Eye Contact on Camera: The Wide vs. Narrow Script Setup
Viewers trust you less when you lose eye contact with the lens, whether in a sales pitch, a business course or a YouTube video.
If your teleprompter text stretches across a wide desktop monitor, viewers see your eyes dart from left to right (the "robotic scan").
The narrow column layout trick
To cut down on eye-darting, shrink the text column instead of letting it fill the screen:
- Shrink reading columns: Keep your reading block confined to a narrow column (between 300px and 450px wide) directly in the center of your screen. Narrow the browser window, or in Chrome and Edge float the prompter in its own window and resize it.
- Move near the lens: Position the active reading line right below your physical camera lens.
- Use the camera view: Switch on Camera in the Studio's Inspector and choose Behind text, so you can check your framing while your focus stays near the lens.
Step back 3 to 5 feet from the camera and your eye movement is much less noticeable. Try this setup on your next video.