My bread and butter as a videographer (especially a Chicago videographer) is filming interviews and testimonials. I’ve filmed hundreds of such interviews, worked with other videographers setting up interviews, and seen many more video interviews all over the web. During this time I have learned some important keys to make a good and attractive interview.
First point, be brief. When I schedule a video interview, I usually end up talking to my subject for 30-40 minutes. However, an effective interview video with a subject is 1.5 minutes to 2.5 minutes. When I get a response from my subject that is long, detailed, and seems like they are wondering if they have an idea, I let them finish, congratulate them on how great their answer was, and ask them to summarize it in 2-3 sentences. Sometimes a few shots are needed. Therefore, allow 40 minutes for an interview.
Second, make the interview conversational. There is nothing more boring and flat than reading questions on the topic. As humans, we are social beings. Yes, the subject understands that ultimately he is speaking to an imaginary audience and is only being filmed. However, I have seen shy people open up to me when I engaged them in conversations. They forget the camera is pointed at them and give me rich, personal content. Sometimes, as a videographer, you can’t or don’t feel comfortable having a conversation, preferring to just pay attention to the equipment. If this is the case, it’s worth bringing in another person with whom the subject can talk (and engage).
Always use at least two cameras. Having multiple angles makes editing so much easier. You can easily cut through the interview and jump from one camera to another during transitions. The cutaway interview shot with a camera creates distracting jump cuts. Also, having multiple camera angles makes the video more dynamic. Sometimes I even add a little slider movement to add a more dynamic feel to a static shot.
The sound quality is enormous. In my video production I use high-end lavalier microphones. The lavalier microphone is close to the subject and you get much more voice signal and less ambient noise. Truth be told, most viewers watching these types of videos won’t be able to tell the difference between a video shot on a $30k camera and something shot on a smartphone. However, the sound of the bed is immediately noticeable. The sound of the bed screams “amateur” video. If you don’t have a good lavalier mic, you can use a shotgun mic. Ideally, the microphone should be as close to the subject as possible. You can mount such a microphone on a stand and run the cable to the camera. The sound mix is also crucial. To get that professional sound quality, you always want to add a bit of compression to the sound, so that the loud parts are attenuated and the quiet parts are raised. I often use a bit of EQ to remove the low end of the sound spectrum. When mixed with some music, vocals that are compressed and slightly EQed will cut through the mix more easily.
Lastly, for a video interview to be engaging, it needs to have something visual to cut through. This is often called B-roll. B-roll shots are visual scenes that support the story the subject is telling. However, sometimes I use photographs of the subject and build a collage that visually tells the story. When I make this type of collage, I actually prefer photos that are not professionally taken, since they better represent the reality of the person being interviewed.
In summary, video interviews should be reduced to about 2 minutes, should be conversational, recorded with good sound and multiple cameras. When done right, they are one of the most powerful marketing tools for any business, product, or service.