceTardigrade]

I got a collapsable light reflector and 11 meters of green screen paper!! Very happy :)

[@VarietyShop]

I got a RODE videomic! It sounds fantastic, and makes my T2i look super badass

[@sam.ruesink]

THATS SO AWESOME!! NICE JOB GRIFFIN!!

[@kawaiigurl93]

This was cool, I never knew teleprompters looked like that!

[@Vanillaessence]

Awesome video, glad I didn't unsubscribe from Indy Mogul.

[@okcompuyter]

beautful BFX is back!! I got a new camera backpack case for my DSLR

[@asdf1234hao]

you can also throw a CPL Filter on the lens too, that should drastically help

[@BackyardFilms77]

That was awesome! I'm excited for the future of IndyMogul!

[@indymogul]

@tvsinesperanto, Thinner glass would probably look less blurry, but to get a nice, bright reflection, you need mirrored glass, or add a reflective film to regular glass. Today I found better glass and made an update video. (See video responses.)

[@DeeJayMXM]

YES YES YES, much better than last week!

[@beatles1998]

wow this is the kind of things i was wating for since bfx dissapear

[@tsetendorjee9040]

Thank you very much for your how to make a cheap Teleprompter !

[@Crlarl]

This is why I subscribed to indymogul.

[@GospodinJean]

Old but gold!

[@makug]

Real Sharp Chap! Thank you very much for your informative shows! you've very helpful to the community!

[@indymogul]

@Power1Productions1, Sweet! Have fun!

[@indymogul]

@BIPICY, I don't know. If it's clear and reflective, it should do the job.

[@kennysurdad]

i have not seen alot of the recent uploads did we get a new host i like him alot more than the last dude

[@seairra117]

Griffin-you actually made that song sound good!