How to conduct an Interview

This article explains how you can prepare yourself to conduct an interview for video. It also explains how you can get the best out of your subject for the best sound bites.

This article is focused on corporate videos, and some of these ideas can be used for fictional work as well. These are the techniques I use personally, and are not an encyclopedia of all interview techniques possible. If you have a few tricks up your sleeve, please share them with me – I’m always looking to get better!

There are only three kinds of questions:

• The ones you already know the answer to
• The ones you don’t know the answer to
• The ones you don’t know

Let’s look at the last two first.

When you don’t know the answer, or the question

Some truths are hidden, and when they present themselves the experience is so new we are surprised. We would have had no way of learning about them beforehand, and if we were forced to find these, we wouldn’t know what to ask. These are the questions you don’ know you have to ask.

This is true with life in general, and the specific situation of interrogation. Many times, when a crime doesn’t leave many clues behind, police officers have to fish for the truth. They don’t know what they will find, so they have to dig nevertheless. This is a tedious but necessary process.

Similarly, if you’re an investigative journalist fishing for a story, you’d apply some of the same techniques, except you don’t have the same authority or control over your subject.

When you know which questions you’re going to ask, but don’t know the answer, you are in an open-ended interview situation. Examples are:

• Journalism
• Interrogation where the facts are known
• Job Interviews

In all of the above scenarios, you know the questions you’re going to ask because you have the end result in mind. You have done it many times and know the signs. It is almost routine.

The skills you need to get better at this are:

• Knowing how to frame questions the right way
• Knowing when to ask what
• Ability to vary your tone
• Ability to read body language

There are many strategies people use to ‘pry’ out the truth, but these are not relevant for our article. Our article is only concerned with the first kind of question – when you already know the answer.

Interviews for Corporate Videos

A corporate video, like a movie, is scripted. The script might be written by you, a writer, the client, etc. No matter what, you always know the answers, and you always start with the edit in mind.

The subject matter of a corporate video can be vast. They can cover:

• What you don’t understand (science, engineering, technology, etc.)
• What you understand (stuff you have experience with)
• What you think you understand but don’t (stuff you have seen a lot of and think you know a lot about, like sport)
• What you don’t care about (like a charity or organization whose methods you don’t agree with, or shooting a job because you’re desperate for money)

It doesn’t matter what the subject is. If you’re a professional your reaction and methodology for each of these scenarios will be the same. This is what separates the men from the boys. It’s like how a doctor treats a patient without caring about the nature of the patient.

The ‘approved’ script will dictate what needs to appear in the video. You will have a ‘map’ of what each individual appearing in the video will cover. You will also have the exact words that need to be said. If you are experienced, you know that half the time you won’t get those exact words.

When you know the answer

When you know the answer the subject knows the answer too. The question almost becomes a redundant device. After all, why not have the subject just blurt out whatever it is that needs to be said?

Experienced interviewers know that almost every subject can benefit from some direction. You must steer the interview to get the answer in the quickest way possible.

There are three ways to get a ready-made answer out of your subject:

• Get it verbatim, like a recital
• Get it extempore, and let the subject deal with accent, tone, pitch, volume, grammar and diction
• Get them to mimic you, like you would do to a child

I prefer the second way. I don’t like clients or subjects memorizing lines, nor is it good form to force a subject to mimic you (it’s manipulation – why not get actors instead?).

It also happens to be the most difficult way for most people. But not for me. You run with where your skills take you. The rest of the article is my way of getting clients to deliver sound bites extempore.

The state of the client

Great artists memorize the material but don’t think about it during delivery. A client or subject who has never faced the camera will always be:

• Conscious
• Nervous
• Scared
• Pretentious
• Wary

They are conscious because there is a camera and a bunch of strangers recording their every word and movement. They feel important, and the moment feels more alive to them. Their senses are working overtime.

They are nervous because they have never faced this situation before.

They are scared because they don’t know how their answers will come out. Many will also worry about how they will appear on camera. Some are boderline fanatical about their looks, hair, makeup, dress, etc.

They are pretentious because they already have preconceived notions about the video or the process. The higher up the corporate ladder the worse it gets. They know everything, and they don’t need you, just a guy with a camera, to teach them anything. Of course, you aren’t there to teach anyone anything anyway.

They are wary because they do not trust us. Can this video be used for evil?

It is the job of the interviewer (you) to bust through these defenses and get your material delivered according to your vision. And, you have to do it quickly. Unlike movies, there’s no time for infinite retakes and angles. In a movie you can hide a bad performance by turning the actor away, putting them in silhouette, etc. Try doing that with a CEO. In a corporate video, there’s nowhere to hide.

