Homemade Teleprompter

  If you want to sound professional (concise, precise, and accurate), then writing out a script ahead of time and the recording yourself reading your script will generally produce much better results.

For about $120 I was able to construct a teleprompter purchasing some simple hand tools and parts from a local lumber / hardware store.  I scrounged up an old (about to be thrown out) 14" LCD monitor and stashed that in the bottom of the unit.

The design works off the periscope principle.  The monitor reflects into the mirror at the bottom of the teleprompter, which "reverses" the image (creates a "mirror image").  That image is directed into the pane of glass which acts like a partial mirror - which flips the image back to its original orientation.  Since the glass is angled forward toward the subject, none of the image is projected back into the video camera.  Since the glass is clear - the video camera can shoot through the glass directly at the subject.  

The pane of glass is completely clear - which means that you don't have to "up" your lighting as you would with a half-silvered mirror / beam splitter.  The pane of glass is also on a pivot to allow the image to the subject to be adjusted up and down.