Recording Video Interviews and Testimonials Remotely

What is an Interview Video?

You’ve seen them on the news, late-night talk shows, and documentary films. Interview videos usually
focus on one person answering questions, usually on a specific theme.
This style of video is up close and personal, and the interviewee might be a subject matter expert or just
someone with an opinion. Unscripted and authentic interview videos are a great way to lend a personal
touch to a story or provide a point of view.

Benefits of Interview Videos

  • Interview videos are authentic.

  • Interviews are the best way to get information straight from the horse’s mouth.

  • They offer an unscripted personal take or knowledge from an expert.

  • Interviews make for great storytelling.

  • The small details and anecdotes from someone who actually lived it brings a story to life.

  • Interviews provide an inside look.

  • Some interviews allow access to people and information that might otherwise stay
    behind closed doors. Celebrities, CEOs, notable people, interviews give access and an
    inside look.

  • Interview videos are easy to produce.

  • Can shoot a decent interview video with nothing more than your smartphone, but
    ideally, you’ll have a camera, tripod, and microphone.

  • The interview footage is great for repurposing.

  • Interview clips add authenticity and personality to your other types of videos.

  • Can break the interview up into short clips to use on social media, or grab quotes for case studies.

  • Might even find a nice clip to include in a company culture video or explainer.

One of the types of Interview Videos is;

Remote Interviews

To record a quality interview, you don’t have to be in the same room or even the same country as your
guest. Video calls make it easy to conduct and record interviews from a distance in either a
conversational or talking head style.

Here are some tips specific to remote interviews:

  1. Choose software and test it out. Many video chat platforms offer the ability to record your
    webcam either in-app or with a plugin. Be sure to test it out ahead of time so that you’re not
    troubleshooting with a guest on the line.
  2. add visual interest and variation by switching between split screen, full screen, and B-roll
    (cutaways, and extra footage).
  3. Create a branded look and feel for your remote interview with elements like logos, on-screen
    text, or graphic borders.

Why Record Interviews Online?

You’ve decided you’re going to make an interview video. Good call! Interview videos are relatively
simple from a production standpoint while making engaging content for a variety of purposes,
from internal commas (think CEO fireside chat) to external channels (think social media clips with
influencers).
Whether you decide on filming remote interviews versus physically being there will likely depend on
what type of video you’re making (i.e. case study vs. video podcast), whether you need B-roll footage,
and how you plan to use the actual video (i.e. in an email, for an online event, etc.)
There are a few key reasons why you might want to record interviews online rather than filming them
in-person.

Saving Money

One of the biggest is budget. Conducting and filming remote interviews saves you the transportation
costs of getting to your interviewee’s physical location. Depending on where your interviewee is, this
can be a huge saving.

Saving Time

Traveling to a customer’s office to film a case study video, for instance, is a big undertaking and a time-
consuming one as well. Recording a video call (and possibly pairing it with some well-chosen stock video
footage) is a far lesser time investment. This works in the reverse as well, if the interviewee was going to
come to you rather than you going to them.

Convenience

Depending on who your interviewee is, it may be difficult to get much of their time.

If you don’t have to worry about a ton of physical setup or transporting them to you, then it’s a much
smaller ask for them. That easier request may mean they’re more likely to say yes.

Safety

There are some situations—for instance, the COVID-19 pandemic’s travel bans and social distancing
regulations—that make meeting up in-person out of the question. Doing a remote interview recording is
an option that lets you continue with conducting your interview while keeping everyone involved safe.

How Do I Record Online Video Interviews?

Many of the key elements of filming remote interviews are the same as shooting them in person—with a
few important differences. Preparation is similar to recording other remote video productions, with a
few additional considerations.

1. Determine the Purpose of Your Video

 Making a video without knowing what you want it to achieve is a fruitless endeavor. Before you
begin, decide what the goal of your video is so that you can ensure you meet it.

2. Choose Your Interviewee

 The biggest things to consider when choosing an interviewee are getting a person who can
speak to your topic and who would be of interest to your audience.
 Be sure to pick someone who is likely to be comfortable on camera.
3. Plan Your Interview in Advance
 Know what you want them to talk about.
 Plan out a list of questions you can ask to guide the conversation in that direction.
4. Select Your Software
 Record a couple of short test clips ahead of your actual interview to determine ease of use,
quality, etc. to ensure you choose the program that works best for your needs.