Hello, I'm Director Oyabuchi.
I am mainly in charge of creating corporate websites for B2B companies, but even when creating these websites, I also take photographs, write, and do what is known as "interviews."
Generally, the manuscript and photographs are provided by the client, but we will conduct interviews if the client requests something like, "We want to feature happy-looking employees on our recruitment site" or "We want to create a project story that is interesting to read."
We hire professionals to take photos and conduct interviews, but of course the director also has a role to play. In this article, I would like to talk about what I think is the role of the director during an interview.
What is needed for coverage on a corporate website?
The pages and content that require coverage on a corporate website are mainly as follows:
Photographing the main image at the top
Since the top page is the first thing that catches the eye when entering the site, I often receive requests from clients to photograph it.
The main content of the photos was the exterior of the office and photos of employees.
Writing and photography for reading content pages
A typical example is the project story.
We conduct interviews to present a story about the company's achievements. We also take photos of the interviews and post them.
1. Finalize the interview details with the client
First, we discuss with the client what content the manuscript and photos will contain.
Part of the wireframe for the employee introduction page In order to decide the content of the interviews, we put in images of the headline, text, photo composition, etc. at the wireframe stage.
Regarding photography
We decide what to shoot together with the client based on the actual design data.
The parts to be photographed will be substituted with temporary stock photos and storyboards, but by using photos that correspond to the actual content to be shot, it will be easier to imagine the final shape.
Based on that image, I listen to the client's requests and work out the details, such as what kind of scene to shoot, the location, the image of the people (number of people, gender, age group, clothing, facial expression), and composition (close-up, long shot), etc.
About the manuscript
To make it easier to imagine what the page will actually look like, such as a project story or employee interviews, we create a wireframe that matches the content and then fill in the details based on that.
Once the content (key points of the interview), the general outline of the manuscript (summary and headings), and the number of characters in each paragraph are decided, the layout is finalized, and the design data is created with the details left as dummy.
In this way, by sharing a version as close to the final product as possible between the client and everyone on the production side (including photographers and writers), it is possible to prevent any discrepancies in understanding, which also leads to improved final quality.
2. Work out the details with the photographer and writer
Once we have finalized the details of the interview with the client, we begin preparations for the day with the photographer and writer.
Location scouting for filming
If there is a shoot, we will scout locations with the photographer.
When shooting indoors, you check how the light is entering the room and then decide the angle to shoot from, and when shooting outdoors, you decide what to include in the background.
In fact, it often happens that when you get to the location on the day, you can't take the photos you had originally imagined, so it's important to check the location in advance. By scouting locations in consultation with the photographer, you can get a good idea of what you want to shoot on the day.
Interview content design
Based on the outline of the interview with the client, we decide the interview content with the writer. We discuss what questions we should ask to elicit the desired story, and decide the questions one by one.
Once the questions have been decided, we share them with the client (respondent) in advance. By letting the client know in advance, the respondent can imagine what the interview will be like, which will allow the interviewer to talk smoothly on the day.
Sharing interview locations and schedules
Provide the photographer and writer with the address of the location and transportation to get there.
If you are travelling by car, be sure to check in advance for nearby parking lots.
Also, communicate the schedule for the day (the meeting place and time, what shots and interviews will be filmed and conducted, etc.). Since there may be several interviews in one day, find out and share the travel time from one location to the next.
Advance documents to be shared with photographers and writers. These include the interview date and time, the location address and nearest station, the content of the interview, the composition of the photographs to be taken, and the schedule for the day.
Other preparations
If you are going to shoot outdoors, check the weather for the day several days in advance and check whether you have permission to use the location you plan to cover, and make sure to obtain the necessary permission.
In addition, we will think of ways to make changes or adjustments to our plans quickly, no matter what happens.
Even if you prepare carefully for an interview, it is possible that something unexpected will happen on the day and you will not be able to cover the event. (I have never experienced this though.)
To prevent such a situation from occurring, we take the time to carefully prepare in advance, thinking about what is needed and what may happen.
3. Response on the day of the interview
On the day of the interview, we will share information with the client and provide detailed follow-up during the shoot and interview.
Documents to be shared between the client and production on the day of the interview. Contains today's schedule, interview content, and photo composition and number of photos to be taken.
Share the "goal of the interview" with the client
On the day, before the interview begins, we will set aside time to share information with the client (the person in charge and the person being interviewed). We will explain the purpose and content of today's interview, show the actual page design, and provide explanations so that both the interviewer and the interviewee share the same goal.
This allows interviewees to imagine the "final form," which keeps them highly motivated during the interview.
Follow the photographer's shots
When photographing people, the photographer focuses on creating an atmosphere with the subject, so they pay close attention to other details that they can follow up on.
I check the photos after they've been taken and give instructions for the next cut, adjust the air conditioning so the person being photographed doesn't sweat, and when filming an interview, I ask the person speaking to look up because they tend to look down.
Follow the interview as it progresses
During the interview, we will check to make sure that all necessary questions have been asked and that sufficient answers have been given to the questions.
Many of the people being interviewed are not used to being interviewed, so their answers to questions can be too long or they can go off on a tangent. In such cases, the director may give instructions to ensure that the interview is completed within the allotted time.
Generally, I leave the technical aspects of filming and interviews to professionals, but I believe that the director's role during an interview is to consider what will happen when the footage is uploaded to the website, provide instructions as necessary, and ensure the interview is completed within the limited time.
I also think that an important role of the director is to provide as much support as possible to photographers and writers so that they can perform to their best potential.
summary
During an interview, many people are involved, there is limited time on the day, and it is often not possible to do things over again.
I think the key to an interview project is for the client, the interviewee, and the production team to clearly share the purpose of the interview in advance, align on what the final form will be, identify everything that is necessary to conduct the interview, and make thorough preparations in advance to ensure that nothing unexpected happens.
Interviews are a one-shot deal, so sometimes I end up preparing so much that it may seem like I've gone overboard, but I personally believe that this ultimately leads to good output.
Because we spent so much time proposing and preparing the site, the joy we feel when the official site is up and running is truly something special.
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