So you’ve got an interview. What do you do now? Here are some helpful tips so your interview is the best it can be!
- Do your research. Look at other interviews the guest has done so you know your questions aren’t ones they’ve been asked a million times. If it is a popular question that you’re asking, try thinking of a creative way to word the question. Know the guest’s career, what they’ve done and what they’re doing now. Guests LOVE to talk about their current/future projects and favorite charities!
- Decide on your questions before the interview. Interviews where reporters “wing it” rarely turn out as well as interviews where the reporter is well prepared.
- Prepare more questions than you think you’ll need. There may only be time to ask four or five questions during a ten minute interview. If you have ten or fifteen questions prepared you have plenty to choose from depending on how the guest answers.
- If you are attending a press conference, you will want to prepare a wide variety of questions because you never know what the other reporters will ask.
- Scope out the Interview Room before your interview so you know where it is. Decide how you want to stage your interview (on-camera interviews only). Your friendly Interview Room staff members are there to help.
- Confirm your interview with the guest and their representative in the Walk of Fame PRIOR to your interview. Then confirm the interview with the Interview Room.
- Make sure you have all of your equipment (cameras, tripods, microphones, pen, paper, etc.) and that everything works!
- Arrive at the interview location at least ten minutes before your interview so you have time to set up. Interviews are booked back-to-back so it’s important you’re on time, prepared and able to set up your equipment quickly.
- The interview should flow like a conversation. Try to avoid looking at your notes during the interview.
- HAVE FUN! And always thank the guest for the interview.
