This document provides guidance for conducting effective interviews. It discusses preparing for interviews by researching guests and their topics, relaxing guests during initial meetings, focusing questions to guide conversations, and editing interviews to highlight guests while maintaining natural flow. The overall message is that with practice, observation of other interviewers, and focus on guests, one can become a skilled interviewer.

1. But You Can Be a Good Interviewer! Ewan Spence www.ewanspence.com @ewanspence And Senator, You're No Johnny Carson...

2. Introduction This presentation is rated 'G' General use in all media Podcast , Video casts, Written Interviews This is not a technical seminar on software Although I'll raise some points This is a practical guide for the interviewer Guide, not rules The host is unfortunatly rated 'R'

3. Why Am I Standing Here? I have been involved in Podcasting since November 2004

4. Four regular podcasts All About Symbian Insight, The PSP Show, TPN Rock, Edinburgh Festival Fringe BAFTA (British Academy ) for Fringe coverage This year's Fringe featured more than 80 half hour interviews...

5. ...over 25 days

6. My Equipment Sony MiniDisc Exports over USB to wave Gigavox's Levelator Normalisation, RMS leveling Audacity Wave file editing Lame MP3 encoding

7. What is an Interview A conversation between people Generally two sides The host and the guest or guests. Recorded and (sometimes) edited for others.

8. It has a direction and a purpose

9. The focus is on the guest Given the choice between making a guest look good, or making yourself look good... choose the guest!

10. How Did I Learn? By observing and listening to others who are doing it.

11. By building up practical experience and asking for feedback (listeners, guests, mentors)

12. By being incredibly critical and honest when listening back to interviews

13. The Bronze Rule There is no right or wrong way to do this. What I am going to do is talk with you about how I do it. Please consider this a foundation.

14. The Silver Rule The BBC's Reithian Principles To educate... To entertain... To inform...

15. The Golden Rule Watch lots of Johnny Carson

16. As Constant as the Northern Star The guests always changed on The Tonight Show, but people kept watching The constant was Johnny Carson and his attitude. Find your own voice and be that constant. My first Fringe show was very “Home Service.”

17. Sowerby and Luff gave me the best advice “ We've met you, where were you in the show?”

18. The Rest of the Session Preparation Research your guest and their expertise Presentation How to conduct the interview and stay in control Post-production Putting the polish on everything.

19. Preparation What are your goals from this interview? To find out something new?

20. To be interrogative?

21. To discuss a topic, trend or product?

22. To make people laugh, think, cry or call them to action? Something else?

23. Preparation What does your guest want? To promote something... A product?

24. A show, film or appearance

25. A cause, charitable or otherwise To reach out to an audience Build profile

26. Pro-active marketing To put something in public domain

27. Preparation What Sort of show are you doing? Entertainment Music, revue, slam poetry, Traditional chat show Guests on their own subject

28. Material arund the guests for collour and information Round table discussion Regular commentators and guest

29. TwiT style

30. Preparation What should you research? The area/space you are talking about

31. Your guest's personal background

32. More depth in the area your guest wants to speak about.

33. The competition ...of your guest

34. ... maybe of other shows Whatever people are saying about your guest

35. Preparation Where you could research Google their name! Fan sites

36. Online discussions Wikipedia