Top Tips for Filming Interviews Online

Here are the top tips for the DIY videographer for recording interviews from home or virtually. There are many things to consider before you film yourself from a cell phone.

1. Begin with the end result in mind. Decide if you want to film vertical or horizontal. Where will this video be uploaded? (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.)
   1. If Instagram, make sure to shoot vertical. That is the best ratio for sharing on IGTV and on the Instagram Story Feature.
   2. If you are going to upload onto Facebook or YouTube, then horizontal is your best bet. The shot will fill in nicely.
2. Lighting is everything! Make sure you are as lit up as possible, without shadows. The workaround I use for this is to film in front of a window. The natural light is great for making sure you come in bright on the video. (Direct sun isn’t recommended. More indirect light will do.)
3. Avoid the shaky shot. Make sure to secure your phone in a tripod or prop it up on something to keep it stable. Having someone else film you, unless they can remain completely still, will give you a shot that has too much movement.
4. Sound clarity is important. If you are filming in a large space i.e. your living room or home office, you may get an echo or pick up a lot of background noise. A simple way to minimize this is by using a microphone. If you have one for your cell phone or a hands-free option like headphones or blue tooth device for recording is a good option.
5. Consistency is key. If you are instructing multiple people to film themselves, instruct them on the vertical or horizontal shot, provide the tips above to capture the highest quality video, and provide the same set of questions for each person. Doing this will ensure you will receive footage that will be as similar as possible.
6. Create a destination location. Using Dropbox, Google Drive, etc., instruct the interviewees to save the video and upload it into a shared file in the cloud. Provide a link with the film instructions.
7. Make it Simple. Zoom has an option to record and download. If it is easier to do that via the internet that is a great option to capture footage immediately.

If you have any additional questions, reach out to our team. We are happy to help. Happy filming!

-The Full Stride Digital Media Team