When the Interview Subject Walked Out Halfway Through

Eighteen minutes into filming, the CEO stood up and left. My camera operator looked at me. I had no backup plan.

This happened three years into my freelance career. I thought booking the interview meant the hard part was done. Show up, ask questions, film, invoice. That was my beginner logic.

What I did wrong

I sent a brief email with five questions. The CEO replied with a thumbs up emoji. I took that as confirmation and booked a crew.

We arrived at their office. Set up lights. Started rolling. By question three, his answers were clipped. By question five, he was checking his phone. Then he said he had another meeting and walked out.

The company refused to pay for a reshoot. I paid my crew out of pocket. Lost the entire fee plus £890 in crew costs.

The expert approach I should have used

Experienced filmmakers do a pre-interview call. Not to rehearse answers, but to build rapport and clarify expectations. They discuss tone, time commitment, and what success looks like for both parties.

They also send a detailed brief: estimated filming duration, question themes, how the footage will be used, and what the subject should wear. This document becomes a shared agreement, not just a formality.

When someone walks into a shoot knowing exactly what will happen and why it matters, they stay engaged. That CEO had no context. I gave him questions but no reason to care about answering them well.

Now I spend 30 minutes on a call before every interview. It has saved me from three potential disasters in the past year alone.