Live Interview

It’s always our goal to deliver the best results with every video.  When clients are appearing in their own video it’s our job to help them look good on camera.  Our advice to them comes from 20 years of  production experience and learning from our mistakes, and the mistakes of others.  When a client is going to appear on-camera we have the advantage of hindsight, knowing what works and how to prepare. 

If you are being interviewed for your video, prepare, but don’t memorize your answer.  The most important part of any video, especially a corporate video, is authenticity.  Interview subjects often fear they will forget a particular point so they try to memorize their answers.  Since they are not award-winning actors, they appear robotic and it doesn’t really matter what they say anymore; it’s obvious that they’ve memorized their response.   Now they’ve created a credibility issue – do they even know the answer?  Did someone else write his or her answer?  The take-away from this is be yourself.  You know the answer.  Relax, don’t over analyze, and just have a conversation with your interviewer.  For all our Toronto clients we send a tip sheet on all the little things to help them prepare for their interview.

Related to the subject of interviews in a video production is the question, “Can we both be interviewed at the same time?”  Most often the answer should be “no”.  The reason why is because while one person is giving their answer, the other person is doing nothing.  Now the other person looks weak or like they’re playing second fiddle.  Also, it can give the impression that the answers aren’t as sincere, that these are the ‘approved’ answers.  For true authenticity it’s better to see one person, answering as themself, alone.

While interview-style is the predominant format for corporate video productions, there are occasions when you, the client, will be the presenter.  In such a circumstance, remember this: the teleprompter is a gift from heaven.  If you are addressing the camera directly, don’t “wing it”.  Unless you have years of TV reporting experience you will not be as good as you think.  What seems like a constraint that is limiting your creative flow is actually a huge support that removes your need to remember what you were going to say, also removing that confused look on your face when you struggle to think of what comes next.   If you want to practise, there is teleprompting software available for an iPad that scrolls by, allowing the user to get used to the flow and pace of their message.  Practising is a good idea if it’s at all possible because it will save time and money on the production day.  But in the event that you haven’t even had the time to even read your message, let alone practise it, your production team (if they are professional) will be patient and get you through it.

The other day a European client of ours wanted to know if we could still shoot in standard definition on tape.  We hauled the old Sony BetaCam SP out of mothballs to have a look at it and even found a box of unused tape, so we were good to go.  What struck us was how heavy the camera was.  It seemed like it was from a different era, when videographers all had back problems.  This was a camera we used steadily up until about 2009, one of the last times being the 2010 G20 conference in Toronto for Bloomberg News.  It seemed like it was from a bygone era, being made predominantly of metal, and more importantly, minimal menus.  Most of the things that one would adjust had dedicated buttons, which were metal as well.  This was all in stark contrast to our newer Sony HD video camera whose specs are light years ahead of the BetaCam, but menu driven and about fifty percent plastic, hardly the heavy and sturdy beast its predecessor is.

Using plastic is more understandable today and it seems to make sense given that the shelf life of the newer cameras is maybe 8 years before they become obsolete.  It’s a well know fact that almost as soon as it’s made, technology becomes obsolete.  When people ask us, “Have you seen the new FS100 (or whatever shiny new camera is on the market)” we say yes, but if it’s only 5% better than what we have now, we put it out of our minds.  But we remember it wasn’t long ago that industry people said, “Have you seen the new EX-3?  It’s the new camera everyone’s talking about.”  We did see it, bought it, and still love it.  We figure it will be another 5 years or so before we put it in mothballs.  You can’t stop technology.

Image courtesy of 89studio/freedigitalphotos.net

We can’t really speak about auditioning for television or a movie, since we produce medium budget corporate videos, but if you are likely to darken our doorstep, or a similar company’s, here are some observations and tips.

If there is a call time for you and only you then you should be there on time.  Your agent will have been told there is a specific time for you.  Getting there late doesn’t ruin your chances though if you apologize and promise to arrive early or on time for the shoot you may or may not get.  For larger productions, there is a block of time set aside for auditions, aka the cattle call, and you could show up at 9:00 but they won’t call your name until 3:30.

It’s quite effective to wear wardrobe that is appropriate for the role.  Wearing something appropriate to the role assures producers that you have something acceptable to wear on the production day.  (Smaller productions usually have no budget for wardrobe.) It also shows that you have an understanding of what the role is.  If it’s a corporate spokesperson role then business attire is a plus.  Often the producers don’t have the final word on who gets cast and it’s the client who makes the final call, and they may not be able to envision you as their corporate spokesperson in your Dead Kennedys  T-shirt.  They may want you to send them a picture of yourself in your business attire after the audition.

Demonstrate that you are easy to work with.  Being agreeable and incorporating direction from the producers during your audition shows professionalism and an ability to do what they are looking for.  Spending a long production day with someone confrontational is no picnic.  This is a two-way street as well.  If the director at the audition is a tempermental amateur, it may be worth considering turning down the job if it’s offered.

