WHAT TO WEAR FOR AN ON-CAMERA INTERVIEW

June 11, 2021

While 2020 and a good part of 2021 were a bust for most production companies, as COVID-19 becomes less of a threat, the creative community is starting to get back to normal. In that light, I’m happy to say that Monell Communications has recently been shooting a series of interviews in the MCOMM studio… and yes, it’s great to be working once again.

Monell Comm is a fully equipped production facility, equally capable of shooting in the studio or on-location. Of course professional equipment, and the expertise to properly operate that equipment, is a big part of any successful production, but there are also a few common sense steps that can be taken to assure your production (in this case an interview driven presentation) looks as good as possible. Specifically, communicating in advance of a shoot what a person should wear for an on-camera interview or testimonial. 

There’s nothing worse than an interviewee showing up for a shoot wearing the wrong (or messy) clothing, so here’s what we tell all of our on-camera “talent” at least a week before they arrive on set.

1.) Avoid wearing clothing that is primarily white or black. Too much white can appear as over exposed and, more often than not, draw the audience’s eye away from the interviewee. Conversely, too much black clothing, even when shooting with cameras that feature a high dynamic range, can result in muddy images with little detail. Instead of white, try light blue or grey, and instead of black, try dark grey.

2.) Avoid clothing with small patterns such as thin stripes, herringbone, or plaid. Small patterns can “ring” or appear to vibrate, even on high definition screens.

3.) Bring 3 or more freshly pressed outfits or several clothing options to the shoot. This allows the production team to pick and choose attire that compliments the set or location.

4.) Bring scarves, jewelry options, or various colored ties to accent your clothing. These items can quickly turn dull outfits into something a bit more stylish.

Simple enough, right? Well that’s what your interviewee can do to look good on-cam… here are a few tricks a production crew can use to help a non-professional clean up for a shoot.

1.) If the budget allows, book a stylist to help with hair and makeup. A professional stylist can make a huge difference in your interviewee’s appearance.

2.) That said, if a stylist is not in the budget, always have powder, basic cosmetics and hairspray at hand. Simply applying powder to a shiny forehead or spraying flyaway hair can also improve how a person appears on-cam.

3.) Similarly, try to have an iron, ironing board or steamer available. A freshly pressed shirt or jacket looks much better than wrinkled attire. Tape rolers or gaffer tape are also good tools to have nearby to help remove unattractive lint, dust or hair.

4.) Lastly, store a few clothing basics in your prop closet. If you look in Monell Comm’s you’ll find blue and grey shirts (male and female) of various sizes and styles, as well as several women’s scarves and men’s ties that can be used when a less than favorable clothing situation occurs.

So that’s it, a few common sense steps that you can easily take to make sure your on-camera interviewees/interviews look as good as possible. Of course if we can be of assistance with your upcoming interview/testimonial driven presentation, please be sure to email or give us a call, we’d love to help.

Until next time.

Ray Monell