Learning the intricacies of pulling off the perfect video interview can take years to perfect, but there are a few rules of thumb that may help a novice. In order to create a welcoming, comfortable environment for your interview subject, you must set the tone.
BEFORE YOU START:
If you’re at ease, that will go a long way toward making your interviewee calm and confident. Of course you’ll plan ahead to create the perfect location for the interview, free from noise, airplanes flying overhead, buses driving by and dogs barking. And you’ll maybe even do a pre-interview on the phone ahead of time. This is helpful for you both; you have a more clear picture of who you will be dealing with in the interview – he/she understands a bit more of what to expect in the interview.
Do your homework. What is the goal of the video? What should you be asking the interviewee to accomplish this goal and tell the story? Write down questions for the interview, but don’t plan to read them at the shoot. You want to seem ‘all in’ and engaged, so no peeking at the question list unless you truly have to.
ONCE YOU GET STARTED:
Do what you can to make the interview subject feel at ease and comfortable. This will go a long way toward a more authentic interview. Explain the interview and editing process so they know what to expect. You might want to tell them things like not to look at the camera, but to look at you off camera, as well as to ignore the camera and just have a conversation. At the start of the actual interview on-set, ask the subject to say and spell his or her name, and give their title, so you have it on tape. You might need this later in editing.
One trick to make the interviewee comfortable is to actually start to roll tape without them knowing. You can be chatting with them as the camera is getting set up, and then just organically begin a meaningful conversation before they know you are rolling. Also, you might want to explain to the interviewee to phrase answers as a complete sentence, restating your original question in the answer. (You ask why they joined an organization; they answer: “I joined the organization because…”)
It’s wise to have the person introduce themselves, either at the beginning or end with something like “My name is James Johnson and I’m the director of the Phoenix YMCA.” That often ends up in the final edit.
AS THE INTERVIEW PROGRESSES:
Don’t talk over the subject! The microphone will pick that up and what may be a great quote may be unusable if your voice is detected. Also, be sure to silently communicate with the interviewee. You can nod, smile, have good eye contact and show active listening and still not make a peep.
Think on your feet– be a good listener and craft appropriate follow-up questions. Always be quick to affirm and encourage them - compliment their answers, how they look, etc. Be patient!
MORE THAN JUST QUESTIONS
The most successful interviews tap into the subject’s emotion, not just answer the questions. Ask ‘how’ questions (How did that make you feel? How did that change your life?) The more you can tap into the emotional side and how they felt, the more convincing and interesting the interview.
Oh, and sometimes silence can be good. Give them a little time after some silences– they may add something profound at the end and the silence was a poignant addition to the interview.
AT THE END OF THE INTERVIEW:
You may consider re-asking a few of the first questions at the end of the interview, now that the subject is all warmed up and more comfortable.
Interviewing is an acquired skill and its success often depends on both the interviewee and the interviewer. By preparing yourself as thoroughly as possible, you will definitely have a leg up in the process. Hopefully, you can infuse some of these above suggestions to make your next interview more successful, interesting and memorable.
To watch a tutorial video of me covering this material click the source link below.
