# How to look at the camera while reading a script > Keep your eyes near the lens when you read from a script on a Mac: move the text next to the camera, shrink it, and set a steady scroll speed. Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/tips/look-at-the-camera-while-reading-a-script/ Last updated: 2026-11-04 Published 2026-11-04. Put the words as close to the camera as you can. The further your eyes travel from the lens to the text, the more you look away from the viewer. On a Mac the camera is at the top edge of the screen, so the script belongs at the top edge too, not in a window in the middle. ## Steps 1. Move your script window to the top of the screen, right under the camera. In a notebook with a notch, the camera is in the notch, so text just below it is the nearest position. 2. Make the text narrow. A column about as wide as the camera area keeps your eyes from sweeping left and right. A wide line makes your eyes visibly travel. 3. Make the text big enough to read at arm's length. Sit back, so you can read without leaning towards the screen. 4. Read in short lines. Break the script into one idea per line, so you take in each line with a glance. 5. Practise once before you record. Read the whole script while watching your own preview, and note where your eyes drift. ## Use a scroll, not a page If the script is a static page, you find your place after every pause, and your eyes go down the page. A scroll keeps the current line in one place, so your eyes stay put. That is what a teleprompter does. Set a speed that suits how you speak, and slow it if you stumble. ## Check what the viewer sees Open a preview and look at it the way your viewer would. [How to test your Mac camera](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/test-your-mac-camera/) shows how to see your picture before you start, and the [script formatting tip](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/format-a-script-for-a-teleprompter/) helps you shape the text. ## Record and review Record a short take and play it back. Watch your eyes, not your words. Two or three takes are usually enough to find a comfortable size and speed. See [recording yourself reading a script](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/record-yourself-reading-a-script-on-mac/). ## With NotchStar NotchStar's [Teleprompter](https://www.notchstar.com/features/teleprompter/) shows a scrolling script in the notch, beside the camera on a notched MacBook. The text fades at the top and bottom so the line you are reading is the clearest. Speed and text size sliders sit next to the play button, and both are remembered. It scrolls at the speed you set and does not follow your voice. On a Mac without a notch it shows a floating pill at the top of the screen instead. For pacing advice, read the [teleprompter guide](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/teleprompter-on-mac/). ## Quick answers. ### Why do my eyes look away when I read a script? The script is usually on a different part of the screen from the camera, so your eyes move between them. The closer the text sits to the lens, the smaller that movement. ## Keep reading. - [A teleprompter right under your camera](https://www.notchstar.com/features/teleprompter/): Read a scrolling script right beside your Mac's camera. Adjustable speed and text size, fading edges, and an edit mode for your script. - [Using a teleprompter on your Mac for calls and video](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/teleprompter-on-mac/): How to read a script on camera without looking like you are reading: placement, pacing, writing for the ear and a notch based setup. - [How to record yourself reading a script on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/record-yourself-reading-a-script-on-mac/): Use QuickTime Player's New Movie Recording to film yourself while you read. Choose camera, microphone and quality, then save the file. - [How to format a script for a teleprompter](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/format-a-script-for-a-teleprompter/): Write a script you can read aloud without stumbling: short lines, plain words, marked pauses and no surprises. Includes a quick checklist. - [A quick mirror before every call](https://www.notchstar.com/features/mirror/): Check how you look before a call with a live, mirrored camera preview in the notch. The camera runs only while the Mirror tab is open. ## More in Scripts and prompters. - [How to record yourself reading a script on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/record-yourself-reading-a-script-on-mac/): Use QuickTime Player's New Movie Recording to film yourself while you read. Choose camera, microphone and quality, then save the file. - [How to format a script for a teleprompter](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/format-a-script-for-a-teleprompter/): Write a script you can read aloud without stumbling: short lines, plain words, marked pauses and no surprises. Includes a quick checklist.