THE ART OF A GREAT INTERVIEW @brandbuzz at IVMG 2015 #IVMG15
THE ART OF
A GREAT INTERVIEW @brandbuzz at IVMG 2015
#IVMG15
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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Research Tells Us… 6
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 7
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 8
Get to Know Your Subject 9
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
Get to Know Your Subject 10
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
Know Your Location
Setting is a character in your story Sets tone, supports theme,
defines characters
Contributes to or degrades emotional impact
Create the most comfortable environment
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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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Plan for Releases 13
Location Releases
Appearance Releases
https://asmp.org/tutorials/frequently-asked-questions-about-releases.html
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
Consider Camera and Lighting Options
Plan Ahead for Challenging Setups
Define Your Look 14
Enhance the Personal 15
Camera Considerations 16
One vs. Two Camera Setups
Consider primary camera in motion (Dana or Wally
Dolly)
Keep gear and personnel out of sight lines
Create less distance from interviewer to interviewee
2nd Camera Options
Positioning
Sliders
Parabolic
Manual
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Lighting Considerations 18
Key Light
Natural, sourced or mixed?
Lighting Options
LED Panels
Genaray Bi-colors
Nila
Kino Flos
3200 and 5500k tubes
Divas
Tungsten and Daylight lamps
Plan for Challenging Setups
Noisy/busy office
Hospitals
Exteriors
Busy Leader
See the noise
Small camera body;
Rolling bins for gear
Establishing shots
“Walk and talk”
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Obstacles Solutions
Questions and Research
Preparing Your Subject
Preparing for Your Interview 20
Preparing for the Interview 21
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 22
Don’t send them every question
Offer general themes and topics
“Think of examples about…”
What Not to Wear 23
Send in writing
Include time for shaving for men, and hair and
makeup requirements for women
Ask them to bring multiple options
Follow up 24-36 hrs before shoot
Define “not green” explicitly if doing green-screen
Strategies for Better Storytelling
ON LOCATION 24
Framing Your Shot
Interviewer in or out?
What’s in the background?
How does it inform the story?
Will you be using primes?
Will you have time to swap lenses? Will it interrupt the flow? Or is it purposeful?
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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 28
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 29
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 30
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
Wrap Up
Give opportunity to share anything additional
Don’t start throwing in new questions
“What’s the ONE THING”…?
More on Story Arc 31
FREE RESOURCE http://www.lynda.com/Video-
Shooting-Video-tutorials/Creating-story-arc-your-
questions/141499/155890-4.html
Going “Off Script” 32
Follow your story
Tips for getting back to the main point
Only lead where you are prepared to follow
Recovering from a difficult moment
Minimize Narration 33
Include my question in your answer
Give an example: “If I say what’s your favorite color, don’t just say blue. Say blue is my favorite color.”
Get “Room Tone”
More than once in a long interview
You can only notch filter if you can isolate the noise WITHOUT interview
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?
Avoid “Can You Repeat That?” 34
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?”
Techniques for Getting Better Answers
WHAT KIND OF LEARNER? 35
Quick Take
Visual – up
Auditory - side
Kinesthetic –down/right
So What? 37
Visual – needs to visualize; may want to see
your questions first
Auditory – conceptualizes; good storytellers
Kinesthetic –learns by doing; may need to
describe process
Couples, Children, Experts, Foreign Language, Fast Interviews
CHALLENGING INTERVIEWS 38
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!
WRAPPING UP: FINAL THOUGHTS 45
THANK YOU! THE ART OF
A GREAT INTERVIEW @brandbuzz
More from Amy on Lynda.com: http://bit.ly/ArtofInterview
#IVMG15