A great way to get your brand or organization’s stories told in an authentic way is to conduct interviews with the people who have lived them and create videos out of those interviews. I’ve been directing interview videos for 15+ years now. Here are some tips I’ve learned about getting good responses to create compelling stories.

Help Them Relax

When you’re interviewing someone who is not used to being on camera, it can be pretty intimidating. Don’t have them staring directly into the camera. That’s a sure way to get that “deer in the headlights” response. I usually sit in a chair off to the side of the camera and tell them we’re just having a conversation between you and I. Ignore the camera and just talk to me. Keep it light. Maybe joke around a little. Then get them engaged in the conversation with you. If you’re actively listening and getting them to talk about something they’re passionate about, they will eventually kind of forget about the camera and focus on the conversation.

Another thing that helps is, if they mess up or feel they could have said something better, assure them they don’t need to worry. I usually tell them that’s what editing is for. I point out that while we may be recording a long conversation, we are only looking for a few, short golden nuggets to edit into the video. We won’t use anything where they are not awesome. Let them know that any time they want to restate something, they can – we’re only using the good stuff!

Listen and Respond

To conduct a good interview, you need to do your research ahead of time and write a good series of questions. Then you need to be able to ignore the questions and go where the conversation takes you. Actively listen to their answers and note interesting things they bring up that are worth exploring further. There is no way you know what all their responses will be. If you’re just reading off your questions and don’t deviate from them, you’re going to miss some great stories. Ask follow up questions. Take those side roads as they come up. Sometimes the most interesting and relevant stories are ones you never saw coming.

Also, don’t read off your question sheet. If you keep going back and just reading the next question, one after another, it won’t feel like a conversation. Sitting and watching you read your sheet will give the interviewee time to think about how this is a recording session and not an authentic conversation. It’s better to know the basics of what you plan to ask and leave the question sheet on you lap – only occasionally looking at it when there is a lull in the conversation to check and see if you’re missing anything. And don’t ever start reading ahead from your list of questions while they are still answering your last one. That’s a sure way to seem disconnected and make them feel uninteresting.

Be Aware of Body Language

Make sure your body language indicates you are invested in what they are saying. Don’t be closed off with arms crossed. Look them in the eyes while they are talking. This not only shows you are interested in what they are saying, it keeps them from looking around at the camera and crew and start to get nervous. I tend to nod my head a lot while I listen whenever they are making a good point or saying something you empathize with. It might seem a little weird to you at first, but trust me, it helps the interviewee feel heard. It also subconsciously help keep you engaged in the process, too.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Try not to ask any yes or no type questions or questions that can be answered with just a couple words. Those responses won’t give you anything to work with when you’re trying to craft a story together from the responses you get. Ask open-ended questions that are designed to get them to give a more detailed account. These can be questions like “what is the defining mission of your organization?” or “Can you tell me about a success you’re really proud of?” Those types of questions lead to longer stories. They are also designed to elicit excitement by honing in on something they are passionate about.

Moments of Silence

Don’t rush to fill in the gaps in the conversation. If you jump in too soon when they pause to think, you may miss out on something good they were still working out in their head. Also, as the old saying goes, nature arbores a vacuum. If you wait in the silence moments, often they will want to fill in the gap. This can lead to new and interesting stories or details you might not have gotten otherwise. Just don’t wait so long it becomes awkward. Learning to bridge the gap between too soon and too long just takes practice.

The One Question You Must Ask

There is one question I always ask that has gotten me some of the best responses in interview after interview. It’s the last question I ask just as we’re wrapping up. At the end of the interview, when they are all relaxed and have told their story, I ask, “Is there anything else you’d like to add?” Sometimes they say no, they’ve said it all. But, probably 75% of the time, they say something really profound that wraps the whole conversation up. So many times, the best quotes and moments I’ve used in my videos came from asking that question.

Those are some key tips I’ve learned over the years of interviewing people for many different organizations’ videos. Is there a tip that has worked for you that I didn’t cover? Drop it in the comments.

Mike McClure, President/Executive Creative Director