I agree with Michel about folks NOT looking into the camera.

Alan, your video was great... very slick and professional looking! You and Brett looking directly into the camera was appropriate, but for the testimonials, the ones who were NOT looking at the camera came off as more genuine.

In professional media interviews, the reporter always tells the subject to look at him/her (the person asking the questions), NOT the camera.

By the way, Alan, why are all the cars in the background of your video driving on the wrong side of the road? (JK! )

I think an intrepid reporter style interview is best - make it totally unslick - reporter and camera man running around all over the place tripping over things and it looking like a proper news story. Preferably have someone else other than yourself conducting the interviews.

Just my 2c.

Jane

Hi guys,

I just got back from Rome, where we gave a seminar to about 100 people, and we tried for the first time to get video interviews (got about 15)...

Learned A LOT!

One thing that was awesome was I had the camera set up in the back of the room facing the seminar crowd (all the seats and people mingling around, you could also see the stage). This had an incredble effect of spontaneity with people walking all around, not even realizing that there was a registration going on.

Also, we had the video operator stand behing the camera, and I was standing to the side, so the person talking kind of alternated back and forth from looking at the camera, and looking at me.

A complete by chance discovery, but I think it worked great to give both what Michel AND Alan suggested.

Also, we had 3 questions on a piece of paper taped to the camera tripod -

"Who are you?"

"Why did you come?"

"What did you like about this seminar?"

Most of the testimonials really sucked! (they were definitely positive, just not very magnetic) But 3 or 4 were pretty good, and ALL of them had a tremendous spontaneity to them.

When there's a lot of people, you don't have time to interview them! You have to crank them out fast if you want to catch that raw energy of the crowd mingling... and you need SOME structure.

And you have to do it starting at lunch and at the later breaks.

I would also suggest asking:

"Would you recommend this to another?"

My partners were too afraid to ask this question (on paper), but I think it would help tremendously to land the testimonials that really are beneficial, and kind of guide the testimonial in a very helpful direction (they are still free to say what they want).

So here's what I would do:

1) set the camera (fixed) with a piece of paper that asks the questions (or white board)

2) face it towards the mingling audience (while they are still there)... awesome effect!

3) have two people (one running the camera, and one to the side)

4) give the participants a bone for doing this (thier site name published, or something, and they will line up in a flash! We did 15 in one ten minute break! And we didn't even anounce it - just passed out the questionnaire)

5) Plan 2 breaks in the afternoon to catch these testimonials (not just one!) It was too dispersive to do this at the very end with the same crowd effect.. as ongoing questions keep the mics live and interfere with the video audio (but some folks get up and leave to catch their planes, trains and automobiles...).

6) have them fill out a questionaire BEFORE they give the interview, then come to a table where they stand in line to do this (and make sure they either say their name clearly on video, or write down what they are wearing on the questionaire!) We had to hunt down a couple of people later to figure out who said what!

7) Even though they already filled out a quick questionaire - put that piece of paper up to remind them of the questions.

8. Make sure you have a lamp to illuminate their faces well.

9) Consider that only perhaps 20% will be good to keep - don't worry about getting them perfect, just go on to the next - the spontaneity will be killed if they do it more than once. Most people just won't have a magnetic video presence no matter what they say... but that's ok as long as it has a good spontaneous feel to it.

Hope these tips help!

Tim

Thanks very much -- pure genius tips from all of you, much appreciated!

It's good to know re off camera look vs "at the camera", and the tips above re
-questions taped above camera to capture spontaneity ...
-taping two sets of testimonials
-lighting
-and more...

The feeling I want to create with prospects for future ones is, hey you missed "The Event" live, see how many people are raving over it here as we film it ... just look at how much enthusiasm and energy and "switched on" the attendees are.... the good news is, you too can get your very own copy of the seminar videos (plus get bonuses even seminar attendees didn't get!) if you order now ...

I'm saving this thread too ... appreciate the tips ..

and here's one last question, I'd asked before ... some of you (and others) have mentioned that having virtual sets behind the testimonial givers may reduce credibility, eg spill over effect that it's a fake background -> insincere testimonials .. as in the ones on my homepage bottom at www.daytradingu.com .. do you think I should just show them plain, with the same type of background as on the ones at the www.tradingvideos.com/videotestimonials.htm page?

this is a whole mini niche needing a product ...I just added it to my to-do list..

ken

Ken,

Talking of backgrounds heres one that is a disaster YES ... most will totally be useless so take as many as possible.

http://www.playstream.com/theater.as...wf&w=320&h=240