How To Get An Authentic Video Interview
We all know it. What’s people’s #1 fear?
PUBLIC SPEAKING.
You’ve felt that fear, right? Feeling that knot in your stomach just thinking about having to get up on stage under the spotlight and speak to a large group of people.
Well, your interviewee feels just like that.
They’re also under the spotlight (literally under your video lights), and although they’re speaking to you (the interviewer), their story is going to be shared in front of a large group of people, and that’s what they’re thinking and feeling while sitting in that hot seat with the camera pointed at them.
I actually LOVE doing interviews (as the interviewer)
Because you are in an unusual situation where a (probable) stranger has agreed to open up to you about their life, hardships and all.
And I’m not saying I love hearing the juicy dark secrets they have, or love hearing all the struggles they faced, not at all. What I love so much about it is getting to know new people in a real and authentic way.
I want to hear about their lives, their fears, their victories.. because people are AMAZING! And I always consider it a privilege and an honor when I get to interview someone because they decided to trust me enough to be vulnerable and share their special story with me.
And that type of trust deserves to be treated with respect.
Why do you want an authentic interview?
You should always want an authentic interview. Because it’ll be conversational, transparent, comfortable…. but getting one like that is actually pretty challenging.
So here’s the first step you need to make to get an authentic interview:
An authentic interview starts
with a trusting relationship
This doesn’t mean you have to know the interviewee(s) personally- most of the time we won’t know them. So it’s important to develop at least some type of trust between you (the interviewer) and them. With trust, you can capture a natural and comfortable conversation, true emotional moments and more insightful soundbites.
How do you create trust with a stranger?
There are several things you can do to create a trusting relationship with your interviewees, but here are 3 that I like to use:
Honest & continuous communication before filming
You need to communicate to start a relationship, especially a trusting relationship. I like to make sure I’m communicating enough with my interviewees, always making sure they’re informed and on board with the project. I always hold a pre-interview which usually lasts about an hour, and then will follow up with them via texts or calls about the production and anything they need to bring (such as props.) Remember it’s about creating trust, so try to avoid sounding like you’re just giving them orders. Realistically you’re at their mercy for sharing their story with you!
A two-way conversation interview
When I’m actually filming the interview (and even in the pre-interview) I like to have a two-way conversation which is a bit out of the ordinary. So instead of just asking them questions and them providing an answer the whole time, I take time to respond and react to their answers (like a normal conversation.) It might take more time, but it helps LOADS to continue to build trust and get a better interview. If they feel like it’s a mutual conversation, they will open up more, feel more comfortable sharing and it’ll show in their tone, body language and words.
Prioritizing THEM
At all times, THEY, as humans, are the priority, NOT the story. And I want to make sure they know that as well. It’s important that your interviewees don’t feel like a tool you’re using for a cool story. That’s manipulative and can feel exploitive. Agreeing to be vulnerable in sharing your story for thousands, maybe millions to see is not a small thing- so we have to make sure we’re keeping them as the priority at all times. Sometimes it means they decide to back out, and as disappointing as that can be, we should always support them and respect their decision.
Doing these 3 things has helped me tremendously to get better and more authentic interviews. At the end of the day, it’s because they feel that you care about them, and that goes a long way.