The On Camera Interview

Conducting on-camera interviews without having a grasp on the story has caused a lot of headaches for me in the past. Too many times I poured over interview footage or transcripts, attempting to decode what a subject said to form some kind of narrative, wishing they had just said “x” or hadn’t said it “that way”. When I implemented a mandatory pre-interview into my process three years ago, I began noticing the quality of the piece increased, as well as an easier post-production process. Going into an on-camera interview knowing exactly what the subject needs to say and how to say it, allows the focus to be more about getting them to say the right thing the right way, rather than trying to pull the story out of them.  One of the most important assets to the on-camera interview is a pre-interview. Here are 3 things to keep in mind walking into your pre-interview:

Record the Conversation.

First and foremost, record all pre-interviews. If you own a smartphone, you have an audio recorder making it convenient to record your conversations. Everyone has their own style, but recording pre-interviews works well for me on two fronts: 1) I have a terrible memory, and 2) it’s hard to relate to someone when you’re busy taking notes. When asking someone to share their story that is potentially intimate or vulnerable, being an active listener is key. Freeing yourself from taking notes allows you to better engage with what is being said and the mental clarity to ask important follow-ups.

Build Report.

Consider this moment like a first date; not only want to make a good first impression on the person but also develop a level of trust and understanding before moving into that awkward, vulnerable scenario known as the “on Camera Interview.”  On-camera interviews are awkward so having an underlying trust and bond is key to diffusing tension and improving the on-camera experience. In the past, I’ve had subjects tell me that they were glad the first time we met was without cameras and lights because it gave them an opportunity to get to know me first, making the transition to the set more comfortable. With the distractions of lights, cameras, and the looming fear of not wanting to feel like an idiot, the constant at that moment was me. So, treat your pre-interview like you’re getting to know a potential life long friend. The pre-interview is just as much about the relationship building as it is information mining; which leads us to the last item;

Fill in All the Gaps You Can.

The third function of the pre-interview is to gather as much information about the individual’s story that you can. It’s important to have a good understanding and grasp of what you’d like to discover based on the overall theme of the piece. This will help influence your questions to uncover themes of the person’s story that are applicable. The pre-interview allows you to explore various paths into someone’s story without the expense of filling up memory cards or draining camera batteries; making it easier to go down tangents that might prove to hold no value to the final product. Some paths may be ones that the interviewee may not even know exist or feel aren’t a relevant part of their story. 

For example, in a recent pre-interview, the client began sharing his story from the perspective of what he thought was important. Through each follow-up question, I began to dig deeper into some of the larger movements in his life and pulled out of him details of his own story that he had disregarded as useless pieces of information. Having space to really dig into his story, in a comfortable setting, allowed us to produce an even stronger piece than originally planned; which never would have happened if I had just set up the camera and lights and asked basic questions.

Meeting with someone before putting them in front of a camera breaks down some emotional barriers a subject might build up. When a relationship is established with someone in a comfortable environment, it makes the transition to the on-camera interview exponentially easier.