Tag Archives: st louis video crews

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The Right Questions Make the Best Stories: Crafting Clear, Compelling Video Testimonials

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When it comes to marketing your business, few tools are as effective and persuasive as a well-produced video testimonial. These authentic endorsements allow real customers or clients to tell your story from their perspective, adding a level of trust and relatability that scripted ads simply can’t achieve.

But a successful testimonial video doesn’t happen by accident—it requires thoughtful planning, a comfortable interview environment, and most importantly, the right questions. As an experienced videographer, photographer, and producer at St Louis Video Studio, we’ve helped countless businesses capture powerful on-camera testimonials that resonate. In this post, we’ll break down which types of questions help uncover clear, emotionally engaging stories that move viewers to act.

1. Start with Context: Set the Scene

Before diving into the customer’s experience with your brand, it’s important to establish context. Help the viewer understand who this person is and what problems they were facing before finding your business.

Sample Questions:

  • Can you tell us a little about your business or role?
  • What challenges were you facing before working with our company?
  • What prompted you to start looking for a solution?

These questions serve as an introduction, grounding the testimonial in a real-life situation and establishing the speaker’s credibility.

2. Dig Into the Decision: Why You?

Now that we know the background, help the subject explain why they chose your company. This step is key to showing what sets your brand apart from competitors.

Sample Questions:

  • What stood out about our company during your search?
  • Was there something specific that made you choose us?
  • What expectations did you have going in?

This section offers a chance to highlight your unique value propositions—through the authentic voice of a satisfied client.

3. Highlight the Experience: The Heart of the Story

This is where the testimonial becomes compelling. Ask open-ended questions that let the speaker describe the process and their interaction with your team.

Sample Questions:

  • What was it like working with us?
  • Can you walk us through how we helped you?
  • Were there any standout moments or team members?

These answers bring the story to life and help future clients imagine themselves having a similar positive experience.

4. Show the Results: Before vs. After

People watching your testimonial want to know what results they can expect. This is your client’s chance to share the impact of your services in a tangible way.

Sample Questions:

  • What changed after using our service?
  • What results did you see, and how soon?
  • How has this made a difference in your day-to-day operations?

Be sure to give room for specific outcomes—metrics, business growth, saved time, or increased confidence all make for powerful statements.

5. Encourage a Recommendation: Close Strong

Wrap up by inviting the client to summarize their experience and make a recommendation. This is often the most powerful clip to end the video with.

Sample Questions:

  • Would you recommend our company to others? Why?
  • What would you tell someone considering working with us?
  • Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience?

These responses create a confident, satisfying conclusion and give your audience a clear message to walk away with.

The Power of a Comfortable Setup

Of course, getting great answers depends not just on the questions, but the environment. That’s why at St Louis Video Studio, we prioritize creating a relaxed and professional space. Our private interview studio is designed specifically for testimonial interviews, with customizable lighting, camera setups, and the flexibility to include props or branded elements. When people feel at ease, their stories flow naturally.

Why Work with St Louis Video Studio?

At St Louis Video Studio, we’re more than just camera operators—we’re storytellers, strategists, and seasoned producers who know how to help clients speak authentically and effectively on camera.

We are a full-service professional commercial photography and video production company, offering both studio and on-location services. With years of experience in editing, post-production, and licensed drone operation, we’ve helped countless businesses across St. Louis and beyond craft testimonial videos that engage, convert, and build trust.

Whether you need a single interview or a full campaign of client stories, we have the right equipment, creative crew, and technical expertise to support every aspect of your production. We specialize in customizing content for diverse media requirements and are experts at repurposing video and photography for maximum reach across digital platforms.

Using the latest in Artificial Intelligence-enhanced media tools, we ensure your testimonial content is not only compelling but also professionally polished and optimized for modern marketing needs.

Let’s bring your customer success stories to life—clear, authentic, and powerfully told.

314-913-5626

stlouisvideostudio@gmail.com

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How to Make Your Video Interviews More Personal: A Guide to Authentic Corporate Storytelling

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In today’s competitive business world, video interviews have become a go-to tool for storytelling, whether for marketing purposes, client testimonials, or internal company communication. However, creating a truly personal and engaging interview requires more than just placing a camera in front of a speaker. It’s about creating an environment that makes the interviewee feel at ease and encouraging them to share authentic stories that resonate with the audience.

Encourage natural pauses, allow the speaker to elaborate on their answers, and build upon previous responses. This type of back-and-forth conversation, when done correctly, can make your audience feel as though they’re listening in on a meaningful dialogue rather than just receiving information.

Why Personalizing Video Interviews Matters

In the world of corporate communications, personal connections are more important than ever. When a video interview feels genuine, it allows your brand to connect on a deeper level with viewers. Personal stories, shared in an authentic setting, invite your audience into the experience, helping them understand the values, motivations, and human side of your company. This can be an invaluable asset in brand-building, employee engagement, and customer trust.

Creating these personal connections through video interviews, however, doesn’t just happen by chance—it requires strategic planning, the right equipment, and an understanding of how to make the most out of the setting, sound, and style.

1. Set the Right Environment for Authenticity

The first step in making an interview personal is setting the right environment. At St. Louis Video Studio, we specialize in designing private, custom interview setups that allow for a comfortable and controlled environment. This means providing lighting that flatters the speaker, a backdrop that fits the narrative, and soundproofing that eliminates distractions.

