7 Tips for Video Interviews

To keep my finished movie fast-moving and exciting, the first thing I do is to trim out the slow, boring parts from the raw footage during the [tag-tec]video editing[/tag-tec] process. But I save the nuggets of interviews I often shoot as part of the event even though these ‘interviews’ are not what you would call fast-paced. The [tag-tec]video interviews[/tag-tec] could be a kid telling the camera what she is looking forward to at the beach, or it could be someone sharing all the warm wishes he has for a new graduate, or it could be my grandmother explaining how her grandfather escaped with his art collection from China.

Ten years from now, when you watch the finished movie, the interviews are like little jewels of flashback into a time, a sentiment that has long been forgotten.

A professional TV interviewer has very sophisticated gear set up such as lighting, lavaliere microphone (that little cockroach you see perched on collars or lapels), and headsets. Myself? If you put a pause on a magic moment to set all that up, my little guy may have run away, or the graduation party may be over.

I interview when the opportunity strikes. The most important ingredient of an interview is the emotion in that moment, not the video gear. If you have a decent [tag]camcorder [/tag] and the room is not noisy or if you can pull the person aside to a quiet corner, capture the opportunity right there. In the clip below, I just happened to be in the backyard listening in on some kids dreaming about what they would do if they had ten thousand dollars.

1. Establish rapport before pointing your camera.
2. Be sensitive to the person’s state of mind. Are they busy? Don’t be a nuisance.
3. Find a quiet corner or side room.
4. Prepare good questions. If possible, let the person know ahead of time the questions you’ll be asking.
5. Record from a tripod if you can. That allows you to look at them in the eye so they feel like they are talking to you instead of an equipment.
6. Don’t interrupt. You can always edit out parts you don’t want.
7. Don’t putter with your gear.

One more note: In the video interview above, did you hear winds howling in the background? I was using an old camcorder that did not have a Wind-Noise-Cancelling feature. If you are interviewing outdoor, and your camcorder has a Wind-Noise-Cancelling feature, turn it on, so you don’t capture winds howling in the background.

Good [tag]video editing[/tag] is good story telling. I’ve found that sometimes a few words spoken makes the whole story.