The Interview: Establishing relationships

The Interview: Establishing relationships

• 1.
  W E EK 5
• 2.
  INTERVIEW APPROACHES •Don’t ask more than one question at once • Practice ‘active listening’ • Don’t speak while answers being given, and allow a pause after response is finished, both for the edit, and because they might have something more to say • Film Cutaways & B Roll– walking into office, making tea, looking over files, out window, etc. and other people listening, taking notes, etc in group situations • “Save it for the interview” – don’t talk too much about the subject beforehand, to repeat themselves • Help people relax and let them know if something needs changing
• 3.
  INTERVIEW APPROACHES •Conversational interview where interviewer appears on screen. • In this case a walking interview can be good to give a feeling of a natural conversations, but will need to be properly covered for sound with wireless microphones and possibly a boom • Capturing discussion between two characters talking about the subject
• 4.
  “TELL ME…” AskingQuestions • Prompting subjects by asking them, “Tell me about…” • Repeating the question in the answer for clarity in edit room so you can cut out interview question. Example: • Q: “Why did the protests in Hong Kong grow in size so quickly?” • A: “The protests grew in size so quickly because….”
• 5.
  ASKING QUESTIONS Avoidleading questions, and questions with ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ responses Example of leading questions that give bad answers: • Q: “Is it difficult being a domestic worker in Hong Kong”? A: “It’s not too bad. • Q: “You’ve been working here for 10 years?” • A: “Yes” • Q: “You said you come from the Philippines?” • A: “Yes, that’s right.” How could this have been done differently?
• 6.
  ASKING QUESTIONS Useopen ended questions • Tell me what it is like to …? • How long have you…? • How did you feel..? • Tell me about when….? • Prepare a questions list before hand • Develop themes so your questions flow, but don’t get stuck on your questions • Ask easy questions first and go towards harder or more emotional questions later
• 7.
  CONSIDERATIONS Background •How might background effect the feel of the film? • How will location effect the way character feels in the space? • Can we learn something about the person through the background? • What does background convey to the viewer about the story being told? • Can the same background be found in all interview situations? • Is it quiet enough (no planes, fridges, screaming children, music)? • Exterior vs. Interior (considering weather, time of day, storytelling)?
• 8.
  “The Law inthese Parts” (2012) Incredible use of green screen, and a single interview location
• 9.
  CONSIDERATIONS Camera Angels • Close up or Medium Close up / straight on, low angle, high angle • Often Medium Close up is standard interview position, with options to move in if need be • Getting subjects to look into camera, or close to into the camera • Be careful of eyeline! Interviewer is often best placed as close to camera as possible • Looking directly into camera gives sense of authority, or as though subject talking directly to viewers • Low angle gives power to subject, rather than looking down on them
• 11.
  Pushing the Fogof War, Errol Morris, 2003 Talking-Head
• 12.
  http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663105/errol-morriss-secret-weapon-for-unsettling-interviews-the-interrotron
• 13.
  CONSIDERATIONS Questions ofintimacy • Make sure your interview subject feels comfortable • Let them know how long it is likely to take and the kinds of questions you’ll be asking (if it’s appropriate) • Have water on hand • Non verbal listening, and listening in general • Assure them that they don’t need to be nervous and you just want them to be themselves • Make eye contact throughout, and let the subject know that they should be speaking directly to you, not the camera, and to ignore other people in the room (if there are any) • Leave a pause at end of someone speaking
• 14.
  Cinema-Direct Last TrainHome, Lixin Fan, 2009 Cinema-Veritie