1. PROFESSIONAL EMAIL HELP
And Open-ended Questions

2. PROFESSIONAL

3. PROFESSIONAL

4. PROFESSIONAL

5. PROFESSIONAL

6. PROFESSIONAL EMAIL template
Dear Mrs. Taylor,
My name is Nik Vargonelli and I’m a student at Seneca Valley High School with a passion for
film and video. I’m writing you today to ask for your help with a professional documentary I will be
producing over the next few months on the history and impact of fighting video games.
I realize your time is valuable and you are busy, but your participation as an interviewee in my film will
bring exactly the expertise I am hoping to achieve. Any time that you could sacrifice for a sit down interview
for my production would be greatly appreciated, and I will come to you. The final film will be a highly professional résumé piece that can help my chances of going to college for film studies. Additionally, with your consent, the film will be screened publicly as well as aired on our district’s cable channel.
I plan to gather a variety of perspectives for my documentary and will have countless resources to draw
from for archival footage as well as interesting visuals. Again, your expertise in the field would be invaluable
for this production. I would be happy to answer any other questions you may have about the project including dates and times.
I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Nik Vargonelli

7. PROFESSIONAL EMAIL Dear Mrs. / Mr. / Dr. / Professor __________
Introduce yourself (“my name is and I am…”)
Briefly explain your project (“I will be producing a documentary…”)
Briefly explain why person would be an asset (moderate gushing / acknowledge expertise)
Assure person you’re serious & this is a legit production (“I’m hoping to achieve a level of seriousness…” blah blah blah)
Briefly address relevant specifics (dates, times, how much you’d need them, etc.)
Encourage him/her to reply with questions & THANK HIM / HER (for reading / any help can provide)

8. OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONING

9. Open Ended Questions Allow interviewee to answer in depth
Do not always have single right or wrong answer
Should not be answered with a “yes/no” or a number or a single word.
Are more subjective, provide for more emotion / depth into the person or subject

10. Work on ways to ask your questions in a more open-ended fashion.
Ex. “Is biology your favorite class?”
FIX: “What is it about biology that makes it your favorite class to teach?”

11. ALSO, you may use higher-order thinking terms like compare, describe, envision, imagine, analyze, explain, etc. in your questioning.
(make your interviewee work if he/she is being boring!)
Ex. “How did it feel to break your arm?”
FIX:
“Describe how breaking your arm temporarily changed your life.”
“Can you compare life with a broken arm to life without a broken arm for me?”
“Imagine what it would be like to break your arm during swim season. Describe how different that would be for you.”

12. OPEN or CLOSED? How many times have you been to Italy?
What do you like the best about Italy?
What are some misconceptions people have about Italian living?
How did you feel the first time you went to summer camp?
Where is the summer camp located?
How many people attend the camp?
Describe the most important quality in a person.
How has your school year been so far?
Where were you born?
Why do you think people go to the camp?

13. OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS FOR…
Mayor in the Outer Banks (about to be hit by Hurricane Florence)
1st grader on 1st day of school
Holocaust Survivor
Bruno Mars
Manager of Pittsburgh Pirates, Clint Hurdle