In these 10 tips you will learn the best practice when filming a Talking Heads interview video. www.boldcontent.tv

1. 10 Tips For Filming The Perfect
Talking Heads Interview

2. Talking Heads Interview
“ Interview
Videos (aka
Talking Heads)
are one of the
most
frequently
requested
type of
corporate
video.”

3. Prepping your subject#1

4. Prepping your subject#1
Tell the subjects exactly what will happen in the
interview process
Don't give the interviewee a list of questions before
the interview in order to ensure capturing natural,
authentic answers
Tell the subject the general topics of the interview,
how long it will last and if you need to film
cutaways of them doing things while talking

5. Wearing the right clothes#2

6. Wearing the right clothes#2
Tell the subjects whether you want them to be
casually dressed or not
Inform them to wear their normal clothes but
avoiding close repeating patterns and clothes with
logos due to copyright issues
To put on a nice dress or the best suit may clash
with the portrait of the person that you're trying to
paint in the video

7. Keep accurate notes during
the interview
#3

8. Keep accurate notes during
the interview
#3
As video director it is important to make notes of
anything the interviewee mentioned that might
require clarification
You can ask them to explain something further or
you can use cutaways to give your audience
context
Example: If the subject mentions a friend or
relative it would be good to explain how they know
each other or just cut to a photo of that person

9. Setting the right location#4

10. Setting the right location#4
The best location is one that gives the audience
some information about the interviewee.
Example: You can interview the subjects in their
own home as all the background details like the
colour of the walls or décor provide information
about the person
Very often the background will be out of focus in
order to give the feeling of depth and to concentrate
the eye on the subject

11. Position the subject
correctly for natural light
#5

12. Position the subject
correctly for natural light
#5
As the amount of daylight will change throughout
the interview you may find a jump in light levels if
you were to cut a clip from the beginning and
middle of the interview together.
Window behind subject: You may see unwanted
reflections of lights and camera equipment. If the
sun is shining through it can silhouette the subject
Window in front of subject: You may get varying
light levels as the sun goes in and out of clouds or
shifts position in the sky

13. Setup for sound#6

14. Setup for sound#6
An experienced sound person is a crucial member
of a video team. The audio should always be set up
from scratch to ensure that all settings are correct
Listen out for any sounds, like air conditioning,
traffic noise or co-workers, that may interfere with
filming, when choosing a location
If you cut back-to-back clips from several different
interviews and if there are significant differences in
the audio gathered the audience will find it jarring

15. Light your subject correctly#7

16. Light your subject correctly#7
Use a three point lighting, choose which side of the
subject's face to put the key light and you can
complement their features by casting shadows to
compensate for any asymmetry
Use fill light to balance out the amount of light
falling on one side of the face and a back light that
will help them to stand out from the background
The lighting camera person should know the story
and tone of the interview before arriving at the
location to design the lighting to suit the message

17. Avoid overheating your
subject#8

18. Avoid overheating your
subject#8
Daylight in combination with film light may create
a lot of heat and also filming in the heat of the
summer or at foreign locations
Choose a location and lighting setup considering
heat so that your interviewee doesn't feel
uncomfortable or sweats profusely
Before filming make sure that you are aware of the
availability of power sockets

19. Position your cameras#9

20. Position your cameras#9
For interview filming a two camera setup will be
suitable, which allows you to cut from a wide shot
to a close up during the edit
Think about camera angles – you can position the
cameras filming the subject from the same angle,
but sometimes it makes more sense to position
them roughly 30 degrees apart, so one gives a
portrait and the other one a three quarter angle view
of the interviewee

21. Produce the Key Messages#10

22. Produce the Key Messages#10
Keep the message short so that the subject is able to
memorise the dialogue and key messages
Use an autocue, which allows the interviewee to
read from a screen, while looking into camera. As
they are looking through a mirrored glass, the eye
line can be remained correctly. But make sure that
it will not sound fake!
Giving the person bullet points, to remind them of
the key messages, will remain the interview more
natural. But make sure that the person's eyes won't
be seen to flick to one side of the camera!

23. Need A Talking Heads Interview?
Visit our
website and
learn more
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production
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