Interview Techniques with Amy DeLouise and Eduardo Angel at #NABShow 2015.

1. HOW TO CAPTURE
GREAT INTERVIEWS
@brandbuzz @EA_PHOTO
#NABShow15

2. 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.

3. 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?
3

4. Amy DeLouise
 Commercials, Features, Documentaries
 Production Co. Executive
 Writer/Producer/Author/Speaker
 Brand Strategy Meets Digital Story
4

5. 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
5

6. Eduardo Angel
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 Director of Photography
 Technology Consultant
 Educator
 Visual Storyteller

7. 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
7

8. Interview: A 3-Way Conversation
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 Interviewer - Facilitator
 Asks questions and guides the discussion.
 Guest - Subject
 Answers questions.
 Viewer - Observer
 Follows the conversation.

9. Research Tells Us…
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 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!

10. Keys to Interview Pre-Production
PLANNING THE ROAD AHEAD10

11. 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 Goals11

12. 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

13. Get to Know Your Subject
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 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

14. Plan Your Purpose
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 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?

15. Role of the DP
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 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?

16. Plan Your Style
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 Formal v. Informal
 Professional v. Personal v. Adversarial
 Planned or Improvised
 Standing, Sitting, Active
 Studio, Street, Home, Office
 Off camera or Direct

17. Preproduction Questions
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 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?

18. Know Your Location
 Setting is a character
in your story
 Sets tone, supports theme,
defines characters
 Contributes to or
degrades emotional
impact
18

19. 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
19

20. 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

21. 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.

22. Camera and Lighting Options
Planning for Challenging Setups
Define Your Look22

23. DEMONSTRATION

24. Questions and Research
Preparing Your Subject
Preparing for Your Interview24

25. 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.

26. Prepping Your Subject
26
 Don’t send them every question
 General themes and topics
 “Think of examples about…”

27. What Not to Wear
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 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

28. Tools, Strategies and Layouts
ON LOCATION28

29. Setting Decisions
 Interior or Exterior?
 One-Camera or Two?
 Setting as Character
29

30. Framing Your Shot
30
 Interviewer in or out?
 What’s in the background?
 Managing challenges

31. 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

32. 2nd Camera Options
 Positioning
 Sliders
 Parabolic
 Manual
32

33. 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.
33

34. 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

36. Interview Setups: Preproduction
EXERCISE PART 1

37. Interview Setups: The Standup Setup
EXERCISE PART 2

38. Tips for a Better Outcome
BUILDING YOUR STORY ARC38

39. Build Rapport
 Pre-interview chat
 Introduce crew
 Makeup artist can
break the ice —or that
might be you!
39

40. 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.
40

41. 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

42. 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)

43. 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?”

44. 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”?

45. 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?

46. 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?”

47. Elise Newman
Jeff Astrof
CASE STUDY47

48. More on Story Arc
48
 FREE RESOURCE http://www.lynda.com/Video-
Shooting-Video-tutorials/Creating-story-arc-your-
questions/141499/155890-4.html

49. Interview Setups: Sit-Down Interview Do’s & Don’ts
EXERCISE (EDUARDO)

50. Techniques for Getting Better Answers
WHAT KIND OF LEARNER?50

51. Quick Take
 Visual – up
 Auditory - side
 Kinesthetic –down/right

52. So What?
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 Visual – needs to visualize; may want to see
your questions first
 Auditory – conceptualizes; good storytellers
 Kinesthetic –learns by doing; may need to
describe process

53. DEMONSTRATION53

54. Couples, Children, Experts, Foreign Language, Fast Interviews
CHALLENGING INTERVIEWS54

55. 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
55

56. 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.

57. 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

58. Couples
 Get to know their style
together
 Prep them on which
order
 Prep DP on camera
moves

59. 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)

60. 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!

61. Challenging Interview
EXERCISE

62. FIELD TIPS FOR BETTER POST PRODUCTION62

63. Transcript Workflow
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 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

64. Shots and Assets That Help
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 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

65. Using Slates
 Digital slate apps
 Movie-slate.com
 Advantages of
physical slates
 No batteries
 “Loud sticks”
65

66. 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
66

67. WRAPPING UP: FINAL THOUGHTS67

68. THANK YOU!
HOW TO CAPTURE
GREAT INTERVIEWS
@brandbuzz @EA_PHOTO
#NABShow15