When it comes to being in front of the camera, there are many times when a scripted, dramatised video format is the best method for reaching your audience. Other times, talking-head interviews are a better choice of video format to get your message across. Most talking-head style video interviews utilise the well-known ‘prompted interview’ technique for production.
Using that technique generally results in a video that effectively conveys a message and captures real-life social interactions. Since humans are social animals by nature, capturing the immediacy between the people on the screen and the viewers is a great way to ensure the best results.
Preparing for a Prompted Interview Video
So, you’ve been asked to take part in an onscreen prompted interview, and you are now getting worried about how to prepare for the event. Stop worrying! The video production Surrey team will know exactly what they’re doing and be on hand to help. In the meantime, here are some top tips and tricks to help you prepare for filming day.
1: Don’t Rehearse
While it can be tempting to spend a lot of time rehearsing responses to all the possible questions you could be asked, it is not a good idea. There are a great number of situation in life where diligent preparation is key, but this situation is not one of them. If you rehearsed all of your responses and recite them word-for-word from your memory on filming day, your interview will come across as very inauthentic and unconvincing. Audiences will not find your words believable.
2: Check Your Entire Outfit
- Don’t wear any jangly jewellery. Studio microphones will pick up every clink and rattle from jangling ear-rings, bracelets and necklaces when you are talking and gesticulating.
- Avoid clothes that have logos, slogans, symbols and detailed picture prints on them. Such clothes will distract from the consistent branding of the rest of the video.
- Avoid fabrics that have any busy patterns, stripes, spots and checks. Detailed patterns can often cause what is called a moiré effect, which causes weird patterns to appear on the screen.
3: Trust Your Interviewer
You need to trust the interviewer and the production team. They are there to ensure your interview follows a conversational style, so your responses are authentic and spontaneous. If you don’t trust the interviewer, you might find yourself thrown off when the line of questioning goes down a path you were not expecting. Learn to go with the flow. The skilled production team is not trying to catch you out, so trust them – video production is what they do best, after all.
4: Don’t Overthink Things
Prompted interviews are, of course, somewhat pre-planned so that the interviewer can steer conversations in the direction needed to convey the necessary messages. However, they can also result in some amazing anecdotes and pearls of wisdom that were not anticipated during the planning stage. These unplanned insights can leave a big impression on the audience and make them want to engage with the rest of your message. You might surprise yourself with the gems of insight you come out with when you allow yourself to talk freely.
5: Slow Down
When people are being interviewed in front of a camera, they start to really feel the pressure and may start to talk super fast because they fear being perceived as someone with nothing to say. Don’t be afraid to slow your speech down and take natural pauses. In fact, speakers who talk at a slower pace often leave a much better impression on the audience.
6: Remember to Smile
A smile makes someone look inviting and trustworthy. So, remember to smile at the start and finish of the interview, as well as at appropriate moments throughout. Smiling will ensure more viewers find your message convincing.
7: Show Emotion
It is not uncommon for the best footage from an interview to be captured during the end section. This is because as the interview starts to wind-down, the interviewee allows themselves to relax a bit and starts to talk more freely and in a heartfelt manner.
Don’t worry about coming across as overly emotional, the camera makes emotions appear more subdued than you might imagine. You need to show genuine emotions and passion when expressing yourself in order to endear viewers to your message.