Brief Notes on Conducting and Shooting Interviews

 

The purpose of an interviewer is to simply draw people’s stories from them the work as a catalyst for the audience, the interview either wants to fulfil the interviewers purpose or resist and deflect it.

Initial Interviewing Preliminaries

Make sure to watch some Lois Theroux

• During research conversations, note down how to draw information through broad general questions.
• Be cautious that questions do not interrogate the interviewee, and don’t imply negative manipulative intent.

“You see there are spontaneous moments of humour, inspired questions, and well-judged pauses, but also self-consciousness, persuasion tilting into manipulation, haste disguised as enthusiasm, and timidity masquerading as respect. What a rendezvous with the ego!”

Often directors work hand in hand with a researcher, who locates participants and learns about them, which often leads to whether the interviewee would prefer to discuss their topics with the researcher or Interviewer, a familiar ear, or a fresh new ear.

The presence of others is an important thing to consider in an interview either on stage or off stage, as it can influence either positively or negatively the information the interviewee might give you.

Groups can also work well, as different people can prod each other into a more impulsive response, a best-case scenario involves them turning to each other and forgetting all about you. After imposing your question “You can remain happily silent because your task is to catalyse people’s thoughts and feelings”.

 

Shots while interviewing

 

• Wide shot (to cover the questions
• Medium shot (for the answer)
• Close shot (For emotional shots)

 

“During a lengthy answer, alternate between medium and close shots. During a new question, however, drop back to wide shot. I try to change image size whenever a speaker shows signs of repeating something. Since repetition is normal, the subsequent versions are often more succinct. Then, if it’s in a different image size, you can cut between the two versions.”

 

Camera Positioning

 

• On Axis Interview: Positioning in the camera directly above the interviewer can give the illusion that the interviewee is talking directly to the camera.
• Off Axis Interview: Positioning the camera to the left or right of the camera in or out of frame has the interviewee looking off to one on side of the camera.

 

Editing Out the Interviewer

 

This can be an awkward process, but you’ve got to let the interviewee know that they need to start their answer with an “I arrived in Alaska…” etc.

 

Jump Cuts

A jump cut is when two similar images mismatch, and the footage between them appears to have been

removed. This makes for a choppy, and unprofessional look.

There are various solutions to this.

Firstly, it can prove to be an advantage to shoot the entire interview with the camera stationary, making the edits seem more seamless, you can fill the small gap with a simple nodding shot, but it is said that it may appear “bogus”

Secondly, We can create multiple Interview strands in parallel, cutting between them, abbreviating each as you go. ?

Thirdly, you can use varying shot sizes throughout the interview, which means if you do cut back to them and the camera is viewing them in a different zoom or focus, it won’t seem out of the ordinary. This way leaves you with more options.

 

The Interviewing Personality

 

“If you are formal and uptight, your interviewee will be more so. You’ll only get spontaneity by being relaxed and natural yourself. I try to lower pressure on interviewees by making my first questions deliberately slow and bumbling. That way I show my expectations are totally unlike the manic brightness of the live television show, where hosts chivvy people into performing.”

 

When beginning an interview, you cannot start with personal open questions, you’ll first need to make them comfortable asking simple questions about facts and things, and obviously, avoid questions that will push them into to discussing their views in a certain direction.

Feedback is important, but keep from being vocal. Look into Louis Theroux for this, he’s fantastic at keeping silent but clearly listening.

Aim to bring out emotion. Many people want to come across stoic, and don’t want to appear self-indulgent, this will lead to a very general answer. Eg. “How did that rejection make you  feel?” “Well, you simply need to move on and get over it.”

With these kinds of people, you may need to be more specific with what you want to know, respond with something like “What were some things you did to help yourself get over it?” Many interviewees, (particularly men) will not be open with the way they feel, so to get information, you’ll need to ask stories, stories, stories.

 

      “The best interviewers really listen and press for specifics and examples. Simple rejoinders-such as “How?” or “Why was that?” or “How did that make you feel?” or “Talk some more about that, would you?”- liberate the sentient being from the stoic observer. Asking the interviewee to take time and talk about pictures in his or her mind’s eye can also elicit a better kind of telling.”

 

Don’t catch them when they fall. Often when an interviewee is talking about something very emotional or troubling they may cry, and it’s important to stay silent rather than comfortable them. Often after explaining a huge topic or memory, they’re all over the place, and it’s difficult to get a flowing and accurate answer. You can often ask afterwards “Maybe you’d just like to go over that once more and give me a shorter version”.

Before ending the interview, you might like to say “Is there anything else you’d like to add?”