How to Shoot an Interview for Business Video Marketing

Interviews are a valuable part of any business video marketer’s toolbox. But with the advent of the creator economy, knowing how to shoot an interview may not be as clear as it used to be.

Video blogs and video podcasts in particular are growing tremendously, with YouTube now outpacing Spotify among the podcast community. Much of this content often includes guests, and the formats are reminiscent of traditional talk shows. So it’s easy to understand how many people might confuse these things with interviews.

In truth, content creators tend to focus more on conversations rather than interviews, and the key difference between the two is planning.

Most of the time, the amount of planning in a video blog or podcast amounts to guest and topic selection, with perhaps some suggested questions. Otherwise, the conversation that happens happens. With an interview, the narrative is carefully crafted and the footage heavily edited to fit—so, unlike conversations, interviews don’t happen as much as they’re manufactured.

Don’t misunderstand conversations as unrefined or irrelevant to marketers. To the contrary, their authentic and raw characteristics make them very compelling and effective at inspiring loyalty with customers. But if you’re trying to attract buyers, you need to know how to film an interview, not a conversation.

Interview Uses

Business video employs interviews in several ways, mostly in the early stages of the buyer journey. That’s not to say they can’t be effective during the conversion or retention stages, but in general, these are the common uses you’ll find for them.

• Awareness. Brand awareness videos might not be the first thing you think of, but man on the street (MOTS) interviews have been a marketing staple for decades. Though you have less control over the footage you get, you have complete control over the clips you choose. These lightning round-style interviews often gauge customer and market sentiment about your brand or your competitors’ brands. As such, they can be used to promote new products, offers, events, or research.
• Thought leadership. Interviews are commonly associated with thought leadership videos. Guests and panels of guests are invited to analyze markets and predict trends and thereby demonstrate a brand’s forward thinking and innovation. Like awareness videos, they’re early-stage resources designed to positively associate you with your buyers’ interests. And even though the footage unfolds organically, the outcome is predetermined and the final product may look very different in post than it did during production.
• Testimonials. Case studies and quotes are essential towards the middle of the customer journey, as buyers move beyond researching solutions to verifying claims. These interviews are especially well produced to draw out both the desired messages and provocative deliveries. Case studies are hyper-focused on unique use cases to target specific buyers, while quotes lean towards broader applications and likewise broader marketing tactics.

Interview Preparation

To properly prepare for an interview, don’t think about equipment or locations yet. Good interviews depend on having clear objectives, supported by cohesive and coherent stories. The following steps are what we use before even drafting a creative brief.

• Create a headline and outline the narrative. Good marketing videos stick to a single idea, repeating and supporting it throughout the runtime. This not only allows greater visual symmetry, it reinforces the key message with the target audience. One of the best ways to maintain that singular focus during production is to draft a guiding headline at the outset. It may change as the project develops, but starting with it and a tentative outline will ensure your narrative stays clear. Furthermore, it will save time in post-production when it comes time to edit and assemble your footage.
• Develop questions that carry the narrative. The best interviews are planned but not scripted. Third-party voices can add credibility so long as they still sound like the speaker, not your brand. This means you need to get interviewees to sell your story in their own words, and that hinges on your interview questions. Paraphrasing your outline isn’t enough; you need to craft leading questions that direct your guests to your predetermined conclusions. This is a delicate skill, but it mostly requires practice and a bit of imagination.
• Get written answers before the interview. It may seem counterintuitive to capturing authentic footage, but getting your questions answered ahead of time helps you spot opportunities and challenges. Topical landmines can throw off an otherwise great interview, while powerful moments can be missed entirely because a question wasn’t specific enough. This shouldn’t affect the quality of your footage because the meat of your interview will come from the following step.
• Draft follow-up questions for the interview. Your initial set of questions should frame your narrative, but the best moments will come from follow-up questions. Once you’ve identified areas to avoid and areas to pursue, you need to go deep on the latter. For example, if your first questions uncovered a unique observation or finding, your follow-ups can get much more granular about it. Think about it as hunting for support for your main idea. Anything that you think might lead to a powerful statement is fair game.

Interview Setup

With your narrative and questions locked, now you need to know how to set up for an interview. There are a lot of factors that go into the different approaches beyond creative preferences, from schedules and deadlines to budgets and resources. But the following examples will give you an idea of the primary setups professional video producers use.

