Cinematography concepts applied to video circumstances render pleasing visual composition.

The modern Socratic dialogue, an interrogation, the news report broadcast, the counselor’s meeting, the 1-on-1. The interview. A staple part of how information is relayed and stories are told.
We are a global society in which our moving image medium emerged from the world of cinema.
Evolving through the television broadcast era, now smartphones, laptops, shape the moving image and we will see how future viewing platforms impact the visual medium. This visual heritage influences how we approach interview cinematography today as video content aims to adhere to the standards of visual composition that has been extracted from pages of art history books and photography manually.
There is no magic in the rule of thirds, it’s just our conditioned desire for symmetry that etches an image into our memories. These modes of viewing influence our decisions when we shoot interviews, from how we frame a shot, prepare the talent, capture high quality sound to the final edit. Knowing the conventions permits greater play and understanding of what elements are used to craft a memorable image are simple and easy to remember. Video has a significant

The basics

Location

Location is the biggest issue any video interview encounters. Finding a place with naturally appealing visual elements without compromises of sound quality and comfortability for the talent requires scouting and considering how all the variables will integrate into the actual recording. You want a cinematic interview in a room without windows? You want an office space to become an advertisement? It’s tough but possible, here is a checklist to use when deciding the interview location and how to negotiate the different variables to ensure a smooth production.

Good Sound

When choosing location, seek a quiet room. If a quiet room doesn’t exist, find a quiet corner. Listen to all the extra noises, the air conditioner, the outside noise, doors opening, listen to every ambient sound. If you plan to shoot in public areas, or if you’re in an office building and have limited options, find ways to control ambient noise for the duration of the interview. Politely ask people to be quiet, turn off appliances, close doors and even consider whilst shooting the interview, with absolute calm confidence interrupt the speakers and ask them to stop and wait until the noisy siren, the passing truck, be strict with the sound, even if technology is helping us today, it will require money or time in post-production to make alterations to bad sound recordings.

Space

This is a good example of using windows but usually windows causes problems with sun movements, thus using it as a key (main light source on the subject) light is not suggested unless it’s a short interview and any small variations in light won’t impact the shot.
What works well with windows is keeping them to the side (see the photo), the light bursts through the side and remain out of focus. The light is almost overexposed but it doesn’t matter, it remains out of focus, and adds lines to the shot.

Don’t place your subject with a window behind without strong key lighting, rarely will this result in an aesthetically pleasing image.

Don’t have your subject too close to the window or any wall (if you can avoid it) it flattens the shot. A lot of these points depend on the location and three point lighting is a hackneyed but friendly and useful way to approach any location. Most of the time you can use the key light and in a big space, the excess light bounces off the subject and scatters behind, leaving the need to distinguish between spaces.

Organising space

Often you will have to shoot in small rooms, moving the furniture around to create space will take 5 minutes and make a huge difference. Here is a great example of not the best shot but something probably caught on the go.

Effective interviewing techniques rely on creating a background that captures the essence of your subject, serving as more than just a neutral backdrop but as a storytelling element that reinforces the narrative. The background should function as a complementary element that adds visual lines and depth to your composition, enhancing the overall aesthetic while supporting the subject’s message. By carefully selecting environmental elements that reflect the interviewee’s profession, personality, or the story being told, you create a more engaging and contextually rich interview that communicates on multiple visual levels beyond just the spoken content.

Within the space is the composition of the visual elements, it is the arrangement of elements that make up a whole. When deciding location and configuring the shot frame you are thinking about composition of all the elements in the visual space. An image is a 2D space so creating depth with space between the subject creates a visual focus and isolates the subject from their background. Distance between the camera, the subject and the background is the easiest way to spotlight a subject in a room.

Although not the most creative shot it is the best shot in the conditions and location.

Composition

Framing the interview

Rules and conventions

A lot of guides will tell you to shoot the long side, this follows the common ‘rule of thirds’ theory which divides the image into thirds and the subject is placed to the side, the third line.

The long side refers to positioning the camera between the off-camera interviewer and the key light. This means positioning the subject so that when you place the camera opposite them, the interviewer sits to the side, creating a triangular setup that allows for proper lighting and natural eye-line direction during the interview.

The aim of most interviews is to create a backdrop that emotionally communicates the message or complements the subject visually, ensuring the subject is exposed according to the importance of the interview. The shots demonstrated show a long-sided interview approach, but it’s misleading to think this is the only way to conduct an interview shoot, as central framing can also be effective.

These shots are perfectly exposed with body direction that allows most of the face to appear on camera. For a more familiar interview shot, aim to have your camera frame the subject looking 45 degrees off to the side of the camera toward the speaker, while positioning the subject following the rule of thirds. This creates a more traditional and visually appealing interview composition.

Here is a link to the Hermes interview and story, it is a great example of captivating interviews and story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrREecWfemE&t=40s. The key lies in understanding how composition shapes not just what viewers see, but how they feel about what they’re seeing, making it an indispensable tool for anyone serious about creating impactful video content.