A useful corporate interview starts with substantive questions, a suitable speaking environment and a process that helps the interviewee feel prepared. Define the story before planning people, sound and supporting shots.
Ask for specific experience
Start with a decision, a difficulty or a service experience: what needed to change, and how was the choice made? Examples are usually more natural than reciting a company profile. Mark the boundaries around client references, results and non-public information before recording so the speaker knows what can be discussed.
Prepare prompts rather than every sentence
Share themes and required facts in advance, leaving room for follow-up questions about reasons, processes and observations. A fully scripted response is not always necessary. Keep a separate fact sheet for names and numbers so the interviewee can focus on explaining an experience without simultaneously reconstructing precise information.
Listen to the location first
An attractive meeting room may contain air-conditioning noise, traffic, appliances or adjacent conversation. Listen during a site check and identify controllable noise before choosing backgrounds and lighting. If equipment cannot be stopped, discuss another room or sound approach rather than assuming all environmental noise can be removed afterwards. Record and listen to a complete answer before the interview to check for clothing rustle or table vibration competing with the voice.
Schedule the person and the supporting shots
Allow for arrival, clothing adjustments, name checks, sound checks and settling into the conversation. Relevant work, equipment and process shots can then make the interview easier to follow and edit. Supporting footage should reflect the actual discussion rather than suggesting a workflow that does not exist.
Review meaning as well as wording
Check names, titles, terminology, subtitles and figures, and make sure shortened answers retain their meaning. Consolidate feedback through one contact, distinguishing factual corrections from preferences. If a statement needs context to remain accurate, preserve that context or omit the statement instead of using only its most dramatic fragment.
A quick commissioning checklist
- Will the prompts elicit specific experiences?
- Have location noise and supporting shots been assessed?
- Who checks names, titles, numbers and the meaning of the edit?