5 Ways To Prep Your Video Interviewee

As a video pro, I know that a story can go from good to great with a the right soundbite. However, not all of your interviewees are the most polished, confident, and camera-friendly subjects (I am one of those people). As the interviewer, you have tremendous influence over how the interview/testimonial goes. It is a role with great responsibility, but you have more control over the outcome than you might think.

So, to get your interviewee in the right zone that fosters the right soundbite mojo, here are a few tips to prep them for video glory.

1. “This is not live.”

Assure your interviewee that if they do get tangled up in their words 30 million people are not going to instantly see it. Explain to them that this video will be edited and it is YOUR job to make THEM look good. Tell them they can relax and they take their time to collect their thoughts before giving their response if needed. Make it more of a conversational situation, tell them to ignore the cameras, just be themselves and share their story with you.

2. “Put the question back into your answer.”

Most videos cut out the interviewer asking the questions, and putting the question up in text before the response doesn’t always look professional. So, ask your interviewee to incorporate the question into their answer to give the viewer context to what they are saying. For example, if I ask: “What was your experience like in the _____ academy?” A response like: “It was really great, I learned a lot of valuable skills that have excelled my career,” is aggravatingly lacking specifics that can serve as a narrative to the story. So, coach your interviewee to phrase their response with the question included. Like so: “My academy experience at ___________ was great, I learned a lot of valuable skills that have excelled my career.” That answer can stand on it’s own and can naturally carry the story without more disconnecting voice overs or text.

3. “Don’t hate me when I pause us during a take.”

5 Ways To Prep Your Video Interviewee image IMG 2914.jpg 300x200 Get used to this fact right now: something will go wrong while recording video. Especially during the interview. Distractions like: noises, lighting issues, someone walking through the background, noises, tripod bumps, video cards running out of storage, and more noises. So, set that expectation from the beginning that you will most likely encounter something that requires a retake. If you prepare them for it ahead of time it won’t seem quite as traumatic or jarring when you have to interrupt them mid take because something ruined the shot.

4. “I’m not an expert on this topic, so forgive me if I ask something stupid. I’m here to learn.”

When someone is nervous about going into an interview, an interviewer who seems clueless and incompetent makes the situation exponentially more uncomfortable/irritable. So, defuse a possible bomb in advance and save face by addressing any lack of credentials up front. Usually the interviewee will then be happy to enlighten you; and it puts them in a position of control and can instill confidence. A confident interviewee is more likely to provide fuller, solid answers to your questions.

5. “Keep your answers concise.”

Math time! 2 minute video = 120 seconds. Four interviewees = 30 seconds max of talk time each. Five questions per interview allows 6 second responses… whoa. Obviously that is not the formula for every video, but the point is explain to your interviewees that they’re not the only person (unless it’s a one person interview) in the video and they need to keep their answers “concise” in order to accommodate other perspectives in the story. Now, you don’t want to limit people’s responses and have them leave out key details or characteristics, so it’s a fine line to walk. So try this. If their first take was too long, say: “Awesome content, slightly long, let’s try to tighten it up.” Remind them of any key words you heard the first time, and just ask them to make it shorter. Worst case, you have two different takes you can pull from.

So, before you hit record on the camera next time, run through these tips with your interviewee. When you prepare them for the bumps, set the right expectations, and give them a little bit of coaching you can create a dynamic team that produces some beautiful soundbites.

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