How to Prepare for an On-Camera Interview
If you’ve never been interviewed for the camera before, stepping in front of the lens can be intimidating. However, there are several steps you can take to be prepared for your on-camera interview.
Many of the videos we produce at Fili Creative are interview-driven, meaning interviews are the main source of information in the video. We conduct interviews in our studio space and on location.
The following tips will help you understand what the people behind the camera need from you. This will help them use your on-camera interview to create a great edit where you look and sound your best.
Tip #1 Topic Preparation
Make sure you understand the interview topic well. If possible, ask how what you have to say on the topic supports the overall story or goal of the video. If the topic involves deep and introspective answers, it may be wise to ask for the questions to be sent to you a few days before the interview, so you can process and think on your own time. Although preparation is important, don’t feel like you need to give perfectly worded answers. Interviews should have an extemporaneous quality, and authenticity is more important than eloquence.
Tip #2 How to Dress
Ask those in charge of the interview what you should wear. They may want you to wear a shirt with your company’s logo, non-branded clothing, or dark or light colors depending on the location and topic of the interview.

Tip #3 Rephrase the Question
Typically in Fili Creative’s interviews the interviewer’s audio is not used. Depending on the situation, your interviewer’s audio might be included, so ask how this will work for your interview. If the interviewer’s audio is not used, it is helpful to restate part of the question in your answer.
For example, if the interviewer asked, “How long have you been working at Fili Creative?” A person might say, “I have been working here for 3 years.” A better answer would be, “I have been working at Fili Creative for 3 years.” Because the audience will not have the context of the interviewer’s question, restating “Fili Creative” is important.
Tip #4 Tell Stories
This tip may not apply to all interviews, depending on the topic, but in most cases with our interviews at Fili Creative, we love our interviewees to share personal thoughts and experiences related to the subject we are discussing. In an interview a few months ago, we asked someone about his experience at an arts festival.
He told us that every year he and his wife walk through the art vendor area on Saturday, noting all the pieces that they like. Then on Sunday, they come back and choose one item to purchase. This was excellent because it allowed the audience to focus on a concrete, meaningful experience.
Tip #5 An On-Camera Interview should be a Conversation
At Fili Creative we see all our on-camera interviews as a conversation with an interesting person. We want to learn about you, how you see the world, and what is important to you. Remembering that an interview is, at its core, a conversation, can boost confidence. You have conversations every day, so you already have the most important skill needed to succeed in an interview.