Build a question list people will enjoy answering
Choose six to ten questions and vary the mood. Begin with an easy answer, move into shared stories, and finish with something more personal. Guests do not all need to receive the same list.
2 light questions
Help people relax and answer without overthinking.
3 memory questions
Bring out stories the guest of honor may have forgotten.
1 wish for the future
Finish warmly without asking for a long speech.
Questions for different occasions
For a birthday
Mix shared memories, little habits, and hopes for the year ahead.
- “Which memory with this person still makes you laugh?”
- “If they were a meal, what would they be, and why?”
- “Which phrase of theirs would everyone recognize?”
- “How old would you guess they were if you did not know?”
- “What would you love to do together this year?”
For a wedding
Bring both sides together without turning every answer into a formal speech.
- “When did you first realize these two were right for each other?”
- “Which tiny detail sums up their relationship?”
- “If their story were a film, what kind would it be?”
- “What very serious, or not at all serious, advice would you give them?”
- “Where do you picture them in ten years?”
For a farewell
A new job or a move deserves something more personal than a string of goodbyes.
- “Which moment with them will everyone remember?”
- “Which of their habits will you miss most?”
- “What should they take with them to remember this group?”
- “What unexpected talent did they bring to the team?”
- “What would you like them to hear again one year from now?”
“If they were...” personality prompts
These classic portrait prompts work well on video when you always ask why. Without the explanation, the answers can quickly feel like a list.
- If they were a season, which one would they be?
- If they were a song, which one would you choose?
- If they were a city, where would they take us?
- If they were an animal, which one suits them best?
- If they were a time of day, what time would they be?
- If they were a fictional character, who would they be?
- If they were a color, which one would you pick?
- If they were an object you always keep, what would it be?
Questions that rarely make a good video
“Say something for their birthday” is too broad. Many guests will simply say “happy birthday.” A precise question helps them find a story and removes the pressure to be brilliantly original on camera.
Be careful with embarrassing memories if you do not know where the finished video will be shown. A surprise can be funny without making someone uncomfortable in front of their family, colleagues, or children.
You have the questions. Now collect the videos.
Give each person the right prompts and keep every answer together in one private project.