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I love shooting video interviews. I love the way it draws on a range of skills: technical (setting up the gear so it all runs smoothly), aesthetic (making sure it looks and sounds good) and social. And then, depending on who you’re interviewing, you often learn a lot.
But every now and then I’ll have an interviewee who’s not really up for it. He’s agreed to it, but actually he’d rather drink rat poison than sit in front of a camera.
So how do you coax the good stuff out of such a person?
Getting clear, on-message, concise and engaging interview footage isn’t always easy, but here are some pointers:
1. Manage expectations
Let the interviewee know what you are hoping to get from the interview. Tell him:
- Roughly how long it will take
- What kind of questions you’ll be asking
- The length of answers needed
Don’t overload him with information. You want him to begin with a clear, calm mind.
2. Reassure
Most people think they are terrible at talking in front of a video camera. Actually, it’s much like anything else – practice makes perfect. And, as with public speaking, confidence is everything.
You can help build your interviewee’s confidence by making her feel special and reassure her that she’s doing a great job. Tell her about some of the worst interviewees you’ve had (make up stories if need be – but don’t use names!), which will make her feel professional by comparison.
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3. Context in the answer
I love long-form interviews but the most viewed video content tends to keep it snappy. For that reason, often the interviewer’s question is cut out. It’s therefore really important that the interviewee provides the context of the question in the answer.
For example:
Q: “How old are you?”
A: “27” – BAD
A: “I’m 27 years old.” GOOD
4. Eyeline
Eyeline is really important. Generally you’ll want your subject to be looking at the interviewer – NOT the camera. If his eye strays to the camera, reshoot that section. For the sake of the editor, ask your subject to maintain that eye line for a second or two AFTER finished talking. This is especially important for emotional answers or potential closing lines.
5. Keywords
People have a tendency to mumble important words such as their job title or the name of their organization. Afterall they say those things all the time. But for the audience, who has never heard of the organization, it’s really important that these words are clearly annunciated.
Make a mental – or written – note of key words and phrases and make sure they are covered and covered clearly.
6. Script it?
Conventional wisdom is to keep the interview as natural as possible. Once you put words in someone’s mouth, even if they are words they themselves have chosen, the interview is in danger of becoming a bad dress rehearsal, with your interviewee trying to remember lines rather than speaking from his heart, knowledge or experience.
But occasionally the exact opposite works. I recently shot an interview with a scientist, who was new to being in front of a camera. What he had to say was quite technical and it was important to get it right. Also, English was not his first language and he was a little nervous. He proposed printing a script in large letters with someone holding it next to the camera like an autocue. I was reluctant – I thought we would see his eyes scanning and his delivery would be stilted. Actually, it worked fine. He came across as quite natural and I’m sure we saved at least an hour of pulling teeth.
The lesson? Everyone is different. Try and stick to the plan, but if the plan doesn’t work, be flexible. As long as everyone is happy, the end justifies the means. If the interview is clear and engaging, who cares how you got there?
For more technical advice about setting up a video interview, please see: ‘How to set up a video interview’.
