Documentary Unit: Interview Workshop



Why do we need (proper) interviews?

  • They add experience and expertise to your film 
  • They add colour and context 
  • Emotional engagement 
  • Evidence- Personal testimony 


Who do we interview?

  • Experts - e.g. scientists, doctors, lawyers- professional expertise and opinion 
  • Ordinary People 
  • Interested parties-relevant to subject 
  • Officials-  Appointed representatives e.g. Politician, company executives etc. 

Questions which:

  • Allow us to explore the subject we are talking abut 
  • Engage the viewer to get to know interviewee and engage with them 
  • Sometimes we ask questions which add tension or drama- If the interviewee refuses to answer its even better for adding drama 
  • The audience want answers too! 


What Makes a good interviewee? 
  • Relevant 
  • Charisma/‘character’ 
  • Good talker/engaging 
  • Prestige/ importance 
  • “Headline’ appeal 
  • Exclusivity 
  • Whistleblower 
  • Expertise 


WIIFM- What’s In It For Me

  • Preparing for an interview 
  • Prepare your questions- Locally Structured - Prior to your shoot 
  • Know your subject inside out 
  • Lighting and Sound 
  • You can work this out during your research meeting(s) 

Framing

Usually have interviewee to the left/right and not centre screen unless there is good reason (eg. video diary) otherwise we lose interaction and conversation

Plan in case of background noise-messes with audio and cuts

Some interviewed insist on knowing the questions before hand so they know how to answer them

Allow room for conversation to develop naturally

Your first question is often the simplest

Every interview needs a setup sequence

This should be worked out in your shooting script

This is a sequence of shots introducing the interviewee visually which ca sustain the time needed introducing your character.

Vision in/out

You need to decide whilst scriptwriting wether or not

Not- If they are out of vision again decide where the person asking questions is also narrator




Actuality Interviews 
  • Conducted in situ 
  • Allow you to keep the action going (and thus maintain interest) 
  • Questions react events 
  • Time specific 
  • Helps us understand subject 
Sit down

  • Timeless 
  • Controlled 
  • Good for lengthy interview 



  • The interviewer on the day spell their names and tape job description 
  • Look after them 
  • Listen carefully to their answers 
  • Always allow this unnatural amount of time to make it easier when cutting so the voce isn't stuck to everything. Also goes good breathing space between comments. Can be too much information about nothing. 
  • Maintain eye contact throughout 
  • Eye-lines are important 
  • Brief one another on what they want 
  • All crew/cast to turn off/all external sources of sound where possible (Phones, radios, machines) Good clean sound needed from sit downs 
  • Check the shots as they are recorded on a Monitor 
  • Motion to camera op when you want the camera to move toBCU/ECU (discuss in advance) 
  • Don’t switch off- you’re a team and need to maintain conversation 


Director Cont

  • Monitor answers to select potential reverse questions (if interviewer is visible in film) 
  • Listen for the answers which indicate shots and sequence need to shoot 
  • Re-take if needed 
  • Place interviewees in an interesting/relevant setting 
  • Sound op- Regardless of whether the interview questions are going to be in the final piece, try to get a clean recording of them as well. Ensure one of the sound tracks is picking them up. 
  • Do sound checks prior to the beginning 
  • Do not stick on one shot size vary the shots. 
  • Use any breaks-retakes in the interview as an opportunity to re-size the shot 
  • Make the shots aesthetically appeasing 
  • When interviewees are making a really good point, slowly zoom into a BCU/ECU 
  • Even though shooting actuality you don't want to break the immersion of the viewer 
  • When zooming, 7Ds and most DSLR lenses are very focal. As out zoom in the focus throws itself. XD will keep focus 
  • Need to be able to cut away 
  • Noddies 
  • Reverses 

Tricky to shoot/edit- essential for good coverage

REACTION SHOTS]CO+cUTAWAYS and NON_SYNC

Cant break 180degree rule

Natural eye line- Don’t do all people the same way- usually opposing viewpoints are on opposite sides.

Transcript- Interview clips will be cut really well
Organise footage effectively
Become an expert yourself so the experts don't out-expert you
Summary
Be brave
Always leave space between questions and answers
Be Dynamic
Good on framing


lynda.com- A whole website dedicated to documentaries



Sound

Clip Mic- good because the subject will forget its there after a while eliminating self consciousness the frequency wont interrupt
Shot gun mic
Best mic to start off with overall


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