In Studio Interviews

Shooting an interview in studio is by far the most expensive and elaborate setup, and as such, it’s also the most resource- and cost-prohibitive one. However, it’s worth a reminder that studios can be rented, not just built. For many brands, even renting is well beyond budget, but for those that can afford it, in studio production imbues interviews with the highest possible quality.

In Studio Cameras

• A and B cams. A two-camera interview setup, using primary (A) and secondary (B) cameras, provides what’s called a “bail-out” angle in your shoot. For example, if the talent flubs a line or needs to rephrase their response, you can cut the two shots together to make them feel seamless. Cameras are typically “locked off” on tripods so that the shot stays consistent the entire time. Ideally, the cameras should be the same make and model so that it’s easier to color match between shots.
• Lenses. Lens choices can vary, but typically you want to have a wide shot and a tight shot so there’s some differentiation between the two. These shots can also be used to help convey different emotions or feelings while filming the interview. A tight close-up on your subject can make what they’re saying more poignant, whereas a wider shot is great as an establishing shot to introduce them. With modern production cameras, you can film in 4K, which also provides the option to crop or reframe in post-production, giving you even more framing options.

In Studio Lighting

• Key light. This is the main light source on your subject and is used to establish the base of your look. It’s usually positioned camera left, facing the subject.
• Fill light. Another light is used to help fill in the shadows on your subject. This could be another light source, or it could be a reflector or scrim to modify the key light. It should be about half the brightness of the key light and should be positioned camera right, facing the subject.
• Back light. Also known as a hair light, a back light is used to separate your subject from the background. It should be about a quarter the brightness of the key light and should be positioned camera right, behind the subject.
• Additional lights. You may also need light modifiers, which are tools used to shape or control the light source. Typical modifiers include softboxes, reflectors, scrims, flags, and diffusion cloths.

In Studio Audio

• Primary audio. The interview’s main audio usually comes from a lavalier microphone, or lav mic, attached to your subject’s collar or shirt. Lav mics provide very crisp, clean audio for dialogue and conversations.
• Backup audio. You’ll also want a boom mic over the subject or a simple shotgun microphone mounted to the camera. These microphones will pick up much more of the environment, including the interviewer asking the questions, which can be helpful. Having two audio sources also provides redundancy during the shoot.
• Audio recorder/mixer. Bringing multiple audio sources together often requires an audio recorder or mixer. These devices record each audio channel as a separate track so that you can mix and balance the different tracks in post. For a two-person interview (or more, for that matter), this piece of equipment is mandatory.

On Location, Full Crew Interviews

On location or field productions replace the pristine look of a studio with unique visuals related to your topic or subject. Though they generally lack the quality and control of studio productions, the more natural environments may be preferred, depending on the interview’s objective.

A full production crew usually includes three to five people: the producer, director of photography, camera operator, audio engineer, and interviewer. Sometimes the producer will also act as the interviewer, and the audio engineer may not be essential for single-person interviews.

Also, just as enterprises often lack studios in their offices, many have limited video teams, especially with field experience. The best solution in these situations is to hire an agency or freelancers to fill the roles you need. In most cases, they will bring all of their own equipment or include rental fees in their quotes.

Full Crew Cameras

• A, B, and C cams. Adding a third or C camera while shooting interviews on location can be a great option if you’re trying to capture more of the subject’s environment. It does require another set of hands to operate, but a third camera angle opens up more creative opportunities for your interview shoot. For example, mounting it on a dolly or slider and adding slight motion or parallax to your interview shots can connect your subject with their surroundings.
• Lenses. Zoom lenses tend to be best for interview shooting on location because of the extra flexibility they provide. A standard zoom (24-70mm) and a telephoto zoom (70-200mm) can serve as your two primary lenses. You could also add a wide-angle zoom lens or large aperture prime lens on your third camera to provide a different look and feel.

Full Crew Lighting

In addition to the standard lighting used in studios (key, fill, and back lights), on location productions may include “practical lighting.” This is the term for adding environmental lights to your scene, such as a floor lamp or desk lamp. They’re not intended to light your subject as much as give your scene depth and contrast.

Larger crews might also have cinema-grade light bulbs that they swap into normal lights to better control the temperature or color of the light.

Full Crew Audio

• Wireless lavaliers. Lavs are great on location because, depending on the mic capsule, they usually boost vocal frequencies while minimizing other sounds. They also allow your subject to do a walk-n-talk or moving interview—for example, during a tour.
• Absorption blankets. Unlike studios, which are built with acoustic panels, natural environments require absorption or sound blankets to dampen the echoes. For example, your subject might be sitting over a hardwood or tile floor, and smooth surfaces like these are highly reflective while people are speaking. Putting blankets or even rugs on the floor will reduce reflection and make your subject’s audio sound richer and fuller.

