Talking Heads

18 Apr Talking Heads

It’s not about looking pretty, having an impeccable on-camera presence, or even sounding brilliant (although admittedly, those factors do help); rather, it’s about conveying your message to the best of your ability, making a connection with the viewer, and making the most of your time to shine. Not everyone has a multi-million dollar budget to work with, and to be perfectly honest, you don’t really need one. Chances are your video is aiming to relay a message about your business, whether it’s your re-opening party, an upcoming event, or this week’s specials, in a short video clip filmed on your own phone. Next to actually conveying that message, the most important factor to consider is authenticity. You are operating as the face of your brand, communicating as a real person to real people. Hey, guess what guys? Viewers like what real people have to say, so skip the pomp and circumstance, the glam squad, and the overly rehearsed script and be real. Take a look at a few of our tips for nailing your on-screen interview:

1. Orientation: In this day and age, a 16 by 9 ratio is the standard, with the exception of Instagram being a 1 to 1 ratio and the recent push from Snapchat for vertical videos, which let’s face it, is not viable. We ALWAYS turn our phones sideways to film…and you should too! Especially for interviews. Pro Tip: Use the rule of thirds to offset the subject while creating a more inviting look. You should also shoot at eye level or above to avoid the dreaded Jabba face that we all fear and loathe.
2. Stability: Alright, unless you want your viewers to feel like they are drunk, on a boat, or revisiting the Blair Witch Project, stabilize your video to the best of your ability with a stand, tripod, or even by propping your phone up and filming yourself.
3. Light: Natural lighting is always better…with the exception of the watered down beer. Look at it this way, florescent lighting (much like Natural Light beer) serves its purpose when you’re lacking in options…and self respect. Natural lighting (much like craft beer) adds depth and makes everyone look good. Enough said? Good, moving on…
4. Authenticity: We touched upon this early on and we’re revisiting it because it’s that important. It’s natural that you’ll want to go overboard on hair, makeup, and wardrobe, after all you want to look good on screen, but  ease up, you’re not Beyonce and no amount of makeup is going to trick viewers into thinking otherwise. What your audience DOES want to see is a real person that they relate to. Everyone likes feeling like they can relate to the person they are doing business with or buying a product from so be natural, be yourself, and be authentic. The same goes for your script. It behooves you to have some key talking points jotted down beforehand, and if you’re really nervous, rehearse them and keep them nearby. For the most part though, we encourage natural and authentic conversational tones in on-screen interviews. Pro Tip: Have someone stand just behind the camera in your line of sight so that you can feel as if you are in fact talking to someone. The result is non-verbal cues like smiling and nodding that further enhance the authenticity and the viewer’s experience.
5. Audio: You’ve crafted a brilliant message for your audience, now don’t ruin it with shoddy audio. Clean audio can be tricky, but at the very least be aware of background noise, i.e. an AC Unit turning on halfway through your message, or a drunk bystander yelling incessantly in the background. Pro Tip: If you can, invest in a mic that you can plug right into your phone – OR – use the mic in your headphones as a Lav mic.    
6. Q&A: To avoid hearing someone off-camera spouting out questions we suggest writing questions ahead of time and then repeating the question back in the form of a statement in your on-camera dialogue.
7. Have Fun: This really plays into authenticity but it warrants reinforcement. Relax and have fun with the on-screen interview process. You want your audience to like you, but more importantly you want them to buy both what you’re saying and buy into your brand’s message, which happens naturally when you act natural