Today we looked at one of the key aspects in documentary filmmaking (well not really) and in tv production, interviewing. Robin mentioned that mostly student tend to do interview in their documentary projects. That being said, He showed us different filmmakers approaches in interviewing, from formal style of interviewing, where camera remains still with two or three camera setup and either with one more take to it. The second style is informal where the camera is not still mostly and keeps on moving and follows the interviewee. All of the approaches had different aspect to it according to what the director or producer wanted it. Both have its own perks. I really like the informal way as the whole process is unscheduled and comes out naturally on screen. It feels more ‘real’ in terms of actuality of the situation.

When I watched Errol Morris’s clip, I was really intrigued of his approach, the key element of his approach was that his subject or interviewee was looking straight at the camera. It seemed powerful and convincing. Also to add on was Morris’s voice when he questions the statement of his subject and to which the subject conforms. It felt so convincing.

After that we did a small class exercise of doing a interview practice, I took responsibility of camera operation. Again I say, sound mixer is always a struggle, too many wires and consumes time, I wonder how the professionals on field cope with this struggle. Anyways, so with this exercise, I experimented with different camera angle and positions for this interview with extreme closeups to mid shots. I think over the shoulder shot seemed appealing to me, maybe because of the depth and both of the participants involved within the same frame. I personally wouldn’t go with interview in documentary filmmaking, I’m more towards the observational mode (Term coined by Bill Nichols) of documentary filmmaking.