The location is just as important. While an office setting may work in some instances, consider using spaces that reflect the essence of the story you want to tell. If you’re interviewing a creative team member, for example, showcasing their workspace or a branded space can make the interview feel more connected to their daily life.

2. Create an Interview Flow That Prompts Real Answers

Making your video interview feel personal starts long before the camera begins rolling. A key element is asking the right questions. Focus on open-ended questions that encourage storytelling rather than yes/no answers. Create a relaxed environment where the speaker feels free to share anecdotes, challenges, and successes that paint a full picture of their role in the company.

Our experience at St. Louis Video Studio includes crafting interview scripts that help guide the conversation naturally while keeping it personal. It’s important to adjust the tone of the questions to fit the personality of the person you’re interviewing. This allows their voice and perspective to come through clearly.

3. Lighting and Camera Techniques for Intimacy

Lighting plays a pivotal role in how personal your video interview feels. Harsh, unflattering light can create a cold or unwelcoming atmosphere. Our private studio setup at St. Louis Video Studio allows us to control lighting perfectly, creating a softer, warmer tone that flatters the subject and sets the mood for an intimate conversation.

Our crew uses high-quality lighting and camera equipment to ensure that the visual quality of your video matches the personal story being told. Using techniques such as close-up shots can enhance the intimacy of the interview, allowing viewers to see the speaker’s emotions more clearly. We also use our expertise in framing and angles to highlight the interviewee’s body language, which can significantly contribute to making the video feel more connected and personal.

4. Make the Interview Feel Like a Conversation

Instead of presenting the interview as a formal Q&A session, aim for a more conversational tone. Encourage natural pauses, allow the speaker to elaborate on their answers, and build upon previous responses. This type of back-and-forth conversation, when done correctly, can make your audience feel as though they’re listening in on a meaningful dialogue rather than just receiving information.

A personalized interview often means editing out the sterile, overly-polished moments in favor of showing the human side. At St. Louis Video Studio, we specialize in editing and post-production to bring out the best moments in the conversation. Our team will ensure the final product feels as authentic as it was in the moment, without making the speaker sound scripted or over-rehearsed.

5. Leverage the Power of Location and Props

Sometimes, the location can tell a story just as much as the words do. Whether it’s the work environment of the interviewee, a specific set design, or even props that align with the company’s branding, these elements can enhance the personal feel of the video. At St. Louis Video Studio, we have a large, versatile studio space that can be customized with props or designed to match your vision.

Props can be as simple as a branded item that holds personal significance or something more elaborate that enhances the interview’s narrative. These touches can turn a basic corporate video into something that feels more engaging and personal.

6. Incorporate Testimonials from Others

Another way to add a personal touch to your interview is by including short testimonials from colleagues or customers. Adding their voices helps to reinforce the narrative being shared in the interview. This can create a fuller picture of the subject’s contributions or the impact of the company’s product or service.

7. Make Use of Professional Equipment for a Polished Finish

Finally, to make your interview feel more professional yet personal, you need the right equipment. At St. Louis Video Studio, we utilize top-of-the-line video and audio equipment to capture high-quality sound and visuals that make your interview shine. From high-definition cameras to state-of-the-art microphones and lighting, we ensure that every aspect of the production matches the personal tone you’re aiming for.

Why St. Louis Video Studio Is Your Go-To for Personal Video Interviews

St. Louis Video Studio is a full-service professional commercial photography and video production company that specializes in creating impactful, personal video content. With over four decades of experience, we have the right equipment and creative crew to deliver exceptional results for your corporate video needs.

We offer full-service studio and location video and photography, as well as expert editing, post-production, and licensed drone pilots. St. Louis Video Studio excels in customizing productions for diverse media requirements, ensuring that your video aligns perfectly with your brand and messaging.

Repurposing your photography and video branding is one of our specialties. We understand how to take existing assets and reformat them for different platforms, helping your company maintain consistent and effective messaging. We’re well-versed in all types of file formats and media styles, ensuring that your video production is both versatile and ready for any distribution channel.

Whether you’re planning an interview, a testimonial, or a full-fledged marketing campaign, our private studio lighting and setup are perfect for small productions and interviews. We can accommodate props, and our crew is skilled in all aspects of production, from camera and sound operators to the use of indoor drones for dynamic shots.

Since 1982, St. Louis Video Studio has been serving businesses, marketing firms, and agencies across the St. Louis area. Our extensive experience means we understand how to create videos that make a real impact. Let us help you bring your next video project to life, creating engaging, authentic content that connects with your audience on a personal level.

314-913-5626

stlouisvideostudio@gmail.com

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Testimonials and Broll video production.

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We work closely with businesses, organizations, and industry professionals to bring their stories to life through stunning video production that builds awareness and grows loyalty. We create video marketing content that speaks to their audiences and meets their creative communication needs.

There are many ways to create a video testimonial, all with different advantages.

We explore how your business can ask customers and employees to record appropriate testimonials, what you should include in a video testimonial, as well as how such customer review videos can help your business grow.

We work in our studio or a camera crew is sent to a predetermined location, usually a customer’s home or office. They set up their equipment and interview one or more people. We will also capture some b-roll footage of the location, the interview subject at work, or other footage that places the content of the video in context.

From there all the footage is reviewed for editing and post-production. The end result is a universal digital file suitable for web and social media delivery.

Mike Haller
314-913-5626
stlouisvideostudio@gmail.com