Friday 30 January 2015

THE INTERVIEW

There are many styles a company video can take, it could be a clear instructional video, a dynamic promo or the announcement of the latest financial results.

What nearly all of these videos have in common is the interview. The bedrock of thousands of hours of filming. The interview allows you to communicate directly to the audience, there is no-one mediating your words, everyone can see your body language. 

Some of our new clients are nervous before we film interviews, but there is no need to be. You are in control, you decide which answers make the final edit and of course we can record more than one version of an answer. 

We run media training courses with all levels of employees and a lot of our attendees are surprised when we don’t recommend that you practise your answers in too much detail, a good interviewer will be able to listen and edit possible answers in their head as we record. As you get warmed up we often go back and ask the first few questions again.

Talk through how the interview will fit into the programme with the director.  Will the interview be the first item or is it one of many voices? A quick informal chat will help you understand the pace of your answers.

Your answers will be edited. Try not to answer with long elongated sentences. This makes it very tricky for the editor to find the exact few words they are looking for.  We talk on average at a rate of three words per second. The average statement form an interview is often only 40 seconds to a minute, which means that you need to answer the question succinctly, stick to the core subject.

Allow plenty of time for your interview. We want you to feel comfortable and not be planning your next meeting in your head. Give yourself time to say hello to the crew.  The sound recordist will want to check how loud you speak, the cameraman may want to tweak the position of a light if you are taller/smaller than they expected.  Give them time to make everything perfect, after all you want the best results possible.

We are often asked what our interviewees should wear. Audiences will expect an executive in a formal video to wear a suit. Plain colours are preferable, try to avoid thin stripes. Most interviews are filmed in a mid-shot where the frame cuts off just below the chest. This is a comfortable shot for the viewer as it allows us to see your hands while you speak. If  you are making a very important point we may also frame tighter to your head and shoulders so that the viewer can focus on your eyes.

Where should we film your interview? We can cope with most visual situations but our nemesis is a noisy environment. We want to focus on your words and hear you clearly, so please bear in mind any sound issues when you suggest a location for the interview.  The most popular location we end up in is the company boardroom. This is understandable but often visually very plain. Take a walk around your office with fresh eyes, you may see a great backdrop you wouldn't normally have considered.

We hope that these tips will help you when you are asked to be part of a video. Take your time and enjoy the process, we are interested in what you have to say.

If you would like to talk through your ideas for a video please contact us and we would love to share some thoughts with you.