A great video interview can be the heart of a powerful story, whether it’s a short news package or a feature length documentary. But setting up an on-camera interview takes preparation, finesse and a little troubleshooting.

As an Emmy Award-winning producer with over two decades of experience, I’ve had the privilege of conducting hundreds of on-camera interviews with a diverse range of individuals.

Here is some practical advice to make sure your video interview engages your audience and has real impact:

Before the interview

In the days leading up to your interview, take a deep dive into every aspect of your story. If this is a political story, know the facts, the history, the statistics and different viewpoints of the issue at hand. If it is a biography, know the key events in your subject’s life. If the interview is about an historical event, know the dates and details of how the event unfolded. If it is a true crime story, fully explore the timeline and characters involved.

I often prefer organizing my questions to align with the chronological order of events, working my way up to the present day. This adds structure to the interview and allows me to be better equipped for an informed conversation on the topic.

While you might talk with your subject a few days in advance, don’t pre-interview them too deeply. You’ll want your on-camera interview to feel spontaneous and authentic, so save the best questions for when your video camera is recording. As a general rule, your interview subject should not see questions in advance, although you can talk generally about the types of questions you may ask. This is especially true of an interview pertaining to ongoing news.

Try to have your subject wear clothes that are not distracting – for instance, avoid bright colors or stripes, herringbone designs, plaids, or other busy designs that can lead to the moiré effect, which causes shimmering, pulsating patterns to appear on screen.

If possible, go to the interview location the day before you film. Ask yourself, is the location too noisy? Can camera lights be plugged in if needed? If you’re filming a documentary, the property owner will also need to sign a location release, a legal document granting permission to film at that location.

On-camera interviews are not natural for most people. Try to make your subject feel comfortable by creating a relaxed environment. Spend a few minutes on “small talk,” and have an unopened bottle of water ready for them – in short, treat your subject like an honored guest. You want them to feel calm, conversational and authentic during their interview.

If you’re filming a documentary, you’ll need to ensure legal consent for the use of an individual’s likeness or voice, so have your subject sign an appearance release before you start filming. Generally, news organizations that focus on reporting current events are exempt under fair use laws, and can use video and quotes without an appearance release.

The camera

For this article we’ll briefly cover a simple one-camera shoot.

Place your subject as far away as possible from walls or bookcases to avoid distractions. Look in your camera’s viewfinder (or a portable field monitor) and make sure there are no distractions behind your subject. Confirm objects like pictures or plants do not appear to protrude from their head.

As the interviewer, position yourself opposite your subject. Tell your subject to maintain eye contact with you, and not to look directly into the camera lens.

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by Jaime Hellman, International Journalists’ Network