Framing the Customer Testimonial Interview
Customer testimonial interviews are vital to producing top quality customer testimonials that will generate trust in your brand. Once youâve determined the location for your testimonial interview and youâve decided who will be interviewed as part of the testimonial then you can work on framing the interview. Framing an interview requires an artistic eye and a little bit of planning to ensure you capture the best elements of the interviewee while keeping the entire customer testimonial engaging and inviting to the end viewer.
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Follow these interview framing tips when framing the customer testimonial interview.
Tip #1: Follow the Rule of Thirds
Like many other forms of video production, the rule of thirds will come into play as you define the symmetry of your customer testimonial interview. Make sure that the interviewee is in the proper part of the frame.
The subject should have plenty of space to his or her side so as to position the interviewee in the left portion or right portion of the screen with â of the screen on their other side.
Generally, you want to position the interviewee in the left third of the frame. This allows ample room in the other two thirds for text graphics to support the interview.
Tip #2: Keep Background Clutter-Free
You want to have an interesting background but you donât want things to be cluttered or otherwise too busy for the human eye.
When framing an interview for a customer testimonial, consider using plants or other greenery in the background to liven things up without making the shot appear busy or otherwise distracting.
Bring props in if you must but make sure to keep things clean and balanced.
Tip #3: Frame the Subject
Donât focus on framing the background–frame for the subject. As you work to frame the subject consider the base of your framing and the way that the camera aligns with the subject rather than the way the camera aligns with the background shot.
Many interview filmers make the mistake of framing off the background rather than the subject. Always base your interview framing off the subject, not the background that you choose.
Tip #4: Leave Headspace
Too much headspace can make your subject feel small or of less importance, too little can leave the entire frame feeling claustrophobic.
You want to leave a small amount of headspace above the subject but only enough to make the shot aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Keep it simple, with just enough headspace to add balance to the frame without making the subject appear less important.
Tip #5: Use Past Interview Frames for Inspiration
Check past interview frames and use those for inspiration as you frame your interview for todayâs customer testimonial.
If there is a particular background that you find interesting, donât be afraid to use that inspiration as you setup your customer testimonial interview frame.
Framing an interview with the inspiration of past interviews is a great way to figure out how to make your shot come out just the way you like. Donât be afraid to recreate what has worked well in the past.
