Why We Rarely Start Interviews With "Tell Me Your Name and What You Do"
If you’ve ever been interviewed on camera, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve been asked some version of, “Can you tell me your name and what you do?” And honestly, I think it’s one of the worst ways to start an interview.
I hear this question all the time, and every time I do, I cringe a little. Not because it’s some horrible offense, but because it’s such a strange thing to ask another human being. When was the last time someone walked up to you in real life and said, “Can you tell me your name and what you do?” Nobody talks like that. It’s unnatural, it’s stiff, and somehow in video production, we’ve decided it should be the first thing someone hears after sitting down under lights with a camera pointed at them.
The Worst First Question In Video Production
Starting an interview with “tell me your name and what you do” immediately makes the whole thing feel formal in the worst way. The person is already aware of the cameras. They’re probably thinking about how they look, whether they sound smart, where they should put their hands, and whether they’re going to mess up. Then the first thing they’re asked to do is introduce themselves in a way they would never naturally speak.
Nothing screams “I’m reading off a checklist” more than that question. It puts people into performance mode right away. Instead of feeling like they’re having a conversation, they suddenly feel like they’re giving a statement. That is not where good interviews usually come from.
I would much rather start with something they’re actually interested in or proud to talk about. Ask about a project they’re excited about. Ask what’s been keeping them busy. Ask what made them want to do this work in the first place. When people are asked about something they genuinely care about, they usually relax faster. That’s a much better place to begin.
Why People Become Uncomfortable Immediately In An Interview
Most people are already uncomfortable enough when they sit down for an interview. Even confident people can get weird the second a camera is pointed at them. They become hyper-aware of themselves. They start thinking about every word. They try to sound polished, which usually makes them sound less like themselves.
That’s why the first few minutes of an interview matter so much. You’re setting the tone for the whole conversation. If the first question feels robotic, the person usually responds in a robotic way. If the first question feels human, they have a much better chance of answering like a human.
And yes, sometimes you need someone to say their name and title for organizational reasons. Fine. But don’t make that the emotional starting line of the interview. If you absolutely need it, ask later or frame it honestly with something like, “This is just for our notes, and I know it feels weird.” But don’t pretend it’s a natural way to begin a conversation.
Making People Forget About The Camera
A huge part of interview-based video production is helping people forget, as much as possible, that they’re being filmed. Obviously, they know there are cameras there. They know they’re under lights. But the goal is to get them focused on the conversation instead of the setup around them.
That doesn’t happen instantly. It takes a little time. Sometimes it means chatting before the interview officially starts. Sometimes it means asking questions we know we’ll never use. Sometimes it means slowing down and giving someone permission to pause, restart, or think through an answer without feeling like they’re doing something wrong.
The best interviews usually happen once the person stops trying to perform. You can feel it when it happens. Their shoulders drop. Their answers get more specific. They stop searching for the most impressive version of what they could say and start giving the honest version. That’s where the good stuff is.
Start With Easy Questions
Easy questions are underrated. A lot of people think an interview needs to start with the big, important question, but most people are not ready for that two minutes after sitting down. They need to warm up.
Starting with easy questions doesn’t mean wasting time. It means building momentum. Ask what they’re working on right now. Ask what they’re excited about. Ask how they got involved in the project. Ask what surprised them. These questions get people talking without making them feel like they have to deliver the perfect answer immediately.
In my experience, the strongest answers almost never happen at the very beginning. They happen once someone has settled in, once they trust the process a little bit, and once the conversation starts feeling less like an interview and more like an actual exchange.
Why Comfort Matters More Than Media Training
People ask all the time whether someone needs media training before being interviewed. Sometimes that can be helpful, but most of the time, comfort matters more than training.
Some of the best interviews we’ve ever filmed were with people who had never been on camera before. They were good because they were genuine. They answered like themselves. They told stories. They weren’t trying to deliver a perfect statement.
On the other hand, some of the hardest interviews are with people who have been trained to give polished answers. They know how to say the right words, but everything feels rehearsed. And for the kind of work we do, that’s usually not what we want. We’re not trying to make people sound like spokespeople. We’re trying to help them sound like themselves.
Great Video Interviews Feel Like Conversations
At the end of the day, great interviews feel like conversations. They don’t feel like someone reading from a list. They don’t feel overly scripted. They don’t feel like the person on camera is trying to survive the next question.
A good interview gives someone room to think, laugh, pause, restart, and tell a story in their own way. The interviewer is still guiding the conversation, but it should not feel like an interrogation or a performance.
That’s why we rarely start by asking someone to tell us their name and what they do. It’s not that the information doesn’t matter. It’s that the first question sets the tone, and I’d rather start by making someone feel comfortable than reminding them they’re being interviewed.
Final Thoughts From Bunker Hill Media
The first question of an interview matters more than people think. It sets the tone for everything that follows. If you start with something stiff and unnatural, you usually get a stiff and unnatural answer back.
That’s why we try to start with something human. Something easy. Something the person actually wants to talk about. Once someone feels comfortable, the interview becomes much more useful, and the final video feels more real.
At the end of the day, we’re not trying to get people to perform. We’re trying to get them to sound like themselves. That usually starts by asking better questions.
