Documentary Tip: Capturing Better Interviews

In your pursuit to tell a story through documentary, it's likely that at some point you will need to interview people involved with the issue you're documenting. An interview can be rather harrowing for a person who isn't used to being in front of the camera. Helping your subject feel at ease can greatly improve the quality of their answers. As a documentarian there are several ways you can pull great answers from your subject. First, resist the urge to jump head first into the interview. Give your subject some time to mentally prepare for the questions that lay ahead. You can help by informing your subject what the general focus of your documentary is, and by giving them a vague idea of what kind of questions you'll be asking them. However, avoid giving your subject a list of questions ahead of time. By withholding the questions until the time of the interview, your subject's answers will be more spontaneous and sound less rehearsed. Often your subject will freeze up once they see the camera's tally light turn on. By turning off that little red light prior to the interview starting (or covering it with gaffer's tape), you'll remove the constant reminder that everything they say is being recorded. Once you do hit the record button, begin with the easy questions. This allows your subject enough time to become comfortable answering questions in front of the lights, camera and crew. Once you sense your subject relax a bit, ease into the more hard-hitting questions. Most importantly, listen. Nothing says, I couldn't care less, than simply waiting for your subject to finish talking so you can ask them the next question. If your subject senses you don't care, they will be less likely to open up. Additionally, your subject will often drop clues in their answers that point to deeper issues. If you're listening carefully, you can ask questions based on those clues, and further reveal some truths. By making your subject feel comfortable, they will feel they can be honest and forthcoming. You'll be able to reach the heart of the issue with ease, and your audience will be able to connect with the subject on a much deeper level. For more tips on how to conduct an interview, check out Directing: Documentary Interview Tips. Interested in more tips on Documentary Production? Sign up for Videomaker's free Documentary Course. This free tip series is designed to help you improve your video production skills, fast. Learn More.