Your Turn in the Hot Seat, Peter Shannon
- cgoucher
- Jul 10
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 31
Peter Shannon is one of the best interviewers I’ve ever seen in action. Thoughtful, curious, and quietly brilliant at putting people at ease, he’s built a career telling authentic stories through video at his company, Memory Tree.
So what happens when he’s the one being interviewed? I asked Peter to step in front of the questions for once, and he delivered with trademark honesty, humour, and heart.
You have a way of making interviews feel effortless. What first drew you into video storytelling, and how has your approach evolved over time? Storytelling is the core of our business at Memory Tree. Interview-style stories are my favourite because they aren't scripted. They're real - from the heart - and we're able to find the gold that you'd never get from scripted content. I approach each interview as a conversation. I don't write down my questions and read them to my interviewee. I'll memorize our key messages and bring them up as a part of our continued conversation. The more relaxed the interview subject is, the more genuine and conversational the interview will be. If I'm doing my job correctly, they forget that there's a camera, lights, and a microphone, and focus on the conversation. Roger & Me and An Inconvenient Truth were both influential documentaries that shaped my idea of storytelling. As AI continues to evolve, and it becomes harder to know what is real and what is fake, I'm more convinced than ever that authentic storytelling using real interviews is the key to connecting with your audience.
Is there a particular interview or project that stands out as especially meaningful to you? What made it special? I did a series of interviews with women who were all battling ovarian cancer. They were interviews conducted over a 9 month period from shortly after diagnosis to treatment to the aftermath, including dealing with surgery, chemotherapy, changes in relationships, planning for an unknown future, and in one case, death. I got really close to a few of them, and it was rare that we concluded an interview dry-eyed.
When you’re crafting a story through video, how do you handle moments where things don’t go as planned? There are too many possible issues to list, but the simple answer is: communication. It solves most problems. And honestly, when something goes sideways, creativity and experience usually kick in. We always find a way.
What’s something you’ve done lately that scared you, but you did it anyway? This hasn't happened very often in my career, but a few months ago, we had an actor who showed up to set not looking anything like their headshot. They were also shockingly short. Which by itself isn't an issue, but the other actor that was in the same scene was quite tall, and when the two of them were standing beside each other, it made it look like an adult and child relationship instead of two professionals working together. I quickly pointed this out to the client, who was on set and had approved both actors for their roles. I looked up the "short" actor's details online to see that their listed height was clearly misrepresented. I made the difficult choice of letting that actor go immediately. We paid that person for their time, and found a replacement quickly, so everything turned out OK. I guess the moral of this story is don't always believe headshots - and descriptions. We now ask the actor to shoot a photo of what they look like today - and confirm their details in their profile. Hopefully, we won't have that scare happen again on set.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about storytelling, or a lesson you’ve learned from interviewing others? Always be prepared. Know the topic and key points you need to cover. And try to participate in a "conversation," not a Q & A period. By keeping things conversational, you'll relax the person you're interviewing. Also, a huge benefit to a conversation style is that you'll use points from their answers in future questions, confirming to that person that you're listening, and that they can trust that you care about what they're talking about. It's a huge advantage when interviewing people.
What’s a project or creative challenge you’re excited about right now?
We just finished a large project working with ALS Canada to tell a series of short animated stories, and guidebooks helping parents and guardians to teach their children about ALS, and to help prepare them that at some point in the future, their loved one is going to die. I know that's a strange project to be "excited about right now." But knowing that we created beautiful, emotional content that will help children deal with grief is something that really makes it all worthwhile.
Bonus Question: What’s one question you always ask people, no matter the interview? "When you were a child, what did you want to do for a living?" It's a great way to reset expectations that this is going to be a fun interview. It's also a question that they aren't prepared for - and gets them to laugh or at the very least think about their answer - before switching over to our main points.
Know someone with a creative spark?
I’m always looking for inspiring people to feature in 6Qs with Christine. If you know a creative thinker, maker, or storyteller whose journey deserves a spotlight, send me a note! I’d love to hear from you.