Usually you only get two shots at it. If the person you are interviewing is way up (the CEO or similar) you might only get half a shot.

The difference between a corporate video interview and a take in a movie is that in the former the subjects don’t have to emote (unless it comes naturally). If they are really passionate about their job, they will emote.

How to conduct an interview

If I have to sum it up in one sentence this would be it: You must dance with your client.

You must invest your concentration, interest, empathy and body language into the effort. You must be present. These skills are what you must possess to just begin this dance. It’s the price of entry.

I discovered I had these skills naturally, and I don’t have to put any effort into it. This is why I progressed into conducting interviews this way. This is not ‘the’ way, just ‘a’ way. Look inside and see what skills you have, and what you’re willing to learn. Go from there.

Here’s how I dance:

What I do before the interviewee shows up

Make sure your gear, camera, audio and lighting is up and ready. There is no excuse for not being ready, even if a subject shows up when not expected (like a CEO who just pops in for a quick interview). Your professionalism begins before you start interviewing, and continues through every breathing day.

Decide where to place the interviewee, if you have that choice. When you’re interviewing someone in their office, it’s not easy to get them to leave their chair. Try to find them the most comfortable chair or location in the room. I take the second-most comfortable chair or location, slightly off camera.

Obviously, I look for lighting, composition and audio problems. There are always constraints.

I quickly go through what needs to be covered. If I’ve done my homework, I’d have written down the answers I’m waiting to hear. I don’t write down the questions. If I’m interested and curious, the questions will come automatically. If this is a sticking point, always isolate the topic being discussed, and ask (not loudly!):

• How
• What
• Why
• When
• Where
• Which
• Who

If you’re discussing third-order differential equations (TODE), you ask yourself ‘How TODE?’, ‘What TODE?’, ‘Why TODE?’, etc. The natural flow will present itself to you.

I don’t like questions on paper because it’s tempting to just read them. Anybody can do that, so where’s the skill you’re charging for?

As a corporate video professional it is your duty to study the client’s work, workflow or operations, etc., and develop an interest in them. Be curious, otherwise your disinterest will show in your videos, and will manifest itself inside the client when it’s payment time!

I will also make sure I’m in the best mood possible, with a good energy level. If I’m not ready, I drink a Red Bull, coffee or whatever it takes. If I’m not in the mood to talk, I talk with my DP or audio guy or myself even. I warm up, ready to roll.

What I do when we first meet

Eye contact, smile and a firm handshake. There is no corporate business scenario on earth where these three are shunned. Before they ask, indicate where they are to sit, and tell them where you’ll be and where they have to look.

You are the captain of this dance. Take control.

Thank them for coming, and disarm them by building rapport. During this stage, I’m also looking to see if they use animated hand movements, where I might need to re-frame my shot. I’m not worried about shifting around or nervousness. That will go away soon.

What I do to build rapport

Ask them questions that have nothing to do with the interview. Talk about sport, fashion, kids, whatever – ask them open ended questions. What I’m trying to do is get them to talk so their vocal chords get a warm up. I don’t interrupt and I listen.

I’m showing interest in their lives and work. I try to mimic their body language initially. At the end of this stage I will lean back and appear relaxed. It is magical to see them do the same.

It might seem strange, but it doesn’t take me more than a few minutes to get them to relax. They are so invested in the conversation that they forget about the camera and the interview.

I also joke, which is a powerful way of conveying the fact that you get them. I am interested. That’s why it works. They feel it. Remember, this is a conversation, not an interview. You know you’re succeeding when they start asking questions about you (and not the subject of the interview).

I explained the ‘states of the client’ earlier. Let’s look at them again.

You have created a bubble, just like you might do in a club or a film set. The interviewees are no longer conscious or nervous. They aren’t scared because they know you care. I never say it with words, but my actions imply this quite clearly.

Whatever pretensions they have had about you is forgotten (it’ll come back after the interview!) for a brief period because they are curious about you. If you are not an interesting person, fake it. If they are the paranoid type, there’s nothing you can do.

Shifting gears

You know it’s time to begin the interview when your subject is having a natural conversation with you, isn’t shifting around anymore, and has a relaxed posture and tone.

At this point the interview is a natural progression of your conversation. This is not easy, because each project is different, and deals with different subject matter. One has to be a master with words, and extremely well-read, to pull it off. I’m not there yet.

