How to record yourself reading a script on a Mac
Open QuickTime Player and choose File then New Movie Recording. Pick your camera, microphone and quality, press the record button, read your script, and press stop. Choose File then Save to name the recording. This uses only apps that come with your Mac.
Steps
- Open QuickTime Player and choose File > New Movie Recording. A green light next to the built in camera shows it is active.
- Click the options menu button to choose a Camera and a Microphone if you have more than one.
- Choose Quality. Apple says High records H.264 video with 44100 Hz AAC audio, and Maximum records Apple ProRes 422 video with Linear PCM audio.
- Adjust the volume control so you can hear what you are recording.
- Click Start Recording, read, then click Stop Recording. To pause, hold Option and click Start Recording, and click it again to resume.
- Choose File > Save and name the recording.
Quality and storage
Apple warns that Maximum quality produces uncompressed files that can use a lot of storage space. Choose High if your disk is tight. For a talking head or a short update, High is the sensible choice.
Prepare before you press record
Read the script once with the camera preview on, so your eyes settle near the lens. Looking at the camera while reading has practical positioning steps. A script written for the ear is easier to read aloud, as the formatting tip explains. To check the picture first, see how to test your Mac camera.
Use an iPhone if you prefer
Apple adds that you can record from a connected iPhone, iPad or iPod touch by choosing it as the Camera in the same options menu. If your Mac has no built in camera, you can connect an external one.
Read from the notch while you record
NotchStar’s Teleprompter can stay open next to the camera while QuickTime records, so your script is within a glance of the lens. Pin it open while you read and unpin it afterwards. It does not hide itself from a screen recording, so QuickTime’s camera recording, which captures only the camera, is the better pairing than a screen recording. Your script is plain text, one at a time, stored on your Mac in NotchStar’s preferences, and never uploaded. The teleprompter guide covers pacing.
