Preparing interview questions in advance for video

A plan frees you to listen

Preparing interview questions in advance gives you a clear path for your video shoot. When you know the key points you want to cover, you can stop worrying about what to say next and pay full attention to the answers.

A solid outline does not mean reciting a script. Instead, it gives you a map that you can set aside when the guest shares something more interesting than what you had planned.

Research to find the right questions

Good questions come from a few hours of reading before you hit record. Look through older interviews, articles, or work from your guest to see what they have said already and where their work leaves room for more detail.

Pay attention to small gaps in those past answers. The most useful interview questions often start from a phrase that the guest mentioned once and never explained.

Order questions to build a story

Start with easy questions that help your guest settle into the conversation. From there, move into the specific parts of their work and leave room at the end for reflection or advice.

An arc keeps a video interview moving forward. When each answer leads naturally to the next question, viewers stay with you instead of losing track of the topic.

Keep fewer questions than you need

An hour of video rarely needs more than a dozen solid questions. Too many prompts will push you to rush through answers, and that almost always means cutting a good moment later.

Mark the top two or three questions that must make it into the video. If time runs short, those are the ones to protect above everything else.

Key takeaways

• Prepare a map, not a word for word script.
• Research to find a gap instead of repeating a past answer.
• Order your questions so they build toward a clear endpoint.
• Prioritize a few must ask questions over a long list.