Post on 02-Aug-2015
transcript
What a Great Interview Can Do 2
Give a “window” into the main issue or theme of your
story.
Serve as the narrator so you don’t need one.
Create an emotional connection for viewer.
Today
How can we …
Be more effective storytellers?
Make the best use of technology and budget?
Overcome obstacles on location?
Create a story arc through an interview?
Solve problems on location that translate into better edits?
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Amy DeLouise
Commercials, Features, Documentaries
Production Co. Executive
Writer/Producer/Author/Speaker
Brand Strategy Meets Digital Story
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Getting in Touch with Amy
www.twitter.com/brandbuzz
www.linked.com/in/amydelouise
www.plus.google.com/+AmyDeLouise
www.vimeo.com/amydelouise
www.amydelouise.com (Amy’s Brand Buzz Blog)
Lynda.com
http://bit.ly/ArtofInterview
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Eduardo Angel 6
Director of Photography
Technology Consultant
Educator
Visual Storyteller
Getting in Touch with Eduardo
Twitter @EA_Photo
www.eduardoangel.com
www.TheDigitalDistillery.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eduardoangel
https://plus.google.com/+EduardoAngelVisuals\
Lynda.com courses:
Cinematic Composition for Video Productions
Camera Movement for Video Productions
Lighting Design for Video Productions
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Interview: A 3-Way Conversation 8
Interviewer - Facilitator
Asks questions and guides the discussion.
Guest - Subject
Answers questions.
Viewer - Observer
Follows the conversation.
Research Tells Us… 9
When we connect with other people on screen, we develop “Narrative Transportation”
Empathy
Proximity to content
Identification with characters
Emotions experienced
Our brain chemistry even changes when we are engaged with characters in a strong narrative!
Keys to Interview Pre-Production
PLANNING THE ROAD AHEAD 10
What role will interviews play in your story?
How can you connect audience to characters and settings?
What is the story arc and how can you build it?
What are the best technical tools, given characters, location, timeline and budget?
Define Your Story Goals 11
Get to Know Your Subject 12
Research your subjects. Make them feel you
truly care about their stories and lifes.
Do Your Research
Subject knows you truly care about their stories, their issues, their life
Conduct a Pre-Interview
By phone if possible
Make a recording, with permission
Gives you a personal connection before on-set
Phone actually better than in person
Find out the stories you DON’T want on camera
Get to Know Your Subject 13
Use multiple background sources
Talk to validators
Read articles, blogs, book summaries
Know stories he/she is likely to tell
Learn views, biases, concerns
Gatekeepers
Plan Your Purpose 14
What is the goal of the interview?
Will you be asking the same set of questions or different
questions?
Will the client provide guidance?
Note: never let them define the questions
What is the post-production process?
Role of the DP 15
With director/producer, select:
best camera package
audio gear
lighting strategy
Also consider:
How many cameras?
What kind?
Which lenses?
Accessories (batteries, media, etc) are needed?
Post-production considerations?
Plan Your Style 16
Formal v. Informal
Professional v. Personal v. Adversarial
Planned or Improvised
Standing, Sitting, Active
Studio, Street, Home, Office
Off camera or Direct
Preproduction Questions 17
Are we recording the interviewer?
Individual interviews, couples or group interviews?
Can we scout the location?
When can we access the location?
What is the budget for crew and equipment?
How much time do we have to set up?
Can we set up the day before?
Do we need to move between locations?
Do we need permits?
Are we shooting b-roll to complement the interviews?
Know Your Location
Setting is a character
in your story
Sets tone, supports theme,
defines characters
Contributes to or
degrades emotional
impact
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Location Scouting Tips
If you can’t scout, use tools
Websites
Flickr
Google Map street view
OpenStreetMap
Foursquare
LightTrac
Plan ahead for obstacles Sirens, busy times of day,
internal noise issues—that can distract
Parking, load-in, staging area for gear
Location permits and
permissions
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Releases 20
Appearance Releases
Location Releases
Be careful about
Copyrighted buildings, sculptures, artwork
Logos on T-shirts, soda cans, computers
Fair Use for Filmmakers
http://www.cmsimpact.org/fair-use/best-practices/documentary-filmmakers-statement-best-practices-fair-use
Time Planning 21
20 to 30 minutes per interviewee to get a
great 1-minute clip.
