In short
- Choose the audience and the single point of each clip before cutting.
- Keep the question or context so the answer is not misread.
- Ask the speaker to approve their clip before it is posted.
- Add captions and make a version for each platform shape.
A good interview clip makes one clear point, keeps enough context to be understood alone and has been approved by the person speaking. Decide the audience and the point first, then cut.
Start with the audience and one point
A clip for staff is not the same as a clip for customers or the public. Write one line for each clip: who it is for, and what the viewer should take away. If you cannot write that line, the clip is not ready to cut.
Then pick the answer that makes the point best, not the one that sounds most exciting. For a plan covering all your outputs, the post-event asset planner helps you list them.
Keep the context that makes it true
A short answer can mean something different without the question. Keep a spoken or written prompt, such as a lower-third title, so the viewer knows what was asked and who is speaking. Add the speaker’s name and role, spelled as they prefer.
Be careful with answers that begin with “yes” or “no”, or that agree with an idea the viewer cannot see. Use a different section or put the idea on screen.
Trim honestly
It is fine to remove long pauses, repeats and false starts. It is not fine to join two separate sentences so the speaker seems to say something new.
A simple check: show the clip to the speaker, and ask whether it says what they meant. If they hesitate, go back to the full recording.
A clip plan from one interview
An illustration, not a real event: a 15-minute interview with a conference speaker might become the following.
| Clip | Audience | Point | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening answer | Public | Why the topic matters | Vertical |
| Practical tip | Attendees | One thing to try this week | Square |
| Closing remark | Members | An invitation to the next event | Wide |
We prepare the file sizes and shapes that suit each platform. The video format and framing planner helps you decide, and each vertical cut needs the speaker framed properly, so mention it when you brief filming.
Permission and approval
Before you post a clip, check three things:
- The speaker has seen it and agreed.
- Anyone clearly visible behind them is comfortable being shown.
- Any logo, music or slide on screen can be used where you plan to post.
Our filming and publication responsibilities checklist lists these in one place. If the speaker is a sponsor or partner, read planning sponsor evidence and reporting clips too.
Captions
Add captions to every clip. Automatic captions often misspell names and terms, so read through them before posting. If you need more than one language, plan that early with the caption and language specification planner.
What we confirm for your event
- The interview is framed so it can later be cut to vertical.
- The sound is clean enough to caption accurately.
- Whether you also want each full answer, so any clip can be checked against it.
If interviews are still to be filmed, our event interview filming service plans questions and a quiet corner with you, and the interview schedule builder helps you line up speakers.
Where we can help
To make clips from interviews you already have, see event video editing. For clips planned from the start, event social video clips covers what we can prepare, confirmed for each event.
If you have interview footage and want a few short, accurate clips for different audiences, send us a note on who the clips are for. We will tell you what can be edited from what you have.
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