How to Get the Best Interview

One of the driving factors that made my Emmy-nominated video, well, Emmy-nominated, was the incredible interview with the hair stylist, Dany. Her story was moving as it stood - she gives free haircuts to the homeless and her mother used to be homeless also. Getting that out in an interview, with all the emotion that went with it, was essential. Getting the best interview starts with YOU - you must be genuinely interested in the interviewee’s story or they will never share honest emotion with you.

#ProTip: Be genuinely interested. Your interviewee will respond with honest emotion.

There are some small methods to get help get the best interview possible, things like, I make small talk first to help the interviewee be comfortable, I maintain eye contact, and I provide visual feedback like smiles and head nods (I’ve watched a video of myself holding an interview - I look like a bobblehead!). But most importantly, I genuinely listen to my interviewee; I’m not looking ahead to the next question and not worrying about what I will say next. Interviewees consistently tell me afterwards how comfortable they felt and how much they enjoyed the talk. I think that is because, in our distracted world, it is so hard to find someone that truly listens. When you are that genuine listener, you are not only getting a great interview, you are doing the greater service of allowing someone to share their entirely unique, one-of-a-kind, heart.

Katie Rutter is the executive producer of Thing in a Pot Productions. She has received multiple awards for her work, including a nomination for a Chicago/Midwest Emmy in 2021 and being declared Video Producer of the Year in 2018 by the Catholic Press Association. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our video ProTips in your inbox every month!