This document provides guidance on conducting interviews for documentary filmmaking. It discusses various interview approaches and techniques, such as using active listening, allowing pauses, and filming cutaways. It also provides tips for asking questions, such as avoiding yes/no questions and using open-ended prompts. Additional considerations covered include background selection, camera angles, establishing intimacy, and making subjects comfortable.

1. W E E K 5

2. INTERVIEW APPROACHES
• Don’t ask more than one question at once
• Practice ‘active listening’
• Don’t speak while answers being given,
and allow a pause after response is
finished, both for the edit, and because
they might have something more to say
• Film Cutaways & B Roll– walking into
office, making tea, looking over files, out
window, etc. and other people listening,
taking notes, etc in group situations
• “Save it for the interview” – don’t talk too
much about the subject beforehand, to
repeat themselves
• Help people relax and let them know if
something needs changing

3. INTERVIEW APPROACHES
• Conversational interview where
interviewer appears on screen.
• In this case a walking interview can
be good to give a feeling of a
natural conversations, but will need
to be properly covered for sound
with wireless microphones and
possibly a boom
• Capturing discussion between two
characters talking about the subject

4. “TELL ME…”
Asking Questions
• Prompting subjects by asking them, “Tell me about…”
• Repeating the question in the answer for clarity in edit room so you can
cut out interview question. Example:
• Q: “Why did the protests in Hong Kong grow in size so quickly?”
• A: “The protests grew in size so quickly because….”

5. ASKING QUESTIONS
Avoid leading questions, and questions with ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ responses
Example of leading questions that give bad answers:
• Q: “Is it difficult being a domestic worker in Hong Kong”?
A: “It’s not too bad.
• Q: “You’ve been working here for 10 years?”
• A: “Yes”
• Q: “You said you come from the Philippines?”
• A: “Yes, that’s right.”
How could this have been done differently?

6. ASKING QUESTIONS
Use open ended questions
• Tell me what it is like to …?
• How long have you…?
• How did you feel..?
• Tell me about when….?
• Prepare a questions list before hand
• Develop themes so your questions flow, but don’t get stuck on your
questions
• Ask easy questions first and go towards harder or more emotional
questions later

7. CONSIDERATIONS
Background
• How might background effect the feel of the film?
• How will location effect the way character feels in the space?
• Can we learn something about the person through the background?
• What does background convey to the viewer about the story being told?
• Can the same background be found in all interview situations?
• Is it quiet enough (no planes, fridges, screaming children, music)?
• Exterior vs. Interior (considering weather, time of day, storytelling)?

8. “The Law in these Parts”
(2012) Incredible use of
green screen, and a
single interview location

9. CONSIDERATIONS
Camera Angels
• Close up or Medium Close up / straight
on, low angle, high angle
• Often Medium Close up is standard
interview position, with options to
move in if need be
• Getting subjects to look into camera, or
close to into the camera
• Be careful of eyeline! Interviewer is
often best placed as close to camera as
possible
• Looking directly into camera gives
sense of authority, or as though subject
talking directly to viewers
• Low angle gives power to subject,
rather than looking down on them

11. Pushing the Fog of War, Errol Morris, 2003
Talking-Head

12. http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663105/errol-morriss-secret-weapon-for-unsettling-interviews-the-interrotron

13. CONSIDERATIONS
Questions of intimacy
• Make sure your interview subject feels comfortable
• Let them know how long it is likely to take and the kinds of
questions you’ll be asking (if it’s appropriate)
• Have water on hand
• Non verbal listening, and listening in general
• Assure them that they don’t need to be nervous and you just
want them to be themselves
• Make eye contact throughout, and let the subject know that
they should be speaking directly to you, not the camera, and
to ignore other people in the room (if there are any)
• Leave a pause at end of someone speaking

14. Cinema-Direct Last Train Home, Lixin Fan, 2009
Cinema-Veritie