10 Tips For Filming The Perfect
Talking Heads Interview

Talking Heads Interview

Interview Videos (aka Talking Heads)
are one of the most
frequently requested
type of corporate video.

Prepping your subject

#1

Prepping your subject

#1

Tell the subjects exactly what will happen in the interview process

Don't give the interviewee a list of questions before the interview in order to ensure capturing natural, authentic answers

Tell the subject the general topics of the interview, how long it will last and if you need to film cutaways of them doing things while talking

Wearing the right clothes

#2

Wearing the right clothes

#2

Tell the subjects whether you want them to be casually dressed or not

Inform them to wear their normal clothes but avoiding close repeating patterns and clothes with logos due to copyright issues

To put on a nice dress or the best suit may clash with the portrait of the person that you're trying to paint in the video

Keep accurate notes during the interview

#3

Keep accurate notes during the interview

#3

As video director it is important to make notes of anything the interviewee mentioned that might require clarification

You can ask them to explain something further or you can use cutaways to give your audience context

Example: If the subject mentions a friend or relative it would be good to explain how they know each other or just cut to a photo of that person

Setting the right location

#4

Setting the right location

#4

The best location is one that gives the audience some information about the interviewee.

Example: You can interview the subjects in their own home as all the background details like the colour of the walls or dcor provide information about the person

Very often the background will be out of focus in order to give the feeling of depth and to concentrate the eye on the subject

Position the subject correctly for natural light

#5

Position the subject correctly for natural light

#5

As the amount of daylight will change throughout the interview you may find a jump in light levels if you were to cut a clip from the beginning and middle of the interview together.

Window behind subject: You may see unwanted reflections of lights and camera equipment. If the sun is shining through it can silhouette the subject

Window in front of subject: You may get varying light levels as the sun goes in and out of clouds or shifts position in the sky

Setup for sound

#6

Setup for sound

#6

An experienced sound person is a crucial member of a video team. The audio should always be set up from scratch to ensure that all settings are correct

Listen out for any sounds, like air conditioning, traffic noise or co-workers, that may interfere with filming, when choosing a location

If you cut back-to-back clips from several different interviews and if there are significant differences in the audio gathered the audience will find it jarring

Light your subject correctly

#7

Light your subject correctly

#7

Use a three point lighting, choose which side of the subject's face to put the key light and you can complement their features by casting shadows to compensate for any asymmetry

Use fill light to balance out the amount of light falling on one side of the face and a back light that will help them to stand out from the background

The lighting camera person should know the story and tone of the interview before arriving at the location to design the lighting to suit the message

Avoid overheating your subject

#8

Avoid overheating your subject

#8

Daylight in combination with film light may create a lot of heat and also filming in the heat of the summer or at foreign locations

Choose a location and lighting setup considering heat so that your interviewee doesn't feel uncomfortable or sweats profusely

Before filming make sure that you are aware of the availability of power sockets

Position your cameras

#9

Position your cameras

#9

For interview filming a two camera setup will be suitable, which allows you to cut from a wide shot to a close up during the edit

Think about camera angles you can position the cameras filming the subject from the same angle, but sometimes it makes more sense to position them roughly 30 degrees apart, so one gives a portrait and the other one a three quarter angle view of the interviewee

Produce the Key Messages

#10

Produce the Key Messages

#10

Keep the message short so that the subject is able to memorise the dialogue and key messages

Use an autocue, which allows the interviewee to read from a screen, while looking into camera. As they are looking through a mirrored glass, the eye line can be remained correctly. But make sure that it will not sound fake!

Giving the person bullet points, to remind them of the key messages, will remain the interview more natural. But make sure that the person's eyes won't be seen to flick to one side of the camera!

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