This page lists some of the lessons I have learnt in conducting short
interviews with people on video.
- Ensure the person being interviewed is in the light.
- Interviews work best when there is some activity and noise in the background but not too much. When shooting indoors beware caterers with trolleys and outdoors, low flying aircraft, traffic and other intermittent sources of noise.
- A head and shoulders shot works well and if you can include gesticulation with the person's hands or other body language it adds to the naturalness of the interview.
- When recording - look at the person - not at the screen - and encourage them with smiles and nods of the head. This is a conversation you are having.
- Tell people when they come to the end of their statement to smile and to look straight at the camera and not to look away. This may save you having to edit the video.
- Avoid mirrors in the background!
- Give people advance warning and time to prepare their reply in their heads and make sure they don't have any written notes in their hand during the interview!
- Suggest they keep relatively still.
- Allow people just a little longer then you tell them you will give them.
- Aim to do interviews in one-take and with no editing. Its not so difficult.
- Edit using Windows Movie Maker
. If you have got it right then there will be no need to edit at all but you may need to clip the start and end of the video. Windows Movie Maker is great for this.
- An inexpensive digital camera like this works fine if allyou wish to do is post the video to YouTube and embed on your website.
- More detailed tips
You will find a few interviews I have shot in the past below.
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