How to interview people on camera: a practical guide

Most documentary and impact films are built on interviews. The interview carries the facts, the emotion and the structure of the story, and every other shot is cut around it. If the answers are vague, the sound is poor or the person looks uncomfortable, no amount of editing will save the film.

These on-camera interview tips are for communications teams who film programme participants, staff, partners or officials, whether you hire a crew or film with a small in-house kit. They cover four things: the questions, the frame and the light, the sound, and the care you owe the person who agrees to speak.

Good answers start with good questions. The Smithsonian's oral history guide advises keeping questions clear, concise and open-ended, and avoiding questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no.¹ Questions that begin with "how", "what" or "why" usually produce a fuller response.¹

Ask for moments, not summaries. "What changed after the training?" invites a slogan; "Tell me about the first morning you opened the shop on your own" invites a story. Smith College's tip sheet for directing interviews recommends asking for concrete stories and examples to make abstract points real, and saving your most important questions for the middle of the interview, once the person has settled.²

Share the topics in advance. The same tip sheet suggests giving the interviewee a list of the questions and key issues beforehand.² In our own practice, we share themes rather than a script, so answers stay fresh.

• Start with easy questions about the person's day or work.
• Move to the heart of the story in the middle.
• End with "Is there anything I have not asked that you want to say?"

Listening is a skill you can see on screen. The Smithsonian guide asks interviewers to show interest, listen carefully, try not to interrupt and not to be afraid of silences.¹ A pause often brings the most honest sentence of the day.

Stay silent while the person speaks. The University of Saskatchewan's video production guide warns against talking or making sounds of acknowledgement during an answer, and suggests leaving a pause when the person finishes so the editor has room to cut.³ Nod instead of saying "yes" or "mm". Smith College adds that you should keep eye contact, use notes sparingly, keep a reasonable pace and avoid asking for repeated takes unless they are needed.²

Because your questions will be cut out, ask the person to include the question in their answer: "The project started when…" rather than "In 2023." Explain this once, kindly, before you begin.

For a classic documentary look, the interviewee talks to the interviewer rather than to the lens. The University of Saskatchewan guide recommends placing the interviewer to one side of the camera so the person has someone to make eye contact with just off camera, and reminding them before you start whether to look at you or into the lens.³ Framing the subject on the rule of thirds gives them natural speaking room on the side they are facing.³

Light shapes how trustworthy someone looks. In standard three-point lighting, the key light is the brightest source and does most of the work, a dimmer fill light softens its shadows, and a backlight separates the person from the background.⁴ On location, the same guide suggests using a window as the key light, a bounce card as the fill and a practical lamp in the room as the backlight.⁴ Choose a background that says something about the person's work, but keep it calm and uncluttered.

In our experience, viewers forgive soft focus far more readily than bad sound. Journalism educator Mark Briggs calls audio quality critical to producing good video, especially online, and describes a lavalier (clip-on) microphone as essential for interviews.⁵ He advises testing the signal with headphones while asking a couple of small-talk questions, and reminding the person not to touch their clothing, because a lapel microphone picks up loud scratching.⁵

Choose a quiet place. The Smithsonian guide notes that a person's own home is usually the best place for an interview and that you should eliminate or minimise loud background noise.¹ In practice, that means switching off fans and fridges where you can, asking neighbours for a few quiet minutes and recording a short stretch of the room's natural sound for the editor.

An interview is a request, not a right. The Smithsonian guide stresses making sure from the start that the person understands the purpose of the interview and getting a signed release.¹ The Global Center for Journalism and Trauma advises explaining who you are and how the interview will be used, letting the person make choices about the process (such as where to sit), inviting them to pause or stop at any time, and thanking them at the end for something that may have been hard.⁶

Children need extra protection. UNICEF's ethical reporting guidelines ask you to obtain permission from both the child and their guardian, explain the purpose and use of the interview, pay attention to where and how the child is interviewed, limit the number of interviewers and photographers, and never ask a child to tell a story or take an action that is not part of their own history.⁷ Some children must never be identifiable on screen, so plan framing that hides identity before you arrive.⁷

When the camera stops, the work continues. Note names, roles and spellings on paper, as the Smithsonian guide advises keeping a pen and notebook to hand during every recorded interview.¹ The Global Center for Journalism and Trauma suggests offering people the chance to review the story so they can flag factual errors, and contacting them again to confirm details.⁶

Transcribe interviews soon after filming and mark the strongest lines while your memory is fresh. In our own practice, we send interviewees a link to the finished film before it is published widely. It is a simple courtesy, and it often surfaces a mistranslated word or a misspelt name in time to fix it.

• Purpose explained and consent recorded before filming
• Open questions written, with the most important in the middle
• Interviewer seated just beside the lens, eyeline agreed
• Subject framed on the rule of thirds with a calm background
• Key, fill and backlight set, or a window used as key
• Clip-on microphone tested with headphones
• Names, roles and spellings written down
• Finished film shared back with the interviewee