In groups of five we went out with the task of capturing a short, two minute interview. Each member was assigned a different role, whether it be sound, lighting, cinematography or interviewer. My role was the ‘interviewee’. The backdrop was near the old Melbourne gaol, me sitting on the steps as I was asked questions about the topic of interest, my newly acquired rocking chair.
I have a few interesting stories up my sleeve but it was early in the morning and my brain wasn’t at ‘all systems go’ just yet. Therefore, when I was asked what I wanted to be interviewed on, I said my new rocking chair as it was the only thing that popped into my mind. In hindsight, not the most engaging of topics. Grace asked questions about the rocking chair, the who’s, what’s, where’s and why’s, but we soon found my answers to be predictable and boring. So we turned the piece into a satirical one. I started to talk about how this chair shaped my character and psyche while the camera angle was humorously close to my face and the interview became more engaging with its new tone.
I learnt a few things from the exercise. First and foremost, although anything can be interesting, some topics are more interesting than others. Sound is deadly important and second to that is white balancing. The technicalities are just as important as the content as both can be lost in translation if not done properly. Preparation is key!
Here are some behind the scenes photos of our shoot:
Prepping the sound.
Setting up the tripod.
A moment from action.
