RISMEDIA, July 12, 2011—If you’re planning on interviewing someone on camera…remember the old adage…”practice makes perfect.”
Whenever possible, get together with the person you’ll be talking to and conduct a pre-interview. It’s a great opportunity to accomplish several things. First, your subject will usually be more relaxed, knowing what’s going to be asked in advance. It also gives them a chance to practice and fine tune their answers to stay on target. It also gives you the chance to offer suggestions for timing, delivery, and clarity.
If possible, conduct the pre-interview in the same location where the real thing will happen. This includes having a camera present to help your subject become more accustomed to the surroundings. Getting used to any special lighting is also a good idea.
Assuming your interview is not live, assure your subject that if a mistake is made, you can simply go back and record again.
And finally, don’t rush things. Allow plenty of time to put your subject at ease, and answer any questions they might have. The more they are comfortable and at ease the better the final product.
Stephen Schweickart is the co-founder of VScreen. For more information on this topic, visit VScreen’s blogsite at http://www.vscreen.com/blog/.
