Conducting Interviews Remotely

Our work with Imperial college has seen us develop a new way of working in order to conduct interviews remotely. Over the past year organisations have had to rethink their approach and take things online. None more so than those in academia. Imperial run online virtual programmes and needed an alternative way to let people know about these. These programmes deliver the same content as their on campus programmes. Allowing the participants to network and build relationships with fellow participants, faculty and contributors.

To get the message out, we shot testimonials from graduates at locations around the world and devised and created our own remote filming guide. This was sent to each interviewee prior to each interview. The guide explains how best to frame the interview, how to light it, backdrops and interview techniques as well as technical solutions to poor audio and video due to unstable broadband connections. Each interview was carried out over zoom and the final films were edited together with shots of the online program, stock footage and bespoke shots of the campus.

“From briefing and directing talent over Zoom to creatively sourcing B-roll footage, we managed to overcome the challenges of #RemoteWorking and create a product that still felt high-quality and impactful. Shout out to Tom from Tantrwm Limited for his patience and support on this project.” Lauren Pow – Imperial College

Things to look out for

When you need to conduct interviews remotely there are some golden rules to bear in mind.

Eyeline: Have the camera at or above your eye-line. It helps you engage with the audience and means they are not looking up your nose.
Choose your background: Choose a background that is simple and uncluttered.
Also, have the main source of light behind the camera, not behind you. Having a lamp or window behind the camera will illuminate you, whereas a window or lamp behind you will cast you in shadow.
Framing: Place your laptop/computer on a stable and level surface. Allow for a small amount of space between the top of your head and the video edge.
Familiarise yourself: Whatever platform you are using (Zoom, Teams, Skype, etc), make sure you understand how it makes. Take time before hand to establish the the limits of what can be achieved and how you can make the most of it.
Sound: When choosing the room you’d like to film in, think about what noises you can hear. If you are near a road, position yourself with either the microphone facing away from the road or move to another room to mitigate any passing traffic. It also helps to be in a room with lots of soft furnishings. These deaden the sound. Avoid kitchens and bathrooms as these have lots of flat surfaces that the sound will bounce off.
Record Everything Locally: Record all video and sound on the PC being used. This means any problems/drop outs due to poor internet can be avoided and give consistent video and audio. This can then be sent using a service like Wetransfer.