Finally, if the producers asked for a French speaking person and you think your French is pretty good because you took it in high school, guess what — it’s probably not.  People fluent in a language can tell a mile away if someone is unsteady in that language (and some clients are especially fussy about regional accents).  This is especially important for teleprompted jobs.  You may find that the script you have received from your agent will be amended or added to at the audition, just to find out if you can adapt in that language.  We do this all the time.  We’ll  often add a paragraph or two at the audition just to gauge the authenticity of the person.  Anyone can work on 200 words and get it down, but when the shooting day requires plowing through a dozen or more pages, we need to know we’ve got the right person who can handle it.

We welcome anyone’s thoughts or comments on this or any other related topic.

Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee/freedigitalphotos.net

Show up on time. This is basic.  Arriving late not only makes a bad first impression but shows a level of disinterest.  If you are legitimately running late phone ahead and tell someone that you will be late.

Don’t bring your mom, or even a friend.  If they are dropping you off have them wait in the car or run some errands.  People hiring want to see a level of independence.

Wear something appropriate for the job.  I know of a prominent audio producer who almost didn’t get a job at a radio station because he wore a suit.  Since we’re not in financial services, we don’t wear business suits and ties, but we don’t dress like slobs either when we’re with clients or even meeting job applicants.   Being poorly dressed gives the impression that this interview is not a very high priority in your life and that you’d like to get back to handfishin’.  As stated in another post, we are in the customer service business.  Our clients have a feeling of security when we take the time to look presentable.

Have something relevant to say.  Most interviewers will begin by asking, “Tell us a bit about yourself”.  If you a have something that may set you apart from the other applicants, now is the time to speak up.  If it relates well to the company interviewing you, then even better.  To do this go to their website and find something to talk about.  They should have video samples there you can have a look at and possibly develop a point of view about.  This shows you are interested and made the extra effort to find out about the work they do.  Companies are looking for a good fit with employees and it reflects well on you if you are looking for the same.  Don’t forget to make eye contact when you are expressing yourself.  Effective communication is high on the list of what employers are looking for, and eye contact is essential.

Don’t trash previous employers or other companies you’ve worked for in the past.  People evaluating you want to feel secure that you won’t say the same things about them in the future.  As well, many of our clients require us to sign non-disclosure agreements, which means we don’t discuss anything about them to anyone else – ever.  Discretion is the better part of valour.

Lastly, sending an email the next day saying thanks for the interview doesn’t hurt either.

We welcome anyone’s thoughts or comments on this or any other related topic.

Image courtesy of FrameAngel/freedigitalphotos.net

If you are pounding the pavement looking for your first job in the production biz you know how difficult it is to get your foot in the door anywhere, let alone find gainful employment.  If you are combing Craigslist, Mandy and other sites you will stumble across many unpaid gigs as well.  You may consider giving these opportunities a whirl just to meet people and network, especially if they are doing something artistic for the love of it.  If this interests you try joining Toronto Film Coop (there is a fee) or volunteering at LIFT.  But if a company is offering you zero money and it’s a corporate video, they may be using you.  They may even be billing their client for your services.  As compensation they often say you get a credit.  Big deal – even if Spielberg sees and loves it he won’t say, “get the wardrobe assistant in my office tomorrow!”  Plus, I’ve never seen credits on a corporate video.

You will probably start as a Production Assistant.

If you want to start as a basic PA, you don’t need a reel or samples of work.  It wouldn’t hurt but we’ve never required that.  Graduating from a college or university in broadcasting or media should be enough to get you in the door if a job is posted.  If you are applying to camera assist or edit then you will need samples of work you’ve been associated with, or a reference or two.  Your reel doesn’t have to be a perfect match for what employers are doing.  They should realize that if you’re just out of school you have limited resources.  Over the years we’ve had fresh faced graduates come through our offices and very few have ever had a corporate video sample.  We’ve seen plenty of music videos, experimental films and even our share of zombie flicks, but precious few corporate style videos.

If you have a lead on a PA job, realize that you are applying to a business that produces videos for money.  Some companies just want the project in and out the door as fast as possible with little regard for quality, possibly because their clients don’t realize the difference, or the low budgets they deal with don’t allow for more time and attention paid to the project.  If you are serious about a career in video production, you won’t learn anything at a place like this, and you’ll likely pick up some bad habits as well.  At the other end of the spectrum are the large businesses with a full time sales force, accountants, and a stable of producers.  They get the big budgets and clients that demand top-notch work.  Chances are, you won’t have a very large role starting at a place like this, but you may rise through the ranks, gradually gaining more responsibilities, and navigating the egos that sometimes inhabit these brick and beam buildings.  Somewhere in the middle are the smaller companies, which, I think, comprise the majority of the business.  Here you will be exposed to more of the operations and have more responsibility.  At a smaller production company you will likely have direct contact with the clients, where you would otherwise be a background player at a larger operation.  As a smaller company ourselves, we know that our PA’s will be around our clients, and their demeanor and professionalism will influence our clients’ opinion of our company.  We consider ourselves and our PA’s to be first and foremost in the customer service business, and by the way, we make videos too.  When hiring, we think it’s nice if an applicant knows an XLR from a BNC, but more importantly, has a sociable personality.  It’s no coincidence that every single one of our PA’s has had a job in hospitality at some point in the past.  We didn’t set that out as criteria for hiring, it just turned out that way.

We welcome anyone’s thoughts or comments on this or any other related topic.