Interviewing

Research & Preparation Good research is the key to getting a great interview. Anticipate what direction you’d like the interview to go – do research on your interviewee and be well versed on the interview’s subject matter. Though your  research you’ll learn what you don’t know. Surprise responses may be the interview ‘gold’ you need to make the story compelling and unique. What has the on-screen talent said in the past about the subject? What have they not said? Similarly, you should find that asking open-ended questions will illicit better, more interesting responses.

Outline While there is definitely an uncontrollable element to every interview, it’s important to have a solid outline for what you need to have covered. It doesn’t need to be super complex, just enough to help you get an idea for how you want the story to progress. One interview tactic is to start the questioning with safe and easy questions. This will make the interviewee more at ease and create a ‘safe’ interviewing environment.  Wait to ask the ‘hard’ questions once the interview cadence and atmosphere has been set.

Location Scout As with any film shoot, location scouting is critical. Yes, this means physically going to the location ahead of the shoot date. What type of lighting does the environment provide? Is there electrical power? Is there any ambient noise? What other problems can you anticipate? You don’t want to have any surprises on the shoot day.

Questions Just as you should have at least a rough outline of how you’d like the interview to proceed, you should also come up with a list of possible interview questions. Although many producers/filmmakers choose to share interview questions with the ‘talent’ ahead of the shoot, I’d warn against it. If the interviewee has the exact questions before the shoot they’ll likely pre-formulate their responses. This can quickly make an interview feel uninspired and boring. Instead, just send over a broad list of topics you’d like to discuss. You will likely want to record the interviewers questions as well, even if they won’t make the final cut. This is useful for the editor who can use this audio to know what each question is about.  Avoid "yes" or "no questions.

Use the “Rule of 3rds”

Avoid shooting into a window When positioning your interviewee, you should never put them in front of a window if you can avoid it. Even on overcast days, the amount of light coming in through the window will be significantly brighter than the light inside the room. This causes an effect called “backlighting,” where the background will appear bright, but the front – especially the face – of the interviewee will be very dark:

Repeat the Question in the Answer Try to have your talent repeat the question in their response. For example if you ask, “What is your favorite color?” and their response is “Green”, it doesn’t give the editor much to go on. Instead a better response would be “My favorite color is green”. Then the editor has a complete thought, making the story easier to craft.

Control the Pace Thinking of your interview as a conversation is a great way to make your subject at ease, but there are definitely some dissimilarities between an interview conversation and a normal conversation. First and foremost, in a normal conversation humans tend to talk over one another. While this may work for normal conversations it is incredibly difficult to edit an interview if the host is talking over the subject. It’s also incredibly important to control the pace of the interview as subjects tend to rush their answers when being filmed. Control the pace by setting the pace. Talk in a calm and slow voice and your subject will be more likely to mirror you.

Don’t Stop recording Even after the interview is over it is best to keep the cameras rolling to catch any candid comments that might be useful in the final edit. At the very least it gives you a little pre/post roll so you can more easily edit. Some times this natural conversation creates the best sound for the project. Subjects are at ease and more relax, therefore creating a more truthful response.

Interview B-Roll and Nat Sound It’s always a good idea to record quick b-roll type shots of your interviewee, in the case you need them to cover up edit points. If you are only working with one or two cameras you can capture this footage at the start or end of the interview. Typical pick up shots include asking the interviewee to nod on camera (good reaction type shots), as well as getting close ups on hands. Be sure to grab a minute or two of the natural sound of the room before shooting (without anyone talking). This is important for covering up edit points. If the sound in the room changes throughout the interview, record the natural sound again!

Remember these tips Ask your subject to say AND spell their names at the beginning of the interview. NO GUM CHEWING WHILE ON CAMERA! Don’t stop recording once the interview is done. Don’t forget to thank the interviewee and answer any questions about how their interview will be used. If you are using a stick mic, as the interviewer always hold the microphone. Do not let them hold it. Always have extra questions.