If you see them freezing up (they are suddenly brought back to the reality of the interview), then talk some more, and disarm them by telling them no one will see the bad stuff. This time I talk about the interview. Since I’ve built a connection earlier, they believe me. Soon, they are relaxed again. It doesn’t take more than a minute really.

I’ve noticed this only works when I’ve established a friendly mutual interest. You can’t force things. If necessary, spend some more time talking. Let your crew (if you have one) behave as if they are still ‘working on the lighting’. There’s no hurry.

Does this seem like too much work for an interview? Not really, not to me. I want a relaxed subject who will give me great sound bites. I don’t want a boring, nervous, talking head.

Sometimes this process takes a while, sometimes it never happens! CEOs and other managers just sit down and start. They are used to marketing their company every single day. They are always networking or selling something, and they are almost always the best articulators. You still get some ‘bad apples’, but they are bad for a whole different reason (office politics, their cousin didn’t get this corporate video gig, they had to wait their turn, or they are bad people generally).

Steering the conversation

At some point all your interviewees will suddenly realize they are in an interview, but will also realize they are no longer nervous. You can literally see the confidence rise when this happens. Go for gold.

How do you know you’ve asked the right question? When you get the right answer, with the right emotions!

I never tell them anything negative about themselves or their words. I never show any displeasure, impatience or anxiousness, even if we’re running behind schedule.

By the way, our phones are switched off, and we never look at the clock. I don’t wear a watch anyway.

Sometimes I get the right answer, but I’m not happy with the delivery. I ask other questions and try to work them up (this comes from experience in directing fiction) to get a better response. This process is subtle, and I’ve been burned many times trying this. Don’t do it unless you can handle the failure. How do you know when you’ve failed? Easy, either the emotion is directed at you or it overwhelms the subject.

At this point you are always moving on to the next sound bite. Get them all while your subject is ‘hot’. When I’m in the zone I don’t waste time with unnecessary stuff or chit chat. You never know when you’ll be interrupted or asked to stop or whatever. There are a million distractions in the workplace. This isn’t an exact science.

Putting words into their mouth

Sometimes even after I’ve covered enough ground the answers are still not ‘framed’ the way I want them. This is when I put words into their mouths, similar to how lawyers lead a witness in court.

This is as close to mimicking as I get. If I fail here, I tell the person who hired me (which could be the person who’s screwed up) that we have a problem. There’s no shame here. You’ve tried your best. Some subjects just can’t articulate very well. It’s your client’s responsibility to find (or fund) another subject, if possible. If not, you do the best you can with what you have.

Wrapping up and going through the checklist

Before I let the subject go, I will recap all the major points aloud. I will involve them in this process because there’s always a chance we’ve both forgotten something. Since I’ve already developed a friendly rapport they will share in my work and want to help me.

If you behave as if all this is ‘no big deal’, they will share the feeling with you. Once I have what I want in the ‘can’ I wrap. I always compliment them on their answers and in helping me, etc. When they leave, I want them to feel like they’ve aced a job interview.

If they aren’t used to this kind of attention (how many of us are?) they’ll go home and tell their friends or family about it. They’ll wait in anticipation for the few seconds they’ll be on screen. I never disrespect that trust.

Parting

Let’s not kid ourselves. We are not out making friends, though we might. The subjects know that, too. However, I’ve been called many times outside of work by people I’ve befriended during interviews. Sometimes they want to add me on Facebook during the interview. It’s tough when you can’t invest in their friendship, but I’m always friendly. Who knows? You might be hired again by the same company for a future project.

This method of working is a responsibility. Like I said, it’s a dance that you can’t reject and must continue as long as you’re in business. You must always be available.

I hope this article has given you some ideas on how to conduct interviews. Remember, my style is just a ‘style’, I have seen many others – and they all seem as alien to me as mine seems to them!

Does my style have weaknesses? Sure it does. Remember the four kinds of subject matter? My method demands that I be interested in my subject, even when I’m not. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. It takes a lot of will power to bring myself ‘up to speed’ when it’s the end of a long day or week. Ten percent of the time, my skills desert me. Nowadays I try to avoid this ‘phase’, but this a dance to someone else’s tune. You don’t get paid to dance to your own tune.

If you like to read more about corporate videos and interviewing, two books I highly recommend are

• Corporate Video Production: Beyond the Board Room (And OUT of the Bored Room), and
• The Art of the Interview: Lessons from a Master of the Craft.

How do you conduct interviews? I would love to learn your tips and techniques, and this might help me in return.