SpeakCam

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How to Record a Talking Head Video: Keep Your Eyes on the Lens, No Memorizing

The hard part of talking to a camera isn’t the content, it’s the eyeline. Notes off to the side and your eyes wander; memorize and it sounds memorized. SpeakCam puts the script right under the camera and scrolls it with your voice, so viewers only see you looking at them.

Five steps to a finished take

  1. Paste your script into SpeakCam, or try one of the built-in demo scripts
  2. Tap “Start recording” and pick 9:16, 3:4, 1:1 or 16:9 — what you frame is what you get
  3. Hit the shutter, count down from three, look at the lens and read at your normal pace
  4. Need a second? Tap pause, think, resume — the take is stitched seamlessly
  5. Preview right away: save to Photos, share, or retake with one tap

The key to a steady eyeline

The prompter sits directly under the front camera, with font sizes from 18 to 46 and a three- or five-line window. Your eyes are a centimetre or two from the lens, so nobody can tell you are reading. The prompter never appears in the footage.

Image quality and camera controls

  • Up to 4K at 60 fps, zoom slider, tap to focus, stabilization, torch
  • Front-camera mirroring can be switched off — recommended when text is in frame
  • 9:16 for short video, 16:9 for YouTube and courses, 1:1 and 3:4 for social feeds

Three tips before you press record

  • Speak at about 80% of your conversational pace and allow pauses between sentences
  • Say the first line out loud once, at full volume, before recording — it warms you up
  • Write numbers as digits so the prompter tracks them reliably

FAQ

What equipment do I need for a talking head video?+

One iPhone is enough: SpeakCam handles framing, recording and prompting. For a DSLR or external camera, use Prompter mode and let the phone act purely as a prompter.

Which aspect ratio should I use?+

9:16 or 3:4 for vertical platforms, 16:9 for YouTube and courses. SpeakCam shows exactly the chosen frame in the viewfinder, so what you see is what you get.

What if I lose my place mid-take?+

Tap pause, gather your thoughts and resume — the timeline stays seamless. If you fluff a sentence, just start it again; the prompter jumps back to the beginning of the line.

Record your first talking head video

Free on the App Store

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