Teleprompter for TikTok and Reels: 30 and 60 second scripts
Short-form video has no room for rambling. A 30 or 60 second clip has to open fast, make one point and stop. That makes scripts useful even for people who prefer to improvise, because a tight script is the easiest way to keep a clip short. This guide covers word counts, two simple templates, vertical framing and how to record several clips in one sitting.
How many words fit
Natural speech runs at about 130 to 160 words per minute. For short-form video, use these rough targets:
- 30 seconds: about 65 to 80 words.
- 60 seconds: about 130 to 160 words.
- 90 seconds: about 200 to 230 words.
Count after you write, then read the script aloud with a timer. Most first drafts are longer than they feel. Telepromptia has a target length setting of 30, 60 or 90 seconds in the reading settings: it sets the scroll speed so that your script lasts that long, and if it cannot fit, it tells you how many words to cut.
Hook in the first sentence
Viewers decide in a moment whether to keep watching. Start with the point, not a greeting. State the result, ask the question or name the problem. "Most people boil eggs for too long" is a hook. "Hi everyone, welcome back" is not. Put the hook on its own line in the script, so you can say it with full energy.
A 30 second template
- Hook (one sentence): the problem or the promise.
- Point (two to four sentences): the one thing you want people to know.
- Takeaway (one sentence): what to do with it.
- Ask (optional, one short sentence): follow, save or comment.
Here is an example of about 55 words:
Most people boil eggs for too long. Here is the fix. Lower the egg into water that is already boiling. Set a timer for seven minutes. Then move it straight into ice water for two minutes. That stops the cooking, so the yolk stays soft instead of chalky. Peel under running water. Try it tonight.
A 60 second template
- Hook (one sentence).
- Problem (two sentences): why the usual way fails.
- Three steps (about 20 words each): short, in order, easy to remember.
- Payoff (one or two sentences): what the viewer gets.
- Ask (one sentence).
Three steps are enough. A fourth step usually means you are really making a second video.
Frame for vertical video
TikTok and Reels are vertical, which means 9:16. Telepromptia supports portrait layouts, and the orientation is fixed when a take starts, so hold the phone upright before you record. You can export the original or a vertical 9:16 version.
Keep your face and any captions away from the very top, bottom and right edges, where the app interface usually covers part of the picture. Sit close enough that your face fills a good part of the frame, and keep the text large enough to read from a short distance.
Add captions
Many viewers watch with the sound off. Captions keep your clip understandable for them. In Telepromptia, captions are made on your device and are part of Pro. You can edit them, export an SRT file or burn them into the video in a few styles. Check the text for names and unusual words before you export.
Record in batches
Writing and recording are different mental modes. Write several scripts first, then record them one after another in the same place with the same light. That keeps your look consistent across clips and saves setup time. The free plan stores three scripts at a time, which is enough for a small batch. Pro has no limit on the number of scripts.
Keep the pace without rushing
Short clips reward energy, but speed is not energy. Speak a little brisker than you would in a long video, and still leave a short beat before the key point. Cut every word that does not carry the idea: "basically", "really" and "just" are the usual suspects. If the script runs long, remove a sentence instead of reading faster. Know the first sentence by heart so that you can say it straight to the lens, and let the teleprompter carry the rest.
Retakes without starting over
In a 30 second clip, one stumble can ruin the take. Instead of restarting from the hook, say the sentence again and keep going, then cut the bad part. With MagicRetake in Pro you can re-record just that sentence, and Telepromptia keeps your other takes and assembles the clip. Our guide on fixing a mistake without re-recording everything shows how to keep the join natural.
Before you press record
- The hook is a single sentence.
- You read the script aloud once with a timer.
- The phone is upright, at eye level, with light on your face.
- Your face sits inside the area that the app interface will not cover.
- You decided whether captions are burned in or exported as an SRT file.
Where Telepromptia fits
Telepromptia gives you a teleprompter, a recorder, a timer and an exporter in one app, with no account and no watermark. Everything runs on your iPhone or iPad. See the features, the pricing or the FAQ for the details.