Secure informed permission and evidence
Explain where the film and shorter extracts may appear, how long they may be used, whether paid advertising is included and how the customer and organisation will be identified. Record the permission your organisation requires before filming or publication.
For non-broadcast marketing, current ASA/CAP guidance on testimonials says marketers should hold documentary evidence that a testimonial is genuine, retain contact details, ensure it relates to the advertised product, avoid misleading factual claims and have permission to use it. Sector-specific rules may add requirements.
Prepare themes, not approved praise
Give the customer an honest outline of the discussion and practical filming information. Do not send paragraphs for them to memorise or a list of flattering words they are expected to include.
Ask them to recall concrete examples, dates, decisions or changes they are comfortable sharing. Confirm facts that require evidence, but preserve the customer’s own language and right to disagree with the proposed angle.
Build questions around a useful sequence
Open questions can move through the story without demanding a predetermined answer:
- What was happening before you looked for help?
- Why did that situation matter?
- What options or concerns did you consider?
- What made you choose this approach?
- What was the working experience actually like?
- Can you describe a specific moment or example?
- What changed afterwards?
- Who would find this approach suitable—and who might not?
Follow useful detail instead of rushing through the list. Ask for a complete answer when needed so the edit still makes sense without the interviewer’s voice.
Choose a location that supports the account
The customer’s workplace or project location can add context and make supporting footage possible. It can also introduce noise, confidential material, public access and disruption. A controlled room may produce a clearer interview but needs meaningful visuals elsewhere.
Listen for ventilation, traffic, machinery and adjacent conversations. Check space for camera, lighting and eyeline, and remove sensitive screens, papers or names before setup.
Create a calm interview setup
Brief the customer on where to look, how the conversation works and that pauses or repeated answers are normal. Keep unnecessary observers away from the monitor; an audience of colleagues can make a contributor more self-conscious.
Place the interviewer close enough to the lens for a natural eyeline. Monitor the microphone throughout. Use lighting and framing that suit the person and location rather than making every testimonial look like the same studio format.
Interview for detail, not slogans
Ask what happened, how it felt and why a decision mattered. When the answer becomes broad, request an example: “What did that change in practice?” or “Can you remember when you first noticed it?”
Do not feed the customer a stronger claim and ask them to repeat it. Silence gives people time to think, and a rephrased question can recover a useful answer without making the speaker feel they failed.
Film evidence and context as B-roll
Show the environment, product, process or interaction connected to the account. Useful B-roll can demonstrate what the customer describes and cover editorial joins without reducing the interview to a talking head.
Plan what can be filmed accurately and with permission. Do not stage a result the customer did not experience or use unrelated stock footage in a way that implies evidence.
Edit for clarity without changing meaning
Remove repetition, hesitations and tangents while preserving the substance and qualification of each answer. Do not join fragments to create certainty, causation or praise the customer did not express.
Use names and roles accurately. Keep important context near numerical or factual statements. Music, graphics and cutaways should support the story rather than manufacture emotion around a weak claim.
Run an accuracy and relationship review
Agree the review route before filming. The commissioning business should check brand and substantiation; the customer may need to check quotations, confidential detail, names and how its organisation appears. One consolidated response prevents conflicting edits.
Approval should not become an invitation to replace natural language with a sales script. If a factual claim cannot be supported or the customer is no longer comfortable, remove or revise it.
Final testimonial checklist
- The speaker and experience are genuine and relevant.
- Identity, contact evidence and permissions are retained appropriately.
- Any commercial relationship or incentive is handled transparently.
- Objective claims have support beyond the testimonial itself.
- The customer understood uses, versions and review expectations.
- Speech is clear and captions, names and roles are correct.
- Supporting footage represents the real experience.
- The edit preserves qualifications and intended meaning.
For the strategic case, read why testimonial videos can build trust. Prepare contributors and locations with the corporate shoot guide, or discuss a customer story with The Camera Guys.
