The camera is all set. The lighting is good to go. The office looks great…everything’s in place. The crew is ready. It’s time to conduct the interview. One thing…your subject is a little nervous. It’s their first time on camera, they don’t know what to expect!

Conducting interviews for a corporate video is a highly effective technique. It enables your client, and members of their team to “tell their story.” It’s a chance to share best practices, recount how challenges were conquered, and let other team members know that their work is important, even vital to their organization. But still…it can be unnerving. Soooo…what’s the best way past that?

A producer’s number one responsibility is to their subject on camera. Plain and simple. Be warm, be inviting, be their best friend in that room! In fact a good video crew should be dedicated all to the same thing…making that person look great, and being their ally. What does that entail? Well, everything….making sure that their tie is on straight the whole interview. Taking care of any wild strands of hair….or that they don’t have any shine on their forehead if the lights get a little hot. Having some bottled water on set. A good interview starts with the producer though. They have to ensure that their subject understands that it is not the end of the world if they stumble during a sentence….because you know what? They get to do it again! This isn’t 60 Minutes, this isn’t an interrogation…this is their moment. This is their chance to effect change, to make a positive statement about their company.

A good interview is essentially a good conversation. It shouldn’t be forced. It’s an opportunity for our subject to talk about what they do and why they love it, why their job is important, what it means, what it entails, and how they help their company, and the people in it. The role of the producer in handling this interview is key. They have to be ready to deviate from their list of questions so that they can “move” with the conversation and extract the best material in a free-flowing method that is unnoticeable to the person on camera. Once you’ve done that you have the content you need to make a successful video. A well-executed interview makes the producer look smart, and the person on camera even smarter…and that’s the way it should be.

About Bright Circle, Inc.

Bright Circle is a Florida based media production company offering a full range of creative services. Bright Circle provides professional teams that offer support in convention video services, as well as commercial production.