Shooting a successful video interview can be tricky. If you don’t ask the right questions in the right way, an interview can quickly become stale, boring or inauthentic. I’ve compiled a few interviewing tips for you so you can ensure the interview you are filming is as engaging and professional as possible.
Open Vs. Closed Questions
When interviewing someone, getting the best answer is your top priority. While asking the right question is crucial, HOW you ask the question is just as important. Asking open-ended questions is the best way to get the response you are looking for. For instance, asking “Do you enjoy your work?” will elicit a yes-or-no answer. But if you ask, “What are you working on at the moment?”, you will get a far better response. It allows the subject to really get into the meat of the subject, and will give you much better content for your video.
Ask Them to Repeat the Question
When answering the question, have your subject include the question in their answer. If you ask, “What is the best part of your job?” their answer might start with “The best part of my job is…”. This simple technique will help a lot when editing the video, especially if you don’t plan to include narration. It will give their answer context so the audience knows exactly what they are talking about.
Prepare your questions
Have your questions prepared before the interview. This may seem obvious, but it is a common mistake for interviewers to be overconfident or lazy before the interview and try to ‘wing it’. Think about what information you need from your subject and which types of questions will elicit the responses you want. But don’t think there is room to improvise. If your subject starts to talk about something interesting, go with it and ask appropriate, natural questions. If you rigidly stick to your prepared questions, the conversation and rapport with your interviewee can suffer.
Don’t give out your questions
To get the best, most natural answers possible, it’s usually best not to give your questions out before the interview. You can give a general idea of the kinds of questions you’ll ask, but if the subject tries to prepare their answers, you risk the interview being robotic and stale.
Stop Talking
Keep your questions short and to the point. If you ask a long-winded question, the subject may forget the point of the question or not understand precisely what you are asking. Once you have finished asking the question, stop talking. Unless you are a subject in the interview, don’t make any noises such as “yeah” or “ok”. You can nod and gesture, but keep it quiet. This will make sure your voice isn’t picked up in the audio and will reduce editing time.
Give them the final word
At the end of the interview, ask whether you missed anything or if there is a topic they want to discuss. As prepared as you may be, sometimes the best information will be something you hadn’t thought of.
Following these simple interviewing tips will ensure you film an informative and professional interview every time.
For any questions about filming interviews with our videographer or if you’d like to shoot your own interviews, please contact me here at Dream Engine. I’d love to help.
Ryan Spanger is the founder and managing director of Dream Engine, a Melbourne-based video production company established in 2002. With more than two decades of experience, Ryan has helped leading Australian businesses, government departments, and non-profits communicate their message with clarity and impact through video. He’s known for his strategic approach, reliable process, and commitment to producing videos that deliver measurable results.
