If you’ve watched any late night talk show, you know man on the street videos are entertaining.
Short, quirky, honest and hilarious.
There’s a reason that these videos do very well and it’s not because the host of the show is funny – it’s mainly because the interviewer is very skilled at asking questions.
Yes! The secret to a great man on the street video is planning & good writing. Here are 5 tips that you need to adhere to when interviewing random people on the street.
1. Plan Your Questions: A good interviewer knows that in order to get the best responses, you need to get the interview subject to trust you. Ask a series of softball, easy breezy questions to start with and then get into the quirky ones. Don’t leave the actual questions until the last minute. You can improvise additional questions based on answers, but don’t go out on the street without a plan in your hand!
2. Ask Personal & Weird Questions: You’ll never know if you never ask. You’ve heard that before, but it’s 100% true for interviews. Ask people questions that will give them a bit of a shock, something out of the ordinary and grab their reactions. People have, in the past, shared secrets like passwords and embarrassing moments just because they’ve been asked. This also makes for a better end-video.
3. The 3 to 12 rule: If you only need your video to feature 3 individuals, ask the same set of questions to at least 12 people. This is because you never know who will have the most interesting answers. Plenty of things can and will go wrong on your video shoot – by more than doubling your interview set you’re giving yourself breathing space and the luxury of creating the perfect final video.
4. Keep it Short: Man on the street videos need to be short. Mainly because people will stop paying attention if they’re too long. But also, the video usually has a premise and you want it to be short and powerful.
5. Compile with Rhythm: A good video production company will have an excellent post-production team with an experienced editor. Using music, and editing responses with a specific tone in mind will give you a richer final piece.
The art of interviewing is key when creating amazing man on the street videos. Have fun!