On Location, Single Shooter Interviews

Portable productions condense the roles and equipment needed, so a single person can effectively shoot the interview on location. Though they certainly reduce costs and resources, they’re also preferred in situations where space or time is limited.

For example, filming an interview at an event or conference may not be possible with a full crew. Similarly, single shooters require less time to set and strike, allowing them to capture several interviews or take up less of your subject’s time.

Single Shooter Camera

In a run-n-gun style shoot like this, you’ll likely have one camera and one lens for the entire shoot. A single mirrorless camera or cinema-style camera is preferred, as well as a zoom lens (24-70mm and 28-135mm are good choices).

Most smartphones now record in 4K and even LOG formats, making them another viable option for single shooters. They allow for external microphones, and they provide options to record to external media like a hard drive or memory card.

Also, even though these shoots have less gear, that means they also have fewer hands to manage it. So be sure to choose a solid tripod or monopod that’s portable but still can handle the weight of your interview camera setup. If your interview will be on the move, a stabilized gimbal will capture smooth video and potentially good-quality environmental B-roll as well.

Single Shooter Lighting

Smaller, portable light kits are a good choice here. An LED panel light or tube-style light can be an easy way to add a key light to your shot without too much setup. Similarly, you might want to use a small, on-camera light so you can stay mobile if you’re somewhere like a trade show or event.

Single Shooter Audio

Using wireless lavs as your primary audio is even more important in this format. Your subject might be on the move, so picking up their audio while they’re walking around will be important. You can also add a shotgun microphone on the camera to capture environmental sounds. This is usually fed into a second channel on the camera so you can record both sources at once.

Remote Interviews

Sometimes in-person interviews aren’t feasible at all. Rather than resorting to a written format, consider filming the interview remotely. With our partner, Socialive, you can set up a secure recording environment with a guest green room. Most importantly, each person can record their video natively, so you have the best possible video quality without interference from upscaling or buffering issues.

Remote Cameras

Most webcams today are sufficient for remote interviews, and with today’s distributed workforces, most people have access to one. However, it’s best to use the more common 1080p webcams rather than the higher-end 4K ones. The internet bandwidth needed for UHD video might lag too much and affect the pacing and flow of the interview.

Smartphones can also be good choices. For example, Socialive has a mobile app that lets you take advantage of relatively high-quality cameras on modern smartphones. Some manufacturers like Apple even have a feature where you can use their phones as a webcam.

The one challenge with webcams and smartphones is that they default to a wide-angle lens. While this focal length is ideal for video conferencing, it does create a mild fisheye effect. To minimize this, ask the subject to position themselves a couple of feet away, and zoom in with the camera. Most smartphones have this function, as well as some webcams.

Remote Lighting

A controlled light source like a ring light or panel light is a good choice here. They add a lot of dimension to your subject and provide a consistent light source while still being easy to use and relatively affordable. Given how much budget a remote interview saves, sending your interviewee something like this is well worth the outcome.

You can also leverage natural light or window light, so long as your subject can face the window. Sitting with the window behind them in the frame is called “backlighting” because it silhouettes your subject, making them hard to see. Also, be aware that natural light changes over time; if you’re recording for more than 10-15 minutes, there’s a chance your light source will change.

Remote Audio

USB microphones are a great option because they’re simple to use and show up as audio sources in most desktop meeting or recording apps. Like portable light sources, the minimal cost needed to send one to your subject is low compared to the results it brings.

Interview Production

With the right interview setup selected, you’re ready to begin production. Video producers have their own style and process, but if you can’t include professional producers, the following tips will help you shoot an interview well.

• Choose a good location. If you’re not using a studio, you need to find a place to film the interview that doesn’t have too much or too little light. Also, be mindful of ambient noise and reflection—everything from foot traffic and mechanical noise to high ceilings and laminate floors.
• Set the scene. A good background isn’t just removing clutter (though you should definitely do that); it’s finding a depth of field that adds dimension to the interview shot. For example, instead of shooting your subject against a blank wall, sit them further into the foreground and capture more of the room. Set dressing can help, too. Other pieces of furniture or even office plants can add some color and depth. Account for all of these things when framing interviews, as well. Different focal lengths require different distances from your subject, so make sure you have enough space for your equipment.
• Create a comfortable atmosphere. Sit down with the interviewee where you’ll shoot the interview and engage them in small talk while the crew is still setting up. This gives them time to get comfortable with you and the environment so that “pressing record” feels less intimidating.
• Lead the interview. Don’t follow or just read off questions. Take charge and guide the conversation.
• Go off script. Even with plenty of planning, interviewees can drop surprising ideas on camera—chase them and see if they add to the story.
• Do retakes as needed. Mistakes can be reset; just know that the power of the moment may not be as strong the second time. Also, reset strong moments to see if you get a stronger second take. Do this only as needed, as it can erode your atmosphere over time.

