Planning & Packing the Equipment Needed for a Video Interview

When it comes to shooting a video interview, there are several ways that the task can be accomplished largely depending on the intricacies of the interview, the desired outcome, and the equipment that is available to work with. As a business owner, if you’re thinking about filming a video interview, planning and packing the equipment needed for a video interview is an important step that you’re have to take. 

At Beverly Boy Productions, we regularly work with clients on the production of video interviews that are large and small, formal and very informal, fun and creative, cut and dry. As professionals, planning and packaging the equipment needed for a video interview is a task that we take very seriously at Team Beverly Boy. To help you get an idea of our process and the equipment that we use, we’ve put together a packing list.

Planning the Equipment Needed for a Video Interview

Before you get close to filming a video interview, you’re going to need to plan your equipment needs. The equipment that you’ll bring to the shoot or utilize in the studio will largely be based on the type of interview, the location, the style of the shoot, and the desired outcome as well as how many people are going to be involved in the shoot and how many cameras are required.

In planning out your equipment needed for a video interview, consider the following:

• How many cameras will you use? At least two is ideal.
• How many interviewees and subjects will there be? Each needs a mic.
• What kind of audio recording device will you use and what kind of microphones?
• Will you have multiple camera operators or do you need a tripod? (you should probably have a tripod regardless)
• Is a teleprompter required?
• What kind of lighting is available at the shoot location? 
• Is the shoot location quiet or will you need additional measures to quiet things?

All of this planning ahead of time should be based on the unique details associated with the shoot such as how many people you will film, the length of the anticipated video, the location of the shoot, and how intricate the shoot will be. Consider carefully for things like special effects, animations, special lighting, sound, or other needs.

Packing the Equipment Needed for a Video Interview  

When it comes time to pack the equipment needed for a video interview, you’re going to want to again plan ahead. Will you be flying? If so, you’re going to take different measures to ensure that all of your equipment can be properly packed for your travel and for maximum flexibility as you are transported. Likewise, if you’re have to use public transport, such as a bus or taxi, to reach your destination for the film shoot you should plan that ahead too. You don’t want to find yourself trying to travel with all sorts of equipment and taking the risk of losing your equipment need for a video interview or potentially breaking something.

As you pack your equipment, consider the following equipment essential to your list:

• Three-point lighting including a fill, key, and back light.
• Reflectors, mirrors, and similar lighting accessories.
• 2-3 cameras or more depending on shoot needs.
• Audio equipment including microphones such as lavalier mics or lapel mics for each subject / interviewee.
• Digital audio recorder.
• Shotgun microphones or other forms of sound capture.
• A tripod for camera #2, especially if you do not have support.
• Storage for your audio and your footage.
• Extra batteries.
• Teleprompter.

Quick Tips on Packing Equipment Needed for a Video Interview 

It’s also important that as you pack the equipment needed for a video interview you focus on labeling all of your equipment and keeping a spreadsheet that lists your equipment, the label number, and the equipment serial number. This way, if anything is lost or stolen during your shoot or leading up to or after your shoot, you’ll have full details including serial numbers to file a report both with police and with your insurance. 

If you’ll be filming the interview in a studio, you might have less packing to worry about, unless you’ll be renting a studio that’s not your own. The ultimate goal, whether you film in a studio or on location, is to ensure that you’ve got all of the equipment needed for a video interview when it’s time for the shoot. Missing equipment, broken equipment, or things like forgetting a backup battery are not only amateur mistakes, they can cost you hours or days in production which can drive up your budget rather significantly/

For more on planning and packing the equipment needed for a video interview, consider contact the pros at Beverly Boy Productions. With decades of experience, we’ve got what it takes to produce top quality interview videos which will result in amazing outcomes that your audience will absolutely love. Give us a call to learn more!