Interviews

From 4docs

Good interviewing techniques are fundamental to many docs but it can be a bit of a neglected skill. Perfecting interview techniques might take a life time of filmmaking and of course everyone develops their own personal styles. Some key things to remember:

• Good research

You can never do enough research. Don't discount the value of preparation, it helps you know what you want to get out of your interviewee - but keep it under check. It is no good if you are so busy showing off your knowledge that the real expert doesn't get a chance to be heard. There is no need to try and impress your interviewee.

• Genuinely good listening skills

It is a real mistake to try and stick to a planned set of questions that were derived during research. You need to genuinely listen and remain flexible to get the the heart of the story. Not listening will make the answers superficial.

Interviewing Tips

• It can be helpful to start with introductory questions that give the person you are interviewing a chance to relax with get used to the camera.
• Finding something the interviewee is really interested in talking about even if it doesn't have anything to do with the story you are trying to tell is another way of getting into a relaxed conversation
• Make sure your questions are phrased in an open ended fashion. This means you are not putting words into the interviewee's mouth and allows for genuine answers.
• Questions with a 'yes' or 'no' answer are no good!
• Don't be frightened of silence. Often it is in the silent moments that the 'moment of truth' is revealed. You will hate yourself when watching your rushes if you've jumped in to ask the next question to avoid uncomfortable silence. You'll see that they might actually have just been about to say something.
• Remember you don't have to interview someone sitting down facing the camera, you can do it whilst they are washing up or walking the dog.
• Never forget to get your consent forms - for more info on these head to the legal section - without a release you can't use the interview however great it is.

Great interviews

Some filmmakers are famous for their interviewing - Errol Morris for one (see Fog of War for an Oscar winning, single protagonist, interview based film).

Errol famously developed a piece of kit called the Interrotron which allows interviewees to talk directly into the camera whilst seeing a projection of Errol's face so they feel like them are talking to him, rather than down the barrel of the camera. Read Errol talking about it on his site. And see it in use here:

David Lynch has just started his Interview Project - a web site with hundreds of short interviews with ordinary Americans - worth checking out.