Interview Editing

Editing interview footage follows the same principles of most other business videos.

• Organize your footage. This is less of a concern for single shooter interviews, but multicam shoots with B-roll and other footage need to be properly logged and stored.
• Transcribe the interview. Transcriptions with timestamps allow you to quickly make “paper edits.” For resource-strapped teams, you can also outsource this task to other team members, as it doesn’t require interview video production experience.
• Create a rough cut. Assemble the clips based on the paper edit, but don’t add any effects yet. The goal at this point is to lock in the story, not the picture.
• Lock the picture. Once the story is approved by all stakeholders, you can incorporate additional footage and make cuts for time and coherence.
• Mix the sound. This is especially important if you had to shoot an interview without an audio engineer. Different subjects may speak at different levels, and the equipment or environment may have created noise and distortion you didn’t notice during production. Do what you can to sweeten the audio, then add music as needed.
• Add visual effects. Production levels will vary depending on the use, but this is when you would add titles, motion graphics, art cards, and other graphic elements.
• Color correct the scenes. Color correction is necessary, regardless of your environment. But it’s critical for multicam shoots with B-roll and other footage to ensure they all look the same.
• Publish the final cut. When the interview is finalized, your job isn’t over. You need to make it available to your team for distribution. For example, Brightcove integrates with most popular CMSs, MAPs, DAMs, and social tools, making video content easy to find and promote.
• Extend your reach. Don’t forget to add captions and transcripts to your interview videos. Not only is this a more accessible viewing experience, it benefits your video SEO. You may also need to localize your content for different regions, so set expectations with stakeholders and translate or dub the content if needed.

Interview Tips

Assuming you’ve followed best practices for interview filming, your video should turn out well. But there are some additional things to keep in mind that can improve the quality of your production.

• Shoot at least 4K. Aside from remote interviews, you should try to always shoot interviews in 4K. The greater resolution not only looks better, it gives you more editing options. For example, a single shooter can mimic multicam by zooming into the shot to cover an edit, rather than relying solely on B-roll or jump cuts. You might also be tempted to film in 6K or even 8K. Besides the massive amount of storage this requires, most office computers aren’t powerful enough to edit it. For now, stick with 4K.
• Shoot in LOG with multicam. Digital cameras can shoot in multiple formats. The default format is called Rec. 709, and it produces very realistic images at the expense of being less receptive to color correction. For tight turnarounds, it produces acceptable quality, but for most business videos, a LOG format is preferred. Though it looks very flat and desaturated at first, LOG contains much more detail and is intended to be color graded in post-production. This makes it essential for multicam shoots, where you need to make the images from different cameras look the same. Even with the same camera brand, the different focal lengths take in varying amounts of light that affect the final image. Thus, LOG gives you more control over the visual consistency of your content.
• Overpower the sun. If you have to shoot outdoors, you’ll find yourself competing with the equivalent of 22 septillion light bulbs (that’s 22 million billion billion). As environments go, this is the hardest to control for light. As much as you can, try to shoot during overcast days and in the shadows. Even then, you’ll need to bring a much more powerful key light to compensate. If you have to film in direct sun, fly a silk over the scene as well to diffuse some of the light.
• Record room tone. Room tone is the ambient sound in a room: electrical buzzes, mechanical hums, etc. Whenever you film an interview, you should record a minute or two of the room with nothing else going on because you’ll likely need it later. For example, you can hide edits by layering the room tone under them so it’s not obvious where you cut. You can also add retakes layered with room tone so they sound like they were recorded in the same environment. You can even cut noise by filtering out the offending frequencies, then covering it with room tone to replace those frequencies without the noise.

Interview videos are valuable marketing assets, but filming and producing them is much more complex than video blogs and podcasts. The quality expectations may be higher, but so are the results. Learn how to shoot an interview properly, then make sure your video platform has what you need to get the outcome your effort deserves.