How an interview edit works

The sheet above is an illustration of a customer story paper edit. Ten lines are shown from a forty-minute interview. Four were cut: a question, a restart, a nervous aside and a second question. The six selects were then reordered, so the problem and the result come before the slow rollout.

1. Brief and quote

You share the footage link and tell us what the video is for, who will watch it and who approves it. We check the footage, ask about anything unclear, and send a written quote with the scope, the number of review rounds and a delivery date. Work starts when you accept it.

2. Transcript and paper edit

Every interview is transcribed and read through. We mark the selects, number them in the order they should play and send the sheet as a document you can comment on. This is the cheapest stage to change your mind, and the best moment to bring in HR, legal or the customer.

3. First cut

The approved lines become a cut with b-roll, lower thirds, captions and music. Sound is cleaned and leveled, and color is matched across cameras and days. You review on a link and leave notes at exact moments.

4. Changes and delivery

We make your changes, run a last check of names, titles and on-screen text against your list, and export each version you ordered. Extra rounds beyond the quote are priced before we do them.

If you haven't filmed yet

• Write questions that invite stories, such as "Tell me about your first week" rather than "Do you like it here?"
• Ask speakers to repeat the question in their answer
• Record ten seconds of silent room sound at each setup
• Shoot b-roll of the places people mention in their answers
• Keep a list of names and titles as people sit down

Files and formats

Your footage

Footage and transcripts are private and used only for your project. If part of the work goes to a production partner, they work under a confidentiality agreement. See the privacy policy.