5 tips to nail that interview content

On camera interview made easy - Main Media's 5 interview tips

Understandably, a lot of people are really nervous about appearing on camera, if you’ve not done it before it can seem very alien and stressful. Don’t worry we’ve been shooting interview content and helping people through the process for years so here five quick tips that’ll help you perform in front of the lens.

Prepare (but not too much)

If a question list is available prep it, but don’t get hung up on exact wording or over rehearse. That can lead to stilted delivery or dropped lines as you try and remember what’s next. Getting the right narrative is probably a better aim and you’ll look and feel much more relaxed. In addition, be wary of offering too much detail, most online video is pretty short these days and deep dives into content probably won’t make the final cut in their full form unless it’s for a specialist audience.

Adopt the power of three

It’s very easy to find your answers trailing off toward the end, especially if they’re lengthy. Keep them focused and concise with a definite ending by adopting the power of three. Three key points in your responses provide rhythm and a clear end to your answers.

Be prepared to bridge

Where you’re not in control of the question set, consider prior to the interview how to get from what you may be asked, to the points you might want to make. That will allow you to develop your businesses or organisations position on the topic or agenda on screen. These bridges will make sure you get your point across whilst still answering the question posed.

Reframe the question

Try and include the question you’re being asked in your response. It makes editing much easier and gives context for your answer. A good production partner will ensure this happens anyway and might ask you to repeat questions to make sure. Don’t think this means you’re not performing well – it’s probably going much better than you think. Whatever happens you’ll probably warm up as you relax into the filming situation so it’s sometimes worth offering to repeat the first few questions at the end.

Use autocue?

For direct to camera presentation autocue can be really helpful but see it as an aid memoire, rather than a substitute for knowing the content. The better you know the material the easier it’ll be to appear relaxed on screen. Always pre-read any script out loud once you’ve written it, it’ll help you clarify content and spot jargon, mistakes, technical language and really long sentences like this one. Above all it needs to read like speech – professionals make autocue look easy but it’s a skill that takes practice. Keep an eye out for a future post on this very subject.

And lastly pick a friendly production team who can help you through the process and to unlock the power of video to deliver your message. Now, I wonder where you could find one of those…

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