What to Wear for a Testimonial Video?
One of your customers agreed to be on camera and do a testimonial video—great! To get the best results, I recommend not prepping them too much. Letting them discover the questions on the day will give you the most genuine answers. But even if you are not prepping what they say, you should prep what they wear. Not only will they feel more comfortable with a bit of guidance, but it will also improve the overall quality of the final video. So what should they wear? Well, let’s find out.
Colours but Not Any colours.
Cinematic images have contrast, so you want to avoid beige or white outfits to ensure the participant doesn't blend into the wall behind them. Rich colors will make the participant stand out and will be much more engaging for your audience. If your main competitor uses a lot of blue in their branding, for example, you might suggest they avoid a particular shade of blue. Also, if you have multiple participants in the same project, make sure they wear different colors, otherwise, it will not look natural.
Cameras Do Not Like Patterns.
Videographers don’t want their shots to look too busy. Plain shirts, dresses, or t-shirts will always look great. Not only can complex patterns be distracting for the viewer, but they can also create some strange artifacts in-camera, called Moiré patterns. It won’t ruin your video, but it will draw attention to a part of the image instead of the story you are trying to tell.
The outfit above is a videographer’s nightmare. There is a high chance for artifacts to appear in the image.
No Brands, Not Even Yours
For some obvious copyright reasons, you do not want the participant to show up wearing a t-shirt with a big Nike logo, for example, unless you have received permission from the brand. It might not always be that obvious, but many shirts or polo shirts have small logos. You will need to remove these logos or blur them in post, which will look terrible. Always remember to tell them to choose clothes without any branding. Since the video needs to appear unbiased, it is better if the participant doesn’t wear your logo or your colours.
Avoid The bling
Jewelry can enhance a look, but it can also ruin a video because of the noise it makes. If the participant has some beautiful jewelry, maybe do a shake test to see if the mics pick up the sound. Bangles around the wrists are definitely noisier than a necklace, unless it interferes with the lapel mic. Anyway, you can play it by ear on the day, but it is easier if you ask them to avoid noisy jewelry a few days before.
Jewellery is not the sound guy’s best friend. It can make a lot of noise and distract the viewers.
No Turtlenecks
Often, videographers like to clip a lapel mic to the collar of the participant. This is why shirts are so convenient, as they give plenty of access. You can easily feed the cable inside the shirt and pop the microphone between two buttons—perfect for fast-paced interviews. If the participant wears a turtleneck, it drastically reduces the options for clipping the mic, and depending on the color of the jumper, the cable will stick out like a sore thumb. Just like noisy jewelry, strong patterns, and beige shirts with logos, turtlenecks should be avoided. Which brings me to the last point.
Tell Them To Bring a Few Options.
Often the participants will forget to read the instructions you send them beforehand and show up on set with the wrong outfit. This is why it’s always a good idea to ask the participants to bring a few options on the day. Tell them to bring a few shirts, dresses, and a jacket. When they sit down in front of the camera, if it doesn’t work, you can try a few different combinations.
Voila! I hope you found this article useful. These are the kinds of tips I give all my clients when we work on a testimonial video together. At the end of the day, the participant should feel comfortable, so even if the outfit doesn’t work, a good videographer should adapt and come up with a creative solution. If you would like some help with your next testimonial video or have a question, feel free to contact me, I am always happy to help.