Video
Recording an interview: think beyond the frame
Prepare an interview set with attention to sound, eye line, background and your guest’s arrival.
Stxdio editorial team ·
A good interview image helps only when your guest sounds clear and feels comfortable. Discuss the room’s sound and the positions of interviewer, camera and guest with the studio.
Listen from the guest’s position
Ask about ventilation, traffic and other people using the building. Test the microphone in the actual setup and listen through headphones. Agree who monitors sound during recording and how you will repeat an interrupted answer.
Agree on the eye line
Decide whether the guest looks into the lens or towards someone beside the camera. Test the chair, camera height and distance from the background. Check objects and lights at the edges of the frame, including any future vertical crop.
Allow a calm start
Send directions, an arrival time and a short clothing brief. Allow time for a welcome, microphone fitting and a practice question. Explain when you pause and who asks for an answer to be repeated. Leave time to check and copy picture and sound files at the end.