The interview (IV) is a fundamental element of video and television production, used in a huge range of programming. Interviews are a very efficient way of creating content — cheap to produce, effective for gathering and presenting information, and easy to edit into the program. In fact entire programs can be made using little more than interviews laced with cutaways and links.
Producing a successful interview requires a combination of skills. In professional situations these responsibilities may be shared by the producer, director, interviewer, camera operator, audio and lighting technicians. In other situations it is a one-person operation.
Preparation
Interview shoots are very unforgiving. This is a situation in which you must get everything right first time and make the job flow smoothly and comfortably for everyone involved. Interviews will quickly fall apart if things start going wrong or taking a long time. Therefore competent operators should be able to organise and shoot interviews in their sleep. It is a skill which must be second nature, so you should be well practiced in this art before you attempt a "mission-critical" interview.
Preparing for an interview involves:
Contacting and making arrangements with the guest(s)
Choosing a location
Preparing equipment
Traveling to the location and setting up
Final briefing and technical checks
Before you begin shooting, double check everything. If you're not 100% sure that it is all working okay, stop and get it right. Don't use take one of the IV as a practice or test record.
Interview Structure
A video interview can be thought of as a conversation involving three types of people:
The interviewer is the facilitator. (S)he chooses the topic of conversation, asks questions and guides the discussion.
The guest is the subject of the interview. (S)he will do most of the talking and get most of the camera shots.
The viewer is a silent observer who has been invited into the conversation.
This creates a three-way interaction. A successful interview will include all three groups in the correct mix.
Typically, the interviewer begins by setting the scene. They invite the viewer into the conversation by introducing the location, guest and topic. At this point the interviewer is probably speaking to the camera as if they were looking the viewer in the eye.
Next, the interviewer turns to speak to the guest. Then follows a fairly one-sided conversation in which the interviewer asks questions which are (usually) designed to encourage the guest to talk a lot.
The way the interview progresses will depend on the situation. A short vox-pop style interview will last long enough to get the information from the guest and then close, often quite abruptly. A more in-depth or personal interview will usually go through a settling-in stage where simple facts are discussed, then move gently towards the more thorny issues.
The interview is usually concluded by thanking the guest. The interviewer may then turn back to the camera and say goodbye to the viewer, as well as tidy up any script requirements such as leading to the next piece in the program.
Framing Interview Shots
In addition to the normal rules of framing, there are a number of guidelines specific to interviews. Later in the tutorial we will discuss the setup required to get these shots, but for now we'll just look at the types of shot and why they are important.
In most cases the subject (interviewer or guest) is facing slightly left or right of the camera. This shows that the subject is talking to someone else (not the viewer), but by being relatively front-on the viewer is still part of the conversation.
A big part of video interviews is making sure the interviewer and guest are always facing the "right way" so they are talking to each other. If they are facing the same way they will both appear to be talking to an unseen third person.
Avoid severe profile shots — you should always be able to see both eyes. People are very attuned to seeing someone's whole face when they talk and if the viewer can't see enough of the face it becomes uncomfortable. Profiles are also unflattering to the guest.
Common Interview Shots
Interviews tend to use shots ranging from mid-shot to medium close-up (MCU). Wider shots are occasionally used as establishing shots or cutaways.
Important: The following rule is especially important in interviews:
Shots ranging from wide shot to MCU are best for information delivery, i.e. when the subject is talking about factual information.
Shots tighter than a MCU are appropriate for when the guest is talking about something personal or emotional — the shot pulls the viewer into the same emotional space. For this reason it's not usually a good idea to go tighter than a MCU on the interviewer, since their feelings are not the focus and they should be portrayed as slightly detached from the emotion of the topic (but not completely detached).
The Sequence of Shots
Most interviews start with a fairly loose shot of the interviewer and/or guest. Make sure you leave enough room for a name/title key if necessary. It's usually best to have similar framing for both interviewer and guest at the beginning of the interview. As the interview progresses the relative framing can vary.
A common practice is to begin the interview with a mid-shot as the guest talks about the facts, then slowly zoom in to a close up when the guest begins talking about their feelings. This technique is popular in current affairs programs and documentaries. Don't drag the close-up on for too long — after a while it becomes uncomfortable and makes the viewer feel that they are invading the speaker's personal space. Watch television interviews and learn to judge the timing of these moves.
