What does Cue Cards mean?
Cue Cards are large cards or boards displaying an actor’s lines or script text, held just off-camera so the performer can read them during filming without appearing to look away from the scene. Cue cards are most commonly used in live television, talk shows, sketch comedy, and commercial productions where memorization may not be practical. They differ from a teleprompter in that they are physical cards held by a crew member rather than a screen with scrolling text.
Example:The host of the children’s variety show used cue cards held just below the camera lens, allowing her to maintain natural eye contact with the audience while reading her introduction lines during the live broadcast.
Example: For the commercial audition, the casting director told the child actor that cue cards would be available on the actual shoot day, so he wouldn’t need to memorize the lengthy product description — but he should still be familiar enough with the copy to deliver it naturally.
Did you know?
Cue cards were famously used by Marlon Brando throughout his career — even on major film productions. Brando refused to memorize lines, preferring to read from cue cards placed around the set. Directors often worked around this by hiding cards on props, other actors, and set pieces. His landmark performance in The Godfather was largely delivered this way.
You can also find “Cue Cards” and related terms in this category: TV and Commercials.
