# Set up light, framing and sound with what you have

Use a window, a stable phone and a short sound test to prepare a talking-head recording before buying equipment.

Source: https://teleprompterfocus.com/guides/lighting-setup/

Updated: 2026-11-04

QUICK ANSWER

## What setup do I need for a clear iPhone talking-head video?

Start with a stable phone at eye level, soft light on your face and a quiet room. Record a short sample and listen to it before committing to a full take.

## Put the light in front of you

Try facing a window with the phone between you and the light. Avoid placing a bright window behind your head: the background can look bright while your face looks dark.

If direct sun makes you squint or creates harsh shadows, move out of the beam or soften it with a curtain. With a lamp, move it slightly to one side of the phone and judge the preview. You do not need a ring light to make a useful first video.

## Set the frame before tuning the prompter

Choose portrait or landscape for the place you plan to publish. Support the phone at eye level, check headroom and make sure gestures stay inside the frame. Clear distracting objects from the background if that helps the message.

Choose any filter or virtual background before capture in Teleprompter Focus. These affect the saved recording and cannot be removed or swapped afterward in the app. A virtual background is worth testing around moving hands and hair before a full take.

## Listen to the actual recording

Turn off avoidable noise such as a fan near the microphone. A soft-furnished room is often easier to record in than a bare, echoing one. Move closer to the phone if the voice sounds distant, while keeping the framing comfortable.

If using an external microphone, select the intended input in camera tools and record a sample. A connected microphone is not proof that the right sound reached the video.

Play the sample back. If sound, lighting and framing work, keep that setup and move on to your [first full take](https://teleprompterfocus.com/guides/first-video/).