This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
A pre-interview is a short planning conversation held before the camera comes out. It is not an audition, an interrogation, or a rehearsal for the “right” answer. For a nonprofit, it is a chance to learn whether a participant’s experience genuinely fits the project and to make filming more respectful, specific, and workable.
The conversation has two jobs. It helps the team find the strongest truthful story a person is comfortable sharing. It also surfaces practical concerns, such as boundaries, access needs, privacy risks, and permissions, before a filming date is set.
Start with the purpose, then listen for fit
Before calling a participant, clarify what the organization wants the audience to understand, feel, or do. A story may help explain a program, show how donated funds support a service, or give supporters a clearer view of a community issue. That purpose should guide story selection, but it should not become a script imposed on someone’s life.
Ask broad questions that let the participant describe their experience in their own words. What was happening before they connected with the organization? How did that connection occur? What did they do, receive, or experience? What has changed, and what remains hard?
Listen for a simple before, during, and after shape, while leaving room for complexity. A useful impact story does not need a perfect ending. It should not define someone solely by hardship, either. Documentary interview practice emphasizes trust and a genuine conversation with participants, rather than a rigid extraction of answers. The International Documentary Association offers useful context on rethinking documentary interviews.
Find specific details without rehearsing the story
Specificity helps viewers understand a person’s experience. During the pre-interview, ask about meaningful moments, routines, places, relationships, and activities that might be filmed later. A participant might describe preparing for a class, arriving at a program, meeting a mentor, or using a resource that matters in daily life.
These details can inform both the on-camera conversation and supporting footage, often called B-roll: images of actions, places, or relevant details that play alongside an interview. The goal is to identify real possibilities, not to ask someone to perform private experiences again for the camera.
Avoid scripting answers, supplying emotional language, or coaching a participant to repeat organizational messaging. If a person uses a phrase that seems important, ask what it means to them. Their perspective should remain their own.
Separate testimony from facts to verify
A participant can speak credibly about what they experienced. That is different from making organization-wide claims about outcomes, funding, enrollment, or program reach. Note names, dates, program names, numerical statements, and outcome claims that need confirmation through appropriate staff or records.
This separation protects both the participant and the nonprofit. It avoids putting claims in a participant’s mouth that they cannot personally support, while giving the communications team a clear fact-checking list before publication.
Discuss boundaries and expectations early
Ask what the participant does not want to discuss and whether certain names, locations, images, or details could create personal or safety risks. Ask how they prefer their name pronounced, whether they have language preferences, and whether a support person should be nearby. Establish a simple way to pause, take a break, skip a question, or stop the conversation.
These are respectful production practices, not therapy or medical care. They matter especially when a person depends on the nonprofit for services, housing, care, or education. Hesitation or a refusal should not invite repeated pressure. Guidance on trauma-informed documentary process cautions that consent alone does not remove the possibility of harm.
Explain the project plainly: its purpose, expected audiences, likely distribution channels, filming length, who may attend, and what might happen after the interview. Ask what the participant expects in return and correct misunderstandings. Be clear about whether the organization offers any opportunity to review material. Do not imply final-edit approval unless that is the actual policy.
Ethical participation is an ongoing process, not simply a signature on a release. If planned use or exposure changes materially, revisit the conversation and follow the organization’s safeguarding and storytelling policies. StoryCenter’s ethical storytelling material supports this continuing approach to clarity and participant buy-in.
Plan filming conditions and accessibility
Use the pre-interview to identify a quiet, accessible location and workable timing. Ask about transportation, caregiving schedules, cultural or clothing considerations, communication preferences, interpreter needs, and breaks. Confirm who else may appear on camera and whether proposed activities or locations are safe and appropriate to film.
Plan publication access at this stage as well. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 identify captions for prerecorded synchronized media as a Level A success criterion and address audio description or a media alternative for prerecorded video. WCAG is an accessibility standard; it does not by itself establish every nonprofit’s legal obligation. Early planning gives the team time to prepare captions and suitable alternatives.
Flag permissions, privacy, and rights issues before filming
A pre-interview does not replace a written appearance release, privacy review, fact-checking, or legal advice. It is where the team learns which additional steps may be needed. Flag children, shelters, domestic-violence, immigration, legal, health-care, or other high-risk circumstances before committing to a shoot.
HIPAA does not apply to every nonprofit. It applies to covered entities and business associates in defined circumstances. If a HIPAA-covered provider arranges filming in treatment areas or otherwise enables access to protected health information, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says prior written HIPAA-compliant authorization is generally required for each affected patient; blurring later does not cure unauthorized access. A contract crew with access to protected health information may also require a business associate agreement. See HHS guidance on film and media access.
Children require separate care. COPPA is not a general filming-release rule. It applies to certain online collection practices involving children under 13, including child-directed services and situations where an operator has actual knowledge of collecting children’s personal information online. For covered services, the FTC treats a child’s image or voice in photos, video, or audio as personal information. Obtain appropriate parent or guardian permission, follow safeguarding policies, and seek jurisdiction-specific advice when needed. The FTC’s COPPA FAQs explain this limited scope.
School filming can raise FERPA questions in particular circumstances, such as when video is directly related to a student and maintained by a school or a party acting for it. Coordinate with the school’s privacy contact instead of assuming a nonprofit release resolves the issue. The Department of Education’s FERPA photo and video FAQs provide the relevant context.
Finally, ask whether a participant expects to show family photos, music, artwork, documents, or social-media material created by someone else. A nonprofit or educational purpose does not automatically make that use fair. The U.S. Copyright Office explains that fair use is fact-specific. Identifying these materials early leaves time to seek permission, change the plan, or obtain appropriate review.
Sources / References
International Documentary Association, 5 Tips for Rethinking the Documentary Interview
StoryCenter, Digital Storytelling Project: Sonke – Silence Speaks
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Film and Media Access to Protected Health Information
Federal Trade Commission, Complying with COPPA: Frequently Asked Questions
U.S. Department of Education, FAQs on Photos and Videos under FERPA
World Wide Web Consortium, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2