Webinar Recap: Production & Fieldwork
Hosted by Peter Norris, Creative Director and Olivia Jarvis, Senior Producer at Vox Pops International
In the second of the webinar series designed to equip you with the knowledge and best practices for video production, this session takes you through the nuances of the production and fieldwork stage – from choosing the right location for your shoot, to making people feel comfortable in front of camera.
1. The Discussion Guide is Your Foundation
A discussion guide isn’t just a list of questions – it’s the backbone of everything you’ll capture. A few things that make the difference:
• Put respondents at ease – remind them there are no right or wrong answers and to ignore the camera.
• Ask respondents to describe their thoughts and feelings, then ask them to summarise their response.
• Keep interviews to around 45 minutes and no more than 20 questions.
• Always prep answers or probes to help guide respondents if needed.
• Learn to nod rather than react verbally, or you’ll make your editor’s life hard!
2. Interviews Come in Different Forms
There are four broad ways interviews can be captured: respondent talking to an off-camera interviewer, respondent talking directly to camera, respondent talking to a visible presenter, or respondent heard but not seen with b-roll covering the footage. Each serves a different purpose and can be combined with different locations to achieve very different results. Keep reading as we expand on this point.
3. Location, Location, Location
Where you choose to film matters for the energy and emotion you’re trying to create. For example, take street interviews: we’re filming in a busy location where people are typically caught off-guard. These are great for short, energetic snapshots of public opinion, which is why they are used so much for social media and testing hypotheses. Whereas with in-home interviews, we’re filming in a private and more intimate space, and people tend to feel more relaxed. This location works best if you’re looking for more in-depth responses and a more documentary feel.
4. Intimacy Can Be Engineered
If you want interviews that carry more emotional weight, having a respondent talk directly into the camera (looking ‘down the barrel’) is one of the most powerful approaches. But, it’s also one of the hardest to pull off. A tool called an eye-direct can help with this, as it allows the respondent to maintain eye contact with the interviewer while looking straight down the lens. The result is intimacy without the awkwardness. It’s a trick of the trade – you’re welcome.
5. Scale Your Production to the Situation
Interview content can be made with a crew of just two. For street and in-home shoots in particular, keeping it small is often better because it’s less intimidating and evasive for people. A larger setup with multiple cameras gives you more options for content which will help maintain interest in a longer-form video. If there are multiple respondents in an interview, then having a dedicated sound technician will help capture and manage all the different voices.
6. Don’t Write Off Behind the Scenes Content
AI-generated video is now everywhere, and whether audiences can spot it or not, it can impact the way in which people perceive you, your team, and your brand. The antidote is simple: show your working. Behind the scenes content signals effort and authenticity, and above all, builds trust in a way that no AI tool can replicate.
7. What Next?
If you’re heading into a production, remember:
• Prep your discussion guide with answers and probes.
• Match your style and location to the energy of the message.
• Match your production scale to the situation.
• Capture behind the scenes content to prove your story is real.
