Filming an Interview/Conversation Project

Video interviews are very common and there are some common techniques that you can use. Some of the techniques that you use will depend on the equipment that you have available, will you use one camera or two? Will you use a boom mic or lavaliere mic? Do you have a sound mixer? Will the interview be indoors or outdoors? All of these are things to consider when shooting an interview. The skills of the person doing the interview are also important, when do you move away from your script to get more detailed responses and pursue a particular topic with secondary questions?

Tips on Interviewing

Here are the suggested steps to follow:

1. Find a person to interview, who has a story to tell? A meaningful and compelling story usually results in a more interesting video. Here are some possible topics/stories
   - immigration
   - interesting hobby or skill
   - career interview
   - college interview - similar to the ones shown during announcements
   - veteran interview - ask them if they have a special story
   - mentor interview
   - teacher or admin interview
   - life changing event
   - a leader of a club or organization
   - a special family story
   - sports figure
2. Develop a series of questions that you want to ask your subject. Do some research first to find out more about the topic you will be discussing and the person you will be interviewing. The questions you ask should not be Yes or No questions, they should evoke a more extended response from your subject. Typically these questions are provided to the person you will interview before the interview so they have time to develop their responses.
   
3. If you are only using one camera you will need to shoot the interview first and then shoot the person asking the questions - this will be the OTS. If you are using two cameras be sure to use a clapboard or clap your hands at the start of the interview to sync the sound in both cameras. Use a sound mixer if it is available.
4. Use the close up clip as the main timeline and then add the OTS clips as connected clips when the interviewer asks questions. Zoom in to synch up the sound between the two clips. Once the sound is in synch you can silence the sound from the OTS clip.
5. Create a short sales pitch for the project which you will share with the class before starting your project.
6. Be sure the closing credits include everyone involved.
   

Here are the specs for the project:
______ All video must be the joint work of the group and the original work of the team
______ The finished movie must have a title and closing credits
______ The movie must be at least 2 minutes long and must include OTS and CU shots
______ Must include incidental shots - hand gestures, feet, eyes, lips...
______ Pauses, repeats, and mistakes in the interview must be edited out
______ Use the H.264 Codec
______ 720p HD
______ Resolution: 960x720
______ Music is optional, if you do include it make sure it does NOT drowned out the speakers.
______ The sound must be clear and understandable (use a boom or lavaliere mic!) Don't try to shoot this without a good sound setup. Use headphones to be sure the sound is clear during the shoot.

Alternative Interview Project

If you cannot find someone to interview you can create a script (you must turn in the script prior to shooting, the script must be submitted to my celtx account) for one of the following scenarios:

________ two people becoming a couple

________ a couple breaking up

________ an employee being fired

________ some other scenario that includes face to face dialogue (must get approval first)