Monday, March 12: Documentary Interview Technique

As we shift our focus towards final project for the class, one thing that will be a very important tool in your filmmaking arsenal is a solid understanding of how to conduct and shoot an interview.  Many of you could incorporate personal stories in this or future projects, and there are a lot of different techniques that can get you the footage and narrative you need.

Some of this might be second nature to you, and some of it is a little tricky to remember.  We've all seen countless examples of interviews in the media we've grown up with.  Sometimes it's very direct, like a talking head on a screen, and other times it's embedded within a more complex set of visuals.  Pay attention to interviews you think are effective, which ones do you trust?  Which ones are you skeptical of?  What is the style of the interview contributing emotionally to the story?

I want to take a look at a video that's blown up and stirred a lot of controversy in the past week or so.  It's a documentary of sorts - but it's also an amazing demonstration of social media, and some very interesting techniques that are specific to our current time and place:

The Kony 2012 Video has a ton to discuss.  My main questions for you are: Do you trust the filmmaker?  Why or why not?  What techniques are being used here?  What do you want to do next, after watching this piece?

Discussion about this is a great jumping off point for the rest of our day, and moving forward thinking about your projects for the class.

Now, let's break it down in terms of thinking about it in your own work.  Like everything else in your project, the key to a great interview starts long before the camera is actually rolling, and doesn't end until you've locked in your edit.  Every step along the way contributes to the quality and message your interview will ultimately have on your viewing audience.

During the process of pre-production, or whatever time you have prior to your interview there are a few key things you need to determine for yourself.

The first is obvious, and comes with any project - what is my topic?  And more specifically, what is my focus?  With documentary each of these will be subject to change, but you need to have something compelling to go on.

It's always ideal to spend some time with your subjects and your topic without a camera.  If you're doing a piece about the circus, ideally you get to hang out at the circus a bit without a camera and get to know the characters, the stories, the sights and sounds.  As you do this, you'll find that something more specific starts to develop - rather than being just about the circus, perhaps it's about the treatment of the animals, the history of the freak show, the traveling lifestyle, one specific clown -- there's about a million different movies within that topic.

As you start researching and spending time with your topic, you'll probably find that your focus narrows.

As these ideas form, start thinking about your interview subjects - who is the most interesting and compelling?  Who can do the most to help you tell your story?  Who has an interesting perspective or anecdote?  Don't choose the most charismatic person if they have nothing to add to your piece.

Start thinking about your own role as a filmmaker and interviewer?  How are you going to let the audience know that they can trust you?  What is your involvement in the piece itself?  Are you going to let them know why you're interested in this subject -- or are you going to keep your presence behind the camera?  These are all very important questions to answer.

Someone like Michael Moore embeds himself within his work

Or Morgan Spurlock, who is the filmmaker and the subject.

Ken Burns doesn't appear at all in his work, and his influence is in the stylistic choices of the camera and edit.

As you start to lock down some of these bigger choices, and deciding who your interview subjects will be and what your own role as a filmmaker/interviewer is, it's a great idea to conduct pre-interviews.  These are broad overviews of the subject matter that give both you and the interviewee the opportunity to prepare for the on-camera interview.  You can do this in-person, over the phone, even through e mail.  These questions may or may not be used in the actual interview, but most importantly they serve as a way to get some basic stuff out of the way early, and prepare both you and the subject for your respective interview styles.  You can also use their answers to inform further questions that you'll use in the interview.

Now that you're ready to conduct the interview on camera, there are a few things to consider.

If you're the director as well as the interviewer, you have a lot to keep track of.  Decide early on some of these factors so that you can keep yourself focused on the interview itself:

The Environment: Think about what the best environment for your interview is?  Do you want it to be something formal, like a studio?  Do you want to put it in context (i.e. backstage at the circus?)?  Where will your subject be most likely to give you the content you're after?

(Also consider the effect the environment will have on your sound!)

Framing: Is the interviewee going to be looking at you, or right at the camera?  Are you going to be seen at all?  Why?

Sound: What kind of microphone are you using?  Lavalieres are often smart for interviews, but they can be a little more set up and carry issues of their own.

Providing basic comforts: How can you keep your subject comfortable?  Consider where they are, have water on hand, and if necessary make sure you've provided proper food.  Think about your lights and microphones, and the placement of additional equipment and the camera -- it can add up to be kind of intimidating, so how can you best set up for your subject and interview?

Once you're all set up and ready to conduct the interview itself, here are some important tips to remember:

• It's okay to give explanations and directions:
• It can be a great idea to give your subject an idea of how you're going to proceed.  Let them know if you might interrupt them, or move subject areas.  It's perfectly acceptable to ask a subject to repeat something they've said, or to re-word it in a shorter sentence, etc.
• Have them put the question in the answer - especially if you are going to cut out the interviewer.
• Make sure your subject knows to repeat your question in their answer.  For example, if you say "what is your name?" they should say, "My name is Beth" rather than just, "Beth."
• Finding your genuine self/empathy:
• Be real.  Be relaxed - you need to be the one in control during the interview.  The best way to do this is to let your subject know that you care about what they're saying.  Even if they're moving off topic, be polite in re-guiding them.  If you anticipate navigating into difficult topics, be ready to respond accordingly.
• Structure your interview:
• As you think about the order of your questions, it's usually a good idea to start with the easy stuff and progress to more in-depth things.  Start with the super basics, then maybe move on to things you've covered in the pre-interview.  Then start moving in new directions and ask any tough questions.  Think about starting with factual material and then moving on to anything subjective.
• Phrase your questions to avoid yes/no or simple answers.  
• Don't put too much in the question if you want the subject to give you a genuine answer.  Rather than "Was that difficult for you?" say "How did that make you feel." etc.
• Be ready to blend between planned and spontaneous questions:
• You should always come in with a strong list of planned questions.  But don't be so rigid that you don't follow promising answers with important follow up questions - if something seems relevant to your topic, ask more about it.  Similarly, don't just wander down every tangent your subject may go on, use your planned questions to get things back on track where you want them.

Your behaviors:

Post Production: