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All you need for an engaging video is your face and a camera. And good light. And some editing software (like Descript). And probably a script. That’s it! You could use a teleprompter but you don’t really need to — if you edit in Descript, it will be easy to correct mistakes, so you won’t have to worry about nailing the perfect take. There are some free autoscrolling teleprompters out there, but many don’t work that well, and can be more hassle than they’re worth.
Descript also makes it easy to record on your webcam or laptop camera, and editing your video is as simple as editing a doc, so you don’t need a scrolling prompter to make a smooth video on your laptop that can play on iPad, iPhone, Android, or any screen. Record and read your lines, make your edits — maybe throw in captions in a single click — and you’re done.
Write your script and record your video. You can record on a camera or webcam to your laptop, or directly into Descript. Put your script into notes or a doc and position it as close to your webcam as possible. As you read your script on camera, leave pauses between sentences for easier editing; if you stumble or don’t like the way you say something, just pause and do it again.
Drag your video file into Descript and wait a few seconds while we auto-generate your transcript. If you recorded in Descript, transcription will begin automatically. As soon as the text appears, start editing your video — by editing the text. Select the parts you don’t like and hit Delete.
Make your fine edits. Add fades and cross-fades if you want to smooth over the cuts. Drop in captions by selecting all and adding Fancy Captions; choose the color, font, and size of your text, and animate it for a more dynamic look.
Once you’re happy with your video, hit Publish. You can export it as an MP4 file, publish it to a web page with a shareable link, or publish directly to your YouTube page.
Descript also makes it easy to record on your webcam or laptop camera, and editing your video is as simple as editing a doc, so you don’t need a scrolling prompter to make a smooth video on your laptop that can play on iPad, iPhone, Android, or any screen. Record and read your lines, make your edits — maybe throw in captions in a single click — and you’re done.
Reading takes a lot of concentration, and it can be hard to remember your lines. You don’t need to become a method actor — just do as many takes as you need to get it right, then quickly edit out the bad ones. Add music, b-roll, images or anything else in separate tracks and sync them to the main track in a few clicks.
Add rectangles and ellipses to give your video some visual flair. Or a waveform to bring your audio to life. Or a progress bar to show the viewer how much time is left.
With Fancy Captions, you can add animated text in a couple clicks. Highlight the parts where you want titles to appear, select Titles, and type whatever you want to appear; then drag in the timeline to control how long it stays on screen. None of this takes more than a few seconds.
Sure, there are apps and websites that let you use your computer as a teleprompter for YouTube videos (a BlueTooth mouse even doubles as a remote control). You could also use an Android tablet, iPad pro, or whatever. Many of those apps allow you to record as well.
When learning how to read a script while looking into the camera, make sure you place the prompter near the camera lens for direct eye contact. This is true whether you’re recording a Zoom meeting on a webcam or capturing some HD footage on your DSLR.
With Descript’s simple, powerful video editing, you don’t need teleprompter software. Just record as many takes as you need, then cut the bad parts by editing the transcript. When you download Descript’s free version, you can edit with unlimited uploads and get three hours of transcription.
If you want more, you can subscribe to the $12/month Creator and $24/Month Pro upgrades for 10 and 30 hours a month, respectively, with watermark-free exports. Pricing for the Enterprise package is negotiable and includes a dedicated account representative, onboarding, and training.
All you need for an engaging video is your face and a camera. And good light. And some editing software (like Descript). And probably a script. That’s it! You could use a teleprompter but you don’t really need to — if you edit in Descript, it will be easy to correct mistakes, so you won’t have to worry about nailing the perfect take. There are some free autoscrolling teleprompters out there, but many don’t work that well, and can be more hassle than they’re worth.
Write your script and record your video. You can record on a camera or webcam to your laptop, or directly into Descript. Put your script into notes or a doc and position it as close to your webcam as possible. As you read your script on camera, leave pauses between sentences for easier editing; if you stumble or don’t like the way you say something, just pause and do it again.
Drag your video file into Descript and wait a few seconds while we auto-generate your transcript. If you recorded in Descript, transcription will begin automatically. As soon as the text appears, start editing your video — by editing the text. Select the parts you don’t like and hit Delete.
Make your fine edits. Add fades and cross-fades if you want to smooth over the cuts. Drop in captions by selecting all and adding Fancy Captions; choose the color, font, and size of your text, and animate it for a more dynamic look.
Once you’re happy with your video, hit Publish. You can export it as an MP4 file, publish it to a web page with a shareable link, or publish directly to your YouTube page.
