Decision-makers don’t need more “content.” You need credible proof that moves buyers. Well-produced testimonials—supported by purposeful B-roll—are still the fastest way to deliver that proof. Here’s the field-tested playbook we use on commercial sets to keep interviews authentic, visuals elevated, and outcomes measurable.

Define Success Before You Roll

• Business outcome first: Map each testimonial to a specific funnel stage (awareness, consideration, proof, renewal) and KPI (demo requests, sales enablement usage, time-on-page, ad ROAS).
• One promise per video: “From 6-month onboarding to 6-week deployment,” “Cut downtime by 32%,” etc. Make the claim measurable and visually provable in B-roll.
• Audience and channel: Decide final aspect ratios and durations up front (16:9 web, 1:1 LinkedIn, 9:16 reels/stories) so we shoot what we need once.

Casting & Story Architecture

• Pick customers who mirror your next buyer. Same industry, role, revenue band, or pain profile.
• Write a proof arc, not a script:
  1. Pain (stakes, risk), 2) Decision (why you vs. alternatives), 3) Outcome (numbers, speed, delight), 4) Future (what they can’t imagine going back to).
• Pre-interview call (15–20 min): Surface specifics, secure sensitive data approvals, and compile visual opportunities for B-roll.
• Clear the runway: Get location permission, brand approvals, and signed releases early. Reserve quiet rooms; kill HVAC/ice machines during takes.

Interview Craft That Sounds Natural (But Lands on Message)

• Prompts, not lines: “Walk me through the last straw that made you change.” “What nearly derailed deployment?” “If your past-self asked ‘Is this worth it?’ what would you say now?”
• Coach for specifics: Replace “helped a lot” with numbers, time saved, or a changed behavior.
• Keep eyes off the lens (unless the creative calls for direct-to-camera). Seat the interviewer just off-axis for connection.
• Bite-sized answers: Encourage complete thoughts in 10–20 seconds for easy editing and cut-downs.
• Redundancy on the record: Ask for the headline claim twice in slightly different words.

Image & Sound: The Quiet Differentiators

• Audio first: Dual-system sound when possible; always lav + boom. Monitor with closed-backs. Capture 30 seconds of room tone.
• Light with intent: Key at ~45°, feathered; add negative fill for shape; hair/back light for separation. Match ambient color; kill mixed color temps.
• Backgrounds with story: Subtle brand artifacts (prototypes, dashboards, shop floor), depth, and practical motivation (lamps/screens) read as real and reduce “talking head” fatigue.
• Framing for deliverables: Compose to protect safe zones for 9:16 and 1:1 crops without losing eye-line.

B-Roll That Works Hard (Not Just Pretty)

Think of B-roll as visual evidence of the claims made in the testimonial.

• Shot families for coverage:
  • Wides for context, mediums for process, tights for details/data.
  • Hands-in-action: typing, calibrating, scanning, lifting, reviewing dashboards.
  • Transitioners: doors, signage, skyline, time-lapse, rack-focuses.
• Match each claim with a visual: If they say “cut rework by 30%,” show the old vs. new workflow, QC stations, dashboards, or shipping volume.
• Smart motion: Controlled dolly/slider moves; gimbal sparingly to avoid drift. Lock-offs for analytical overlays.
• People + process: Capture micro-moments—eye contact, head nods, handoffs, whiteboard circles—buyers connect with human proof.
• Aerial interiors when warranted: Indoor micro-drone passes for plant layouts, warehouse flow, production lines—planned with safety/prop-guard protocols.
• Roll for sound: Gather machine hums, keystrokes, door closes—great for editorial rhythm and transitional sound design.

A One-Day Field Plan (Sample)

• 08:00–09:00 Load-in, scout, audio test, lighting build, dress background
• 09:00–10:30 Primary interview (Subject A), room tone
• 10:30–12:00 B-roll set 1 (process + environment), stills for thumbnails
• 12:30–13:15 Secondary interview (Subject B or SME)
• 13:15–15:00 B-roll set 2 (people + product), aerial/establishers
• 15:00–16:00 Pick-ups: hero lines, plate shots, UI captures, product details
• 16:00–16:30 Backup media, sign paperwork, strike

Post-Production That Multiplies Assets

• Foundations: Dialogue edit, noise reduction, EQ/compression, color match + grade to brand LUTs, graphics lower-thirds, tasteful branded open/close.
• Proof overlays: On-screen metrics, process diagrams, callouts that mirror the spoken claim.
• Cut-down strategy: From the master (60–120s), derive 15–30s paid variants, 6–10s hooks, 9:16 verticals with burned-in captions. Build a content pyramid once, publish many.
• Accessibility & reach: Accurate captions, clean transcripts, and subtitles for priority regions.
• AI assists (responsibly): Transcription, rough string-outs from selects, noise print learning, automated captioning, and versioning—always human-reviewed for tone and accuracy.
• Handoff discipline: Logical file naming, proxy + full-res, audio stems, color LUTs, caption files (.srt/.vtt), thumbnail PSDs, and an asset map for your DAM.

Distribution & Measurement (Where ROI Lives)

• Own the first frame: Headlines that promise a result; start with the strongest line or a visual proof beat.
• Placement: Website solution pages, outbound ABM emails, SDR decks, paid social, trade-show loops, customer success onboarding.
• Tagging & UTMs: Track which testimonial themes and visuals correlate with conversions.
• Refresh cadence: Re-cut quarterly with new CTAs, fresh intros, and updated stats to extend shelf life.

Common Pitfalls (And How We Avoid Them)

• Vague claims: We pre-interview to gather numbers and secure approvals.
• Noisy locations: We scout alternates and bring isolation tools (sound blankets, carpets, dynamic mics).
• B-roll mismatch: We build a claim-to-visual matrix before we shoot.
• Single format delivery: We design for multi-ratio outputs day one.

Quick Checklist You Can Use Tomorrow

• One claim per video, with a metric
• Pre-interview done, releases signed
• Shot list mapped to claims (wide/medium/tight)
• Audio plan: lav + boom + room tone
• Background tells a story; mixed color temps solved
• Deliverable ratios defined (16:9 / 1:1 / 9:16)
• Captions + cut-downs in the scope
• Asset map and file naming agreed

Why Teams Choose Us for This Work

Since 1982, St Louis Commercial Video Production has partnered with businesses, marketing firms, and creative agencies across the St. Louis region to produce marketing photography and video that deliver results. We’re a full-service commercial photography and video production company with the right equipment and seasoned crew to ensure successful image acquisition. We provide studio and on-location video and photography, editing and post-production, and licensed drone pilots—including specialized indoor drone capabilities for dynamic facility coverage. We customize every production for your media requirements and excel at repurposing your photography and video assets to gain more traction across channels. Our team is fluent in all common file types, media styles, and software, and we incorporate the latest AI tools (with human oversight) for transcription, captioning, noise reduction, and efficient versioning. Our private studio features flexible lighting and a configurable set—perfect for interview scenes and product demos—with space for props to fully realize your brand environment. From building a private, custom interview studio to supplying professional sound and camera operators—and providing the right gear end to end—we support every aspect of your production so your next testimonial and B-roll project is seamless, on-brand, and built to convert.

Shari Haller 314-913-5626 stlouisvideos@gmail.com