Cue

Script writing

How to Format a Script for a Teleprompter: Pauses, Emphasis and Sections

Formatting rules that make teleprompter scripts easier to read: line length, paragraphing, delivery marks for pauses and emphasis, sections, and what to leave out.

By the Cue team · · 2 min read

In this guide
  1. Basic layout rules
  2. Delivery marks
  3. An example
  4. What to leave out
  5. Before you record
  6. FAQ

A well-formatted script is half the performance. The same words can be easy or painful to read depending on how they sit on screen.

Basic layout rules

  • Mixed case, not all caps. Word shapes help you read faster.
  • Large text, narrow column. Five to eight words per line.
  • One paragraph per idea. A new paragraph is a natural breath.
  • Spell out tricky things. Write "twenty twenty-six" or "two point four million" if you tend to stumble on figures.
  • Phonetic help for names. "Siobhan (shiv-AWN)".

Delivery marks

Plan the performance in the script, not in your head. Cue understands four simple marks:

# Opening             a section heading: shown quietly, never spoken
[look at camera]      a direction: shown quietly, never spoken
**this matters**      emphasis: shown brighter and heavier
// note to self       a private note: never shown at all

None of them count as words, so the word count, time estimate, pacing and Voice Follow tracking only consider what you will actually say.

Directions

Use square brackets for anything you do rather than say:

  • [pause] after a hook or a big number
  • [smile] before a warm line
  • [slow] for a key sentence
  • [show product] for a demo beat

Emphasis

Mark one word per sentence, at most. "This is the one habit that changed my mornings." More than that and nothing stands out.

Sections

Break long scripts into named sections with headings. In Cue, headings create a jump list in the presenter, so if a take goes wrong in the third section you can jump straight back to it.

Private notes

Lines starting with // stay in the script for you (reminders, sources, alternative lines) but never appear on the prompter.

An example

# Hook
[look at camera]
Most people freeze on camera for **one** reason.
[pause]

# Point one
It's not nerves. It's that they're reading, not talking.
// source: my own first 50 videos

# Call to action
[smile]
Follow for part two, where I show the fix.

What to leave out

  • Long sentences you have not read aloud
  • Everything you will show on screen rather than say (put it in a note)
  • Unusual punctuation that makes you hesitate (semicolons, em-dash chains)
  • Text copied from a PDF with broken line endings. Clean it first. Cue's editor has a tidy-up for exactly this.

Before you record

  • Read the formatted script aloud once
  • Check each section heading is where you want a jump point
  • Confirm the time estimate matches your target

Formatting takes five minutes and saves you ten takes.

Frequently asked questions

Should teleprompter scripts be in all caps?

Traditional newsroom prompters used all caps, but mixed case is easier to read quickly because word shapes are more distinct. Use mixed case with large text.

How do I show a pause in a teleprompter script?

Put a direction such as [pause] on its own or at the end of the line. In Cue, bracketed directions are shown quietly and are not counted as spoken words.

Can I add private notes to a teleprompter script?

Yes. In Cue, a line starting with // is a private note: it stays in the script for you and is never shown on the prompter.

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