Recording an interview beside a busy event

Choose the interview spot for sound first, then fit the background. Put the microphone close to the speaker, turn the camera away from the loudest source, and have each interviewee ready when the spot is calm.

Choose the space first

An interview needs one thing above all: answers people can understand. Look for a spot with:

• Distance or a barrier from the loudest source, such as a stage speaker, a band or a crowd. A wall, a tent side or a corner helps more than empty space.
• A soft surface behind and around: curtains, a banner or a row of plants soak up echo better than bare walls and glass.
• Room to work: space for the camera, the interviewee and the person asking questions, without blocking walkways.
• Light: enough to film well without a large lighting set, in case the venue does not allow one.

The background only needs to say where you are, such as a logo, a booth edge or a banner. It does not need to show the action.

Choose the sound source

The best protection from nearby noise is a microphone close to the speaker.

The microphone on top of the camera hears the room, not the person. Use it only as a last choice or as a backup.

Plan who is interviewed and when

Interviews slow down when guests are not ready. Agree these four things with your team.

1. A list: names, roles and the main point each person should make.
2. A time: the quiet moments in the programme, such as breaks, before an event starts or between sessions.
3. A guide: one person who finds each interviewee and brings them to the spot.
4. A short brief: two or three questions per person, shared beforehand where suitable.

Our interview schedule builder helps you set this out, and the run-sheet filming planner shows where interviews fit around the main coverage.

An example: a community open day

For example, imagine a community open day with a stage on one side, food stalls on the other and eight people you want to interview. The stage is loud during performances.

A sensible plan might be: set the interview spot behind a tent wall away from the stage, place a clip-on microphone on each person, and schedule the interviews in the gaps between performances. A person from the organising team brings the next interviewee while the crew resets. This is an illustration, not a record of a past event.

Tips for clear answers

• Ask short, open questions that start with “how” or “why”.
• Ask interviewees to include the question in their answer, so it makes sense when the clip stands alone.
• Do a short sound test with headphones before each interview.
• If a loud noise starts, pause and ask the person to repeat the last line.

Who does what

• Organiser: choose and confirm interviewees, supply the guide and agree the spot with the venue.
• Us: judge the sound on site, set the microphone and camera, and tell you when a spot is too loud.
• Interviewee: be ready, wear the microphone and answer in full sentences.

If the sound on the day is poor, what poor audio can and cannot be fixed after filming explains what editing can and cannot do. For hard-surfaced venues full of booths, see filming interviews in a noisy exhibition hall.

What we confirm for your event

• The interview spot we suggest, and a sound check on site with headphones.
• The microphone for each interview, and a backup where the equipment allows.
• Whether interviews can run alongside the main programme, which depends on the crew being free.
• How many interviews fit in each break, using your list and run sheet.

Keep your interview list and chosen spot in the audio brief builder, then send it to us.

Where we help

We film event interviews at corporate, community and public events. Tell us who you would like to interview and where the action will be, and we will suggest a plan. See also community event videography.