Shooting an Interview

Preparation

• Research
  Do your research on the topic of your intended interview. Find out the differing points of view or arguments. Determine your line of questioning. What will be your opinion or your attitude ? What position does the interviewee take ? What is he/she's personality? Are they a warm or cold person. Find out as much as you can about the topic and the interviewee as you need.
• Prepare Questions
  Prepare a list of core questions that will cover the area that you intend. Have a couple of extra back-up questions in case things go pear-shaped. Be prepared to go with the flow if something comes up unexpectedly during the interview. Be prepared to follow lines of questioning that you may not have thought of.

Shooting the Interview

1. Record the Interview
   Dont talk the interviewee out. i.e Dont ask them the questions before recording them to tape. Get them comfortable, make them at ease, establish rapport. Stand the reporter next to the camera, like the drawing below.
   Insert pics here
2. Shoot Repeat Questions by Reporter
   Remember key questions and film the reporter asking them. Get the eyeline right , like so
   (insert pic here.. img float left..) If you have someone spare write down the questions that were asked during the interview
3. Shoot Over-The-Shoulder Shot
   Shoot an over-the-shoulder shot (OTS) so that questions can be laid underneath a sliced up audio track. Dont get a clear shot of the interviewer's lips moving. Just get some jaw movement happening. The reporter will be saying something like "rhubarb rhubarb" and the subject will be saying nothing. Get a shot that lasts from 15 to 30 seconds.
   (insert pic here)
4. Noddies
   Get some shots of the reporter nodding as if to the interviewee. Also smiling, agreeing, looking amused, skeptical, etc. Get about 15-20 seconds. (insert pic)
5. Standups, Pieces to Camera
   These are shots of the reporter talking directly into the camera. They are standard shots. They can be an intro or outro or other. Standard dialog may sound something like this:
   

   "The inhabitants of the tiny island of Mubali are
    usually happy and content. But something has
    disturbed this tranquil paradise... etc "
   	

   Cut to the bulldozer crashing through the jungle.
   Standups can be of the reporter walking towards the camera moving hands in front pontifically.
6. Voice-Overs - V/O's
   These can be recorded onsite to capture the ambient sound. Usually a connecting narration. e.g.
   

   "Head chief BongoBongo is convinced that
    evil spirits have  invaded the island and
    are taking the form of white ghosts"
   	 

   This narration could be covered by shots of anglo-saxon loggers dringking beer, fighting and driving cars/machinery.
7. Pictures
   Shots of action or scenery related to the subject matter. The sound track of these shots are usually discarded and a narration or person talking is dubbed underneath. Make sure that you get plenty of pictures if you dont want the editor to scream at you.
8. Ambient Sound
   Shooot about 30 seconds of natural sound of the environment in which the interview is taking place. It will be used to fill up audio gaps and cover any narration recorded later in the studio. The editor will love you for this.

Editing

1. Log all the shots and record the start and stop times of each question, and the general content of each question and any mistakes.
2. Lay down all the audio content. e.g.
   Intro - question 1 - answer 1 - narration 1 -question 2 - answer 2 - outro .
3. Cover over any jump cuts with scenery , noddies, OS shots etc.
4. Paint the narration over with your "pictures"
5. Tidy up, make the edits a bit snappier, smoother.