Articles | Jim's Interview/Documentary Tips

Planning

Research your topic and formulate your basic approach. Decide:

The structure of a feature story or documentary is a lot like an essay or article. Try to hook the viewer's attention at the beginning, present new information, and provide closure at the end.

Discuss the topic in advance with your interview subjects. They will probably have some ideas for you.
Schedule a time for the recording in advance of your shoot. If possible, make a site visit to scout possible locations. Be sure to schedule time after each interview to shoot B-roll.
Interviews can be shot in interesting locations. Ideally the location ties in with the topic or the person- but this is not always possible.
- Where would you shoot the director of the Musical Arts Center? What would be in the background?
  - What about an ice cream vendor who works out of a van?
  - How about a local skateboarder?
You'll want access to the location to setup lights and audio about an hour before you start recording the interview. As you consider possible locations, keep the following in mind:
- Is it quiet? (fans, construction, car & pedestrian traffic)
- Consider the background behind where the interview subject will be located. Does the background tie in with subject or content, or is it a distraction? Can you position the camera far enough away from the subject to get a small depth of field?
- Is it free from problematic lighting issues (large windows, etc.)
- Enough room to set up lights?
- Is there AC power for lights and other gear?
- B-roll opportunities?
Discuss clothing/makeup requirements with your interview subjects. (Avoid white clothing, commercial logos, other people's intellectual property, etc.)
Think about and plan the B-roll - this is what makes the story interesting.

Production & Set up

Assemble equipment and supplies. Sample gear list:
- Camera (+ batteries)
- Tripod
- SD/CF card(s)
- Lav microphone (extra AA batteries)
- XLR cables
- Headphones
- Light kit, gels, diffusion, & extension cord
- Reflector & extra C-stand
- Releases
Get to the location an hour before the start of the interview. This will give you time to setup lights and audio- and also time to fine-tune it.
Check your recording format! (proper bit-rate, frame rate, 0 dB gain, no shutter, proper timecode, etc.)
Use your PA or yourself to check framing and lighting. Be sure to keep your subject's focus/gaze close to the camera. (If the interviewer's gaze is too far away you'll end up with a profile.) You want to see both eyes clearly. If you see the reflection of light in the subject's eyes, your key light is in the right position.
Is camera level? Are there distractions in the background. Is lighting close to perfect?
Make sure your audio is working and sounds good.
Make a test recording.
When the guest shows up make them feel comfortable, thank them for their time, and have them sign a release form.
Final tweaks:
- Check talent’s physical appearance (hair, clothing) before shooting.
- Audio: check levels
- Lighting: Does your subject stand out from the background by a few f-stops?
- Is the subject framed nicely? (Strong composition following the rule of thirds with proper lead room and head room, pleasing background, nicely lit, camera level, etc.)
- Make sure there are no distractions in the background

Production:

Sit just to the left or right of the camera with your eyes at the same height as the lens.
Don’t forget pre-roll and post-roll. (I usually just keep rolling during the whole interview.)
Check audio levels and monitor the recording with headphones
Give yourself room to push in if needed. I almost always shoot at a MCU or CU with room to move into a CU or ECU.
Start recording and have your subject spell his/her name and title. You might need this for their ID graphic. If you forgot to get a talent release, record an on-camera release.
Keep your eyes open for potential problems or bad habits. (Collar straight? Hair neat? Bad Habits: rocking back and forth, shifty eyes, etc)
Use an “ice-breaker” question to start. (Where did you grow up? When did you move to Bloomington?)
Ask open-ended questions.
Don’t interrupt - always wait an extra few seconds before jumping in with the next question.
Listen carefully to the responses (They might lead you to another angle.) Also consider your planned B-roll and any other footage you also need to shoot.
Look interested. Nod and act encouraging.
Don't hesitate to have them repeat the response if there is a noticeable flaw or if you want to get a closer shot for editing.
Sometimes you need the question restated in the answer.
With microphones in place record at least 30 seconds of room tone.

Wrap

Ask the talent if there is anything they'd like to add.
Shut lights off immediately and strike all other equipment before putting lights away. They need up to 15 minutes to cool down.
Shoot appropriate location B-roll.
Thank your talent
Remember which batteries are dead, which have some use and which are still fresh.

Shooting B-Roll

Can you name some techniques you learned in class that will help you get outstanding B-roll?

Shoot mini-continuity sequences (think about the 180 degree line, cut on matching action, etc.)
Shoot film-style (Changing shots by 30% or so, and overlapping, repeating action)
Remember the rule of threes (consider the shot you are taking, the shot you'll use before it, and the shot you'll go to after it)

Avoiding Jump Cuts in a single character sequence: Sometimes you need to shoot a sequence of a subject for B-roll over an interview or for a montage. When shooting, have the talent enter the shot or leave the frame, or use a camera movement to change the focus either up to or away from the subject. The reason is that we don’t want to cut from a shot with the subject in the frame to another shot with the subject in the frame.

Editing

Start with something to capture the audience's attention.
Your topic and approach should be obvious to the viewer in the first 15-20 seconds.
Try focusing on audio first (Your soundtrack will be interview audio, music, nat sound, & possibly some SFX). The next step is to fill jump cuts with B-roll, montages, etc.)
Avoid jump cuts in your interview (cover interview edits with B-roll)
Cut out "ums, yeahs, buts, and "so" (frequently tacked on at the end of a sentence).
Use several shots at a time for B-roll (not just a single shot). This lets you set a rhythm and use the mini-continuity sequences you have artfully captured.
Capture audio - Nat audio is important.
Find a strong close/conclusion. Consider book-ending as a technique. (Begin and end in a similar manner.)