Interviews
The purpose of interviews
How to conduct an interview
Sound : You'll want to check for any low-level background noises, things like an air conditioner may not be heard while filming but it will stand out when it comes to editing.
Questions : To conduct a great interview you have to make sure you avoid yes/no questions and ask open questions. You should also ask the interviewee before the interview if they can repeat the question in their answer as it'll make edit a lot easier. Also, avoid making any sound, for example, when your interviewee is answering his/her question don't respond instead just nod your head.
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Interviews are conducted in documentary to give the viewer a sense of realism and demonstrates that the filmmaker's views are mutually shared by another person which makes their opinion more valid. To achieve a good interview the filmmaker will an hour of footage and condense it into a few minute interview. The filmmaker may also show an interview that opposes their side of the argument to give the viewer comprehensive information about the topic.
How to conduct an interview
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Background : Before conducting an interview you'll have to carefully plan where you want it to be held, therefore you'll have to think about what you want as your background.
Sound : You'll want to check for any low-level background noises, things like an air conditioner may not be heard while filming but it will stand out when it comes to editing.
Questions : To conduct a great interview you have to make sure you avoid yes/no questions and ask open questions. You should also ask the interviewee before the interview if they can repeat the question in their answer as it'll make edit a lot easier. Also, avoid making any sound, for example, when your interviewee is answering his/her question don't respond instead just nod your head.
Questions for Documentary
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1. Firstly can you tell me your name, age, and what you do for a living? (student etc).
2. From what you can remember, what was the most stressful thing you have experienced?
3. How did this experience affect you? (specifically your mental health).
4. How much do you know about mental health / illnesses?
5. Have you or anyone close to you experienced a mental illness? How did it affect your day to day life?
6. How do you think stress links in with mental health?
7. What do you think is causing such high levels of stress within our society?
8. How do you think we can help ourselves manage stress?
9. Do you think that stress can be a good thing and perhaps help to motivate us?
(ask for her to expand on her answers)
Test Interview
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After concluding the interview I shot and edited I've decided that I'm going to reshoot it. Although the interviewee gives good insight on the topic, presenting the audience with valid information, after editing the video is still very short (two minutes long). In addition to this, there was feedback (when the output signal of the microphone produces a distorted sound) and a lot of background noise which disrupted her answers and can be very easily heard. Also, although her answer were good and insightful there were long pauses and parts where she sounded very loud. These are all things I will take into consideration when reshooting.
Interview - https://youtu.be/-TsYYjdZX1Y
cancer
You have outlined the purpose of interviews within documentaries and briefly how to conduct one. There is some evidence of planning here Sasha as you have written a series of questions relating to your idea. It isn’t clear if this is what you will be using in your final piece, or just research.
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, I’d like you to add to this what the purpose of it is and what you planned to get out of it (useful information to inform more research or sound for a voice over?).
The next step would be to start visualising your idea, this may be in the form of a storyboard or an audio/visual script but the main point is for you to plan the structure of it and how it will flow.