Better to shoot a few long great interviews
than a bunch of average shorter
interviews.
Camera and Lighting Options
Planning for Challenging Setups
Define Your Look 22
DEMONSTRATION
Questions and Research
Preparing Your Subject
Preparing for Your Interview 24
Preparing for the Interview 25
Think like a lawyer
Don’t ask a question you don’t know the answer to
Memorize your questions, but be flexible to follow a
new path.
Use themes and know how they will intercut in
advance.
Prepping Your Subject 26
Don’t send them every question
General themes and topics
“Think of examples about…”
What Not to Wear 27
Send in writing
Include shaving (for men), hair and makeup (for
women)
Ask for multiple options
Follow up 24-36 hrs before shoot
Define “not green” explicitly if doing green-screen
Tools, Strategies and Layouts
ON LOCATION 28
Setting Decisions
Interior or Exterior?
One-Camera or Two?
Setting as Character
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Framing Your Shot 30
Interviewer in or out?
What’s in the background?
Managing challenges
Lighting Decisions 31
Key Light
Natural, sourced or mixed?
Lighting Options
LED Panels Genaray Bi-colors
Nila
Kino Flos 3200 and 5500k tubes
Other Options
2nd Camera Options
Positioning
Sliders
Parabolic
Manual
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Interview Tips
Make people feel AND look good.
Make it a conversation, not an interrogation.
Bring make up, tissues and water.
Look for the catch (eye) light.
Keep technical instructions to the minimum.
Ask people not to look into the camera.
Keep your questions short.
Don’t answer your own questions.
Avoid “Yes” or “No” answers.
Ask people to wait, and repeat the questions.
Prepare Warm up, Important, and Pick up questions.
Get what you need. Interrupt if you have to.
Learn to nod.
Truly listen.
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After the Interview 34
Before you stop rolling…
Ask the interviewee for feedback
Give them opportunity to clarify or mention a topic that wasn’t covered.
Afterwards…
Thank everyone
Interview Setups: Preproduction
EXERCISE PART 1
Interview Setups: The Standup Setup
EXERCISE PART 2
Tips for a Better Outcome
BUILDING YOUR STORY ARC 38
Build Rapport
Pre-interview chat
Introduce crew
Makeup artist can
break the ice —or that
might be you!
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Make a Human Connection
Don’t break eye line—even in audio interviews
Confidence-building
“It’s a conversation”
Smile!
Show you’ve spent the time to learn about them.
Make reference to a speech or book.
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Questions to Build a Story Arc 41
Preamble
Your first questions are throw-aways, confidence-builders
This is not really the open for your show
Open
Some piece of the climax that will grab the viewer and pull them into the story, but not give it away
Often it is the underlying reason the person cares
Short versions for montages or social media use
Ask “how” “why” and examples questions
Questions to Build a Story Arc 42
Climax
Elicit Key Story or Challenge Overcome at mid point
Ask “how” “why” and examples questions
Impact / Resolution of Conflict / Call to Action
Get big-picture answers/Thematic
Elicit a call to action if relevant (better than using text or a
narrator)
Questions to Build a Story Arc 43
Conclusion
The conclusion of the interview should be a high point, but it may not be your ending in terms of the edit
Build in a satisfying end to your conversation for interviewee
Opportunity to continue relationship
Give them the opportunity to share anything additional
Don’t start throwing in extra questions or go back to the big story now
Help them wrap up by asking big picture” questions: “What’s the ONE THING you think people should know about X?”
Going “Off Script” 44
Follow your story
Tips for getting back to the main point
Only lead where you are prepared to follow
Recovering from a “difficult moment”?
