designMAD Takes the Plunge

When making a video is something you need to do but is the last thing you want to do. 

Testimonial:

I have never been in front of a camera I don’t really like to hear or see myself, but for years my business advisor nagged me: “You need a video you need a video…” but I have to say when I saw the first draft I couldn't believe that I was looking at us, our team, our work and that it had me in it!  This is going to sound clichéd but it was a million times better than I could ever have imagined, Phil and Marcelo just got it in one, they understood what we were about, calmed my camera nerves and got all the footage they needed in one morning. Just amazing people and an amazing result, thank you so much.

Mike Arthur - Director - designMAD Ltd

From a producer’s point of view, the most gratifying thing to read in this testimonial is that Mike was delighted with the outcome despite his natural shyness in front of the camera.

Many, many people feel this way. Nerves are nearly always going to play a part - being interviewed onscreen is a very unusual thing to do. It’s a shame if this is the reason it stops them from making a video.

If you feel this way, don’t worry - help is at hand. 

Keep Them in The Loop 

An experienced producer will have a range of ways to help the interviewee feel less stressed. For instance, it always helps to make sure the interviewee understands what is happening around them 

Some contributors settle into the interview chair and expect to start the interview straight away; they don't know that the crew needs time to adjust the lights and sound equipment and run final checks on the camera.

These activities can sometimes take a few minutes. If the contributor isn’t kept informed of what's happening, they can sit there wondering why the interview hasn’t started - has something gone wrong?  

They can easily start to become more nervous. If the producer uses this time to explain what is happening and what is going to happen once the interview commences, the contributor can relax more knowing that everything is proceeding as it should be.  

Framing Answers to Questions

Another way the interviewer can help is by framing the answers to questions. Some interviewees are comfortable talking but can sometimes let the words run away with them.

A producer can help by listening carefully, and suggesting a reframing of the answer so that it conveys the key message in a way that the producer knows will work in the editing room.  

At other times, of course, a contributor’s nerves will mean they find it hard to find the right words. Once again, a helpful producer will suggest ways that will help the contributor find their flow. 

In this instance, Mike was able to give us many options in his answers that we knew we could experiment with in the edit.

As we progressed the interview, it was interesting seeing Mike refine his answers. The exercise of getting him to distil the messages for his business’s identity film was getting him to reappraise elements of his business and to realise and define what it is that currently makes his business unique from an outside perspective.

This is a side effect that helps in other areas of progressing his work aside from the production of the video. 

If you have been intending to make a video for your organisation but something has been holding you back, please do get in touch with us at shortstories' We would love to show you how straightforward and enjoyable the experience of making a video can be. 

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