Interview Techniques

[Chuck Fadely]

We've been having a discussion of interview techniques on the NewspaperVideo Yahoo group. By popular demand, I've collected some of the responses here.

And click on this link to hear Michael Kirk talk about his interviews for the must-see PBS Frontline show "Inside the Meltdown."

From Chuck Fadely:
* pre-interview before hitting record
* don't ask yes or no questions
* ask them why
* "tell me about that"
* "tell me that story"
* don't interrupt
* when they finish an answer nod and wait an uncomfortably long time... they'll fill the silence with the sound bites you need
* keep asking the same questions that you need answers to - they'll eventually spit out a good answer - "I'm not sure I understand, could you go over that again?" "I'm not clear on what you mean." "Are you saying that [off base summary of their position]?" "What's the bottom line?"
* Simon says answer in complete sentences
* shut up and listen
* CARE ABOUT the story - if you're not interested, neither will your audience be
* CARE ABOUT your subject - you're doing a job but it's their life
* pay attention! You need to know what you've got on tape and what you still need for the story
* pay attention! You need to know what the story is and stay on track
* pay attention! You'll need to go shoot b-roll of what they're talking about

* get room tone!
* shoot b-roll in the interview setting
* shoot extreme closeups so you have a way to cut the piece
* once the interview starts, don't change your exposure or color balance


From Michael Rosenblum:

1. Focus the interview as you would focus shooting. Don't just hope the subject will say something good. You are looking for soundbites, so drive them. My best question is "tell me about that". ie: "doctors, do you hate them?". "You bet I do!"... "Tell me about that"

2. Where you have 2 opposing points of view, show #2 what #1 said...on your laptop. "Here's what the head of xyz told me this morning" (play clip)..."How do you respond?"

3. Where you have time, show interview subject the rough cut on timeline, then record answers: (ie): "tom, you remember yesterday when we were here and you were rushing the baby to the hospital? I want you to look at this. What were you thinking?" Proceed to record your v/o narrative. Very tight and focused.

From Maria Fowler:
I always tell people there are two ways a shoot/interview can go.....

1. You interview the subject and LISTEN to what is being said so that you can LOOK for this later while shooting b-roll.

OR

2. You shoot first and then when you do the interview you ASK the subject to talk about things you have seen and shot.

This way the words and pictures can work together in your video.


From Cyndy Green:
My #1 rule is to always listen to what the interview subject is saying and make mental notes about visuals that will tie in what they talk about. So if you're doing a story about drug houses and they mention how run-down the yards look or how there is always someone on the lookout for cops...those are visuals you can try to get to enhance the story.

#2 is to keep eye contact with the interview subject...let them know you are interested in what they have to say.

#3 - KEEP QUIET! Yeah, this isn't a conversation and you don't need to say "uh huh" constantly. Bite your tongue and listen.


From Michael P. King:
A long-time mentor of mine, Doral Chenoweth at The Columbus Dispatch (he may be on the list) says his favorite question of his video subjects is "Why is this important?"

Emphasize the interview process, how vital it is to the storytelling process, and how all the technical skills can rarely cover-up bad content. I really believe that we don't capture stories. We're the conduit. We communicate stories for our subjects to our audiences. And we can't do that effectively without inviting the people we encounter to open up their lives and share their innermost thoughts with us.

From Mike De Sisti:
When you discuss the interview process, I suggest stressing the importance of the "why" question. I sometimes consume myself with establishing the who, what, where, and when that I forget about the why. Asking people why they do what they do is usually what elicits the heart of the story.

From Peg Achterman:

Interviewing Techniques
(from KUOW-Seattle's Steve Scher via Peg Achterman)
1. Do your research. Know the subject. Have a sense of what you want to get from the interview.
2. Make the interviewee comfortable. They should feel relaxed. But not too relaxed. Let it be clear that you want to get them talking. But do it by letting them know you are interested and expecting them to get engaged. You want them to be talking to you. They have something to tell you. They are important to you.
3. Write out your questions. Leave them behind. Don’t read them. If you are following a script, the interviewee may want one too.
4. Have a beginning, middle and an end. Have a sense of the arc of the story you want to tell. Have an idea of what you want to get out of the interview. What is your last question? Know your ending. It may change, but think it through.
5. Look for your way in to the person’s head and heart. Listen to what the person is saying. Bring the same intuition you bring to any conversation.
· Most people want to tell the truth, to share a story. They will reveal their feelings. But you have to listen. Watch their eyes. Watch their body language. They will reveal when you hit the sensitive spot. They will usually tell you what you want to hear. You know this, but it takes practice.
· Not everyone wants to reveal. Some want to control. Some people are professionals, expert at managing the flow of information for their benefit. You have to know that going in, be ready to shift the interview away from their control, raise issues outside their comfort zone, shift the focus to personal or make it global. Use any trick you can think of to get them off their script. Find something that will agitate them a bit, something that will force them to defend or explain. For these folks, politicians and other pro’s interested in controlling the information, challenge, surprise and fact based follow-ups are critical. Try to keep them off balance, but still comfortable enough.

The second 5

6. The Five W’s and H should be the beginning of the story. The rest of the interview could well entail asking why over and over and how over and over. You are probing for the heart, or the soft spot, that let’s you understand why the person is doing what they are doing and how they are trying to connect- or think they are.
7. You are the interviewer, not the focus of the interview. You are there to think about what listeners need to know and would ask if they were in the chair. From an expert: I also think about what I need to know from this person who I found interesting enough to start a conversation with in the first place. I am there to bring their story out and get out of the way. I think the less “gotcha” energy the better. Asking more questions that bring out their story, more will be revealed about their nature.
8. You can’t know everything, so know a few things well, with follow-ups based on the interviewees anticipated answers. It will give you some credibility and give you some confidence moving forward into unknown territory.
9. You may have to ask the same question over and over again. Use different approaches, from direct to oblique. Press a person if they are dodging the question. Call them on it. Tell them you don’t understand their answer. Don’t be afraid to make them mad, just not so mad that they shut you out and refuse to answer. Persuade, assuage and cajole.
10. Keep your questions short. One idea to a question. Wait for an answer. Don’t be afraid of silence. Let the interviewee fill it in. You don’t always need words. Use a gesture or an arched eyebrow to draw the answer out.
11. And a bonus: Sometimes there is an answer from a “non-question” – “wow....this is an amazing ranch......” – then leave silence and let them comment.

[David Berman / sitbonzo]

thank you some good stuff here. Make sure to monitor the audio our you may end up with a 30 min tape of great pics but no sound which is what happened to me the other day. It cost me $20 worth of cookies to go back to the fire station!

[Chuck Fadely]

And from Jim Sulley:
"Number one rule is to turn off your blackberry. Mine just went off in an interview I was shooting..." (when this message came into his email.)