Minimizing Narration 45
Interviewee includes your question in their answer “If I say what’s your favorite color, don’t just say blue. Say
blue is my favorite color.”
Get “Room Tone”
Sound of the room will help cover edits
Edit in Your Head
How the sentence will cut—does it have a subject?
Did they mess up—clear their throat on a critical word?
Can You Repeat That? 46
Try body language first
Or a quick gesture
Or a “sorry, I didn’t…”
If you must ask them to repeat, ask another way
Avoid “as I said before”
Get them to use your words
“Can you tell me why this is a bold new program?”
Elise Newman
Jeff Astrof
CASE STUDY 47
More on Story Arc 48
FREE RESOURCE http://www.lynda.com/Video-
Shooting-Video-tutorials/Creating-story-arc-your-
questions/141499/155890-4.html
Interview Setups: Sit-Down Interview Do’s & Don’ts
EXERCISE (EDUARDO)
Techniques for Getting Better Answers
WHAT KIND OF LEARNER? 50
Quick Take
Visual – up
Auditory - side
Kinesthetic –down/right
So What? 52
Visual – needs to visualize; may want to see
your questions first
Auditory – conceptualizes; good storytellers
Kinesthetic –learns by doing; may need to
describe process
DEMONSTRATION 53
Couples, Children, Experts, Foreign Language, Fast Interviews
CHALLENGING INTERVIEWS 54
Experts and VIPs Really know their work
Writings
Lectures
Give big-picture project goals
Encourage storytelling
They may want to give a thesis
Ask “for laypeople…”
Be prepared for them to be distracted
Know the Handlers
Give them a place to sit out of
eye line
Give them an opportunity to talk
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English as a Second Language
Seated best
Q&A format may not work
Offer more background on Q
Ask for a story
Get clarifications, definitions
Be Prepared to Wait
Example: Johnny M.
The Elderly
Interview Seated
Home/office/familiar turf best
Consider interview structure
Subject may tire – get best content up front
Put stories into historical context
Something your subject may uniquely do
Great for new FB timeline feature
Couples
Get to know their style
together
Prep them on which
order
Prep DP on camera
moves
The Very Young
Avoid Yes, No Answers
Encourage storytelling
Ask “how,” “why” and feelings questions
Get declarative descriptors to edit into overly short answers
Interview standing up
Try to avoid parents cueing (speak with them before-hand)
Limited Time Interviews
Build rapport during Q&A
More like a conversation
Memorize your questions
No more than 4, and #3 is the most impt
Keep as many handlers out of the room as possible!
Challenging Interview
EXERCISE
FIELD TIPS FOR BETTER POST PRODUCTION 62
Transcript Workflow 63
Record Timecode and Track Info (speaker name, frame rate, sample rate, bit rate)
TC Recorders: Sound Devices 744t, 788t, 664, and 633 and the Zaxcom Nomad and Maxx
Mixer: Sound Devices 552
Need to record TC to audio track: Tascam DR-05 and -07 and the Zoom H4N and newer H5 and H6
Output mp3 or wav files of audio only
Outsourcing transcriptions
Fastest way to find best sound bites is on paper! Build edit script
Note alternative sound bites for future versions or related web/social media
Shots and Assets That Help 64
Leave time for…
“Interstitial” shots—scenes like cars passing by, kids playing—that help tell story
B-roll of your interview subject
Collect photos that can help
Make sure subject spells name, gives title, etc. at start of interview so you have all info when editing
Scan releases and put PDF with your audio or video files
Using Slates
Digital slate apps
Movie-slate.com
Advantages of
physical slates
No batteries
“Loud sticks”
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Metatag Your Assets
ID source media in the
field – initials, date at
minimum
3-2-1 Backup system
PDF of releases, music
and image licenses with
primary source material
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WRAPPING UP: FINAL THOUGHTS 67
THANK YOU! HOW TO CAPTURE
GREAT INTERVIEWS @brandbuzz @EA_PHOTO
#NABShow15