Single-camera Interviews RTV 322 REMINDERS: 1--See course outline for upcoming exam, due dates, project guidelines, etc. 2—News Package materials were made available this week. See Project Guide. Due by next Friday. 3—Next Thursday as a work time: Reserve a camera and shoot one interview OR reserve time and edit the news package 4—If you don’t complete projects as assigned or meet deadlines, you probably won’t pass the course. Confirmed Promotional Video client was due by last week. Interviewing starts next week.

Single-camera Interviews RTV 322 PRODUCTION: 1—Quiet location (phone, office, sign, etc.) 2--Proper lighting 3—Closed miked ‘dress the mic’ / you’re off mic 4—MS./ MCU Objective POV 5—NOT a 2-shot 6—Good total screen composition 7—coverage after the interview

Interviews To find “gems,” of information Producers must plan for the host conducting thoughtful and thorough interviews with credible sources Good, timely interviews have a feeling of: – Immediacy of the information – Creating a mood – Giving essential detail – Interpreting events – Giving viewers emotional and/or rational reactions – Not watching talking heads, but engaged with a conversation – bring out personality

Interviews Skilled interviewers: – Ask insightful questions – Ask questions at the right time – Probe for honest answers without offending *This comes from knowing as much as possible about the source before doing an interview – the script See Project Guide for script sample and due date

Interviews Good interviewers write a few key words and have only four or five questions planned to start - the rest of the interview comes from the dialogue exchange Specific to the guest interested you? background? qualifications? stance on… future?

Interviews Tough questions… – are warranted but can also offend the audience if asked without just cause – Play hardball with the interviewees who try to “dodge” the issues – Follow-up, probe

Interviews Avoid Yes/No questions or questions that “lead” sources to only answer a certain way – Ask questions that require an articulate response Avoid saying “I see” or “uh-huh.” – This may indicate an understanding to the interviewee, but the audience may assume you are agreeing. – --News gathering interview: this will cause editing problems

Interviews Avoid asking two-part questions – One or both parts may be forgotten and it may allow the interviewee a chance to avoid unwanted questions Avoid obvious questions – It is a waste of time for you, the interviewee and the audience Avoid questions of bad taste – Be sensitive to a situation - let your conscience and sense of humanity guide you

Interviews Put your sources at ease with these techniques: – Host should appear relaxed him / herself – Prepare interviewees before you begin; let them know what story is about and what to expect – Use constant eye contact – Be a conscientious listener – Encourage the camera crew to consider the interviewee

Interviews Vary question types Open ended vs. closed-end Primary vs. Follow-Up Interview script will establish this; host will implement

Interview & Script Types Opinion Personality Information Ad-lib Scripted Semi-scripted

Keys to interviewing success Break the ice with questions you do not intend to use – FIRST THING: ‘please say and spell your name’ – Start a conversation so the source gets comfortable talking with a mic and camera Jot down two or three key questions for reference – This will help you remember what information you are seeking, no matter where the conversation may try to take you Know when to shut up – Nothing is more annoying than watching a reporter ask questions that are longer than the answers

Keys to success Ask a subject to explain an important point again – This will serve two purposes - ensure you get the key points AND send the signal to the interviewee that you care about important information and want to get it right. This will also help sources have faith in your reporting Always remember the goal … to elicit a powerful, concise statements from a credible source

Typical single cam field Interview ‘Master Shot’ Question inserts 2-shots and other angles

Interview Questions? Information Interview about someone and something they are involved with. Gather information from your guest. Create a semi-scripted script as shown on linked sample. Different backgounds for each interview Context of Promotional Video must be in mind ###

Types of Interviews Personality Opinion Information

Types of Interview scripts Fully scripted Ad-lib Semi scripted