Filming corporate interviews? Ditch the script

Working in commercial corporate filmmaking, we often find ourselves sitting behind the camera, trying to get a few simple words out of our talent. Well, at least we used to, until we learned how to actually do this effectively.

The biggest advantage of video over any other medium is the ability to tell a story using emotion. That doesn’t mean that your interviewee must break down crying – that would be an awful video. Instead, what it means is that video lets the viewer make a natural connection to the interviewee, maximising impact from the messaging of the story we are trying to tell.

This natural emotion has to be extracted during filming, then harnessed during the editing process, to ultimately deliver it in the film. Over the years, we have just about mastered this technique, and I thought it might make an interesting post to share some of our tips and tricks that we stick to while we are filming with clients.

Don’t plan too much

The worst interviews often come from those who have planned too much. In a panic, they have written and tried to memorise a script – often just the night before. This method usually gives us the following results: a frustrating shoot as the interviewee painfully forgets the lines, and when they do get the words out, they sound like someone who is trying to remember a script, rather than someone speaking passionately about a field that they love.

The best approach that we have found is to simply draft out some bullet points, giving us a rough guide as to what we should be talking about, but letting the interviewee deliver each point in their own words, using their own expressions and natural charisma. In some cases, it’s best for the interviewee to not even see the bullet points, and just have the interviewer and interviewee start a conversation, steered in the right direction by the interviewer who is casting an eye at the bullet points.

A big thing to remember here is that all the interviewee has to do is get the content out. It does not have to sound perfect or super-concise and to the point – that’s actually our job when making the film in post production.

Build a relaxed environment on set

Another important part of our job, is to build rapport with the interviewee and ensure they are not stressed. We play down the importance of getting everything perfect, and simply get them to start talking about their area of expertise in a natural way – as if they are just having a conversation with the interviewer. Once they are relaxed, we get much better results, and everyone involved has a much less daunting experience.

Don’t go over the same stuff over and over again

Typically, we like to move through the set of bullet points at least twice, making sure we have multiple takes for each point. This is important to make sure we have enough material to set the right tone in our film, but also it gives the interviewee a chance to warm up. Usually, they deliver in a much more natural manner the second time around.

That said, it’s crucial to avoid repeating the same point over and over again, as this will result in frustration and stress. Instead, we simply move onto the next point in the conversation and come back to it later on.

The biggest mistake people make when filming a piece to camera is expecting the interviewee to deliver the content in a perfect, film-ready sentence. In reality, what they need to do is just get the content out in their own way, which can then be sitched together in post production to tell the story of the film. This way, we are retaining that natural emotion when the content is delivered, which is far more powerful than someone reading a script.

Santiago / Founder & Director, 42 South Films