Use appropriate, motivated framing. For example:
If the guest starts using hand gestures, zoom or cut to a shot which includes them (if possible).
If the interview is to be closely edited with other interviews or content, make sure your shots will match as necessary.
And remember: Wider shots for information and casual conversation, tighter shots for intensity.
We will discuss the sequence of shots a bit more when we cover editing interviews.
Composing Interview Shots
Once you are familiar with the basic framing requirements for interviews, here are a few more composition tips...
Set the interview in an appropriate location, perhaps with relevant background features. It's often desirable to make the background appear to be the guest's normal surroundings. If you're outside you could use an identifiable building or landmark; if you're inside you could use photos, logos, etc.
Lighting can help set the mood. For example, soft low-temperature light for an intimate feel or harsh light for a confrontational approach.
The position and framing of interviewer and guest can affect the perceived relationship. For example, having the interviewer behind a desk can provide a sense of authority.
If there are props involved you may be able to place them in front of the interview so they can be shown whenever they are talked about.
Backgrounds
Check the background and make sure there's nothing distracting from the person speaking. Often the worst visual distractions are subtle things the camera operator didn't notice during the shoot, for example:
An object which appears to be growing out of the guest's head.
A sign in the background with some letters obscured to make an unwanted new word.
Try to have something in the background which suits or supports the interview (e.g. a landmark, monument, etc).
Check the microphone and cube. A wind-sock which is hanging off the mic doesn't look good.
Eyelines
It is very important to make sure the guest's eyes are level with the interviewer's. Any noticeable difference makes the interview look uncomfortable, and may even give an unwanted message (such as dominant and submissive appearances).
In studio situations, chairs are adjusted to make everyone the same height.
In the field you may need to be a bit more inventive. In the situation pictured on the right, the interviewer and guest are only ever shown from the waist up. The audience need never know the true height relationship.
Studio Interview Settings
There are many possible settings for conducting interviews. The first one to become familiar with is the seated interview. Whether it be in a permanent studio or someone's living room, you need to arrange the interviewer, guest(s) and cameras to achieve the look and feel which best suits your objectives.
There are a number of common floorplans from which you can choose. Often you will be limited by factors such as space and number of cameras. The guidelines below include options for most settings.
1 Guest, 1 Camera
In this simple case the interviewer and guest are given the same framing and appear with equal prominence. This is useful if you aren't sure who will be doing most of the talking, or if the talk-time is spread evenly between the interviewer and guest.
It is a fairly casual setting, especially suitable for less formal interviews.
1 Guest, 1 Camera
Taking the same situation and moving the camera to one side gives a different feel. Now the guest is much more prominent and becomes the main focus. The interviewer can face the camera at the beginning and end of the interview, but not usually during. This leaves the interviewer with profile framing so your 1-shots will be reserved for the guest. From time to time you can zoom out to a 2-shot, then back in to the guest.
If the IV is to be edited, you will probably frame most of the interview on the guest. At the conclusion of the interview, move the camera to the other side and shoot the back-cut questions and noddies (more on this later).
1 Guest, 2-3 Cameras
Adding a second camera facing the interviewer not only provides a second shot, but allows each camera to reframe its shot while the other camera is being used. This enables you to cut between a range of shots without having to constantly zoom in and out.
A third camera in the middle adds the safety and flexibility of a permanent 2-shot.
2 Guests, 2 Cameras
This arrangement accommodates two guests in a friendly manner. It works well when the guests are somehow connected (e.g. family members or work colleagues), or share similar views about the subject.
If you have one camera covering both guests, they can be covered with a 2-shot for much of the time but you will probably want to include some tighter shots. The camera operator must move carefully between the guests to follow whoever is talking. With the optional extra camera this problem is eliminated as one camera is dedicated to each guest.
2 Guests, 2-3 Cameras
This arrangement may be preferable if the guests are likely to be antagonistic toward each other, or don't want to sit so close together.
2 Guests, 2-3 Cameras
By seating the guests at opposite ends of a table you create a more confrontational situation. This is suitable for guests who hold opposing views on the subject.
Comentarios