The 2-Camera Interview. It Will Save Your Ass, or Bite It.

A CEO’s time is a commodity not to be wasted. So, whenever I’d work with the top dog of an oil and gas company in downtown Calgary, the communications department insisted I not waste a second. On one occasion, I was working with the former head of Petro-Canada. At the end of his interview, we asked him to sit still for 30 seconds to gather "room tone", which is audio we use for editing. When we were done, he said, "Well, that just cost us $1,000."

Working with top CEO's introduces an interesting paradox. Busy, highly-paid people need to record important messages for shareholders and staff, but they have very little time to do this. On more than one occasion, we'd be set up, ready to go, then wait (up to two hours). Our time was Domaine D'Or compared to their Penfolds Grange.* Eventually, we'd hear a rustle down the hall and they would swarm in like a Wahlberg entourage – CEO, senior communicators and marketing teams.

We’d seat the CEO, put the mic on and roll. We’d get one, maybe two takes. That’s it.

The documentary director in me always asked for a backup or a second angle, so that we had two virtual cameras to edit between – because these types of projects never allowed me the b-roll to cover the stumbles and edits. Well, sure, I would ASK for another take. But, I was usually turned down. Time was money and we’d just spent our five grand in CEO-bucks.

With the introduction of HD, we could fake second cameras by zooming in on the image in post, making it look like a close-up. It would cover the edit, but this was an awful, dirty cheat.

Then, a cool thing happened. DSLR cameras started shooting video as well as production cameras. Directors began dropping their Canons on tripods and running them as second cameras.  This isn’t new. It’s been around since the selfie stick. It instantly gave them a second angle for the CEO’s address, negating the need for a second take, provided the CEO got all the words out correctly.

But, what’s interesting is how few people actually integrate the second camera correctly. Yes, there is absolutely a right and wrong way to do it.

Take a look at this video recorded by Earls Restaurant. This is president, Mo Jessa, delivering his apology to the Alberta beef industry.

Notice how the shot goes from Mr. Jessa looking at the camera to a side shot of his head, looking camera left? Yeah. Don't do this. Marketing controversy aside, it’s the wrong use of the two-camera interview. The subject should NEVER look at either camera. It's weird. It's awkward and it doesn’t work. If you want the subject to look at the lens, ditch the second camera.

I called on Allan Leader, CSC, for a little help. Allan shoots around the world and regularly employs two cameras for his interviews. Watch the video he did for a feature on bobsledder, Kaillie Humphreys.  Notice that Kaillie never looks at either camera and that's what makes the 2-camera set-up work.

This photo, provided by Allan, shows how the two cameras should be set up for the interview. In this example, talent is looking frame right, at the interviewer. One camera is a wide shot. One is the close-up.

If you’re going to shoot two cameras, the rules are simple. Your A camera should be the camera closer to the subject’s eyeline. The B camera needs to be next to the A camera, slightly more obtuse, with the look direction identical in both frames (either camera left or camera right). I like to make the camera closest to the subject's eyeline my close-up. I don't like profile tight shots and talent rarely likes seeing the side of their nose (Nicole Kidman being a possible exception).

And, for goodness sake, put something interesting in the background. Add depth of field to give the set-up some texture. The environment and the set-up can communicate more than just the words. For the Earls video, how difficult would it have been to turn around and show the empty restaurant? I would certainly have shown viewers that I was right in the middle of Ground Zero and that I wasn't hiding in a corner.

The two-camera interview is a great way to save time and money while adding interest to corporate videos. It provides two angles to save your ass in post. Because the costs are so low, it can be employed even on low-budget productions.  Set the cameras up right and you'll make your CEO look like a star.

*I actually know jack about wine, but I do know about Domaine D'Or.