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The bulk of information in most documentaries comes from interviews. Because of this, thorough
preparation of subjects, locations, and crews for interviews is often crucial to getting
a documentary story told.
Among all of the craziness that goes in to making documentaries, interviews can actually
be the easiest, most informative, and fun parts to do. Of course, that's only if you
start off right. To help you get off on the right foot, we'll show you what equipment
you'll need, give you some tips on how to make a room look great, what you should include
in your talent releases, and how to make sure your subject looks great on screen as well.
Lastly, we'll dig deeper into subject appearance by showing you how to get good subject positioning,
what kinds of clothing work well for the screen, and how to overcome facial and lighting problems
with makeup.
The key to any good shoot is having the right equipment. Since it's better to be safe than
sorry, it's always a good idea to check your camera, audio, and lighting gear the night
before the shoot to ensure it is working properly. There's nothing worse than showing up on a
shoot with broken equipment. (DL) It's also a good idea to make a checklist with the equipment
you'll need for the interview. This way you can be sure you have all of your equipment
before you leave your studio. Amongst your equipment, you'll want to bring a lavalier
microphone to capture audio. These kinds of microphones are small enough to let the subject
forget that they are even being recorded which will help them feel more relaxed and open
when speaking in front of the camera. It's also good to consider what lights you'll be
using for the shoot. Since incandescent bulbs can heat up a room rather quickly, it is a
good idea to use lamps that produce less heat such as fluorescents or LED's. Though they
are more expensive, they can stay on longer and will help your subject feel more comfortable.
Lastly, since cameras are often intimidating to interview subjects, you'll want to back
the camera off from your subject as far as your zoom lens will allow. This gives your
subject more room, gives the shot a shallower depth of field, and makes your subject a bit
less nervous which can lead to better interviews.
Of all the factors in an interview setup, the room appearance can be the most nerve
wracking. However, room appearance says volumes about the character of your interview subject.
Because of this, arriving at least an hour early to any interview is a good idea. (Still)
This will give you the time to discuss any changes that the room needs with owners and
to set up lighting before the interview begins. This will also be the time to close the shades
or apply CTO gels to windows for lighting purposes, turning off lamps and overhead lighting,
and to move chairs and tables to get more room for equipment. Also, if you want to highlight
props or areas of the room, you'll want to make sure you have smaller light fixtures
with barn doors to give the objects the attention it needs. If you don't have much set up time,
using a camera and lens that can get a very shallow depth of field is very helpful. With
it, you can simply knock the background out of focus which draws attention to your subject
and covers up any mistakes the room may have.
Staying legal in documentaries can save you from losing your money and your reputation
so signed talent releases are a must. These releases should be written by a media lawyer
and should include at minimum the name of your subject, the subject contact information,
the title of your project, what kind of compensation will be given to the talent, where you'll
be using the footage, and of course a signature from both the subject and the filmmaker.It's
also generally easier to get this signed before the interview takes place since subjects can
sometimes get nervous if it's done afterward.
The last factor you'll want to consider before an interview begins is your subject's appearance.
Interview subjects are almost always apprehensive about being on camera to begin with so you'll
want to consider ways to make your subject look better on screen by positioning them
correctly, making sure they are wearing camera-friendly clothing, and applying makeup when needed.
Unless your subject is directly addressing the audience, it's a good idea to have them
looking a bit to the left or right of the camera's lens. Subjects tend to feel most
comfortable and relaxed talking to a person rather than a piece of equipment so make sure
you have someone standing at eye-level to the camera's lens that your subject can talk
to. At the same time, you'll want to frame your subject in such a way that they have
“looking room.” This means that subjects should be either on the left or the right
third of the frame looking in the opposite direction.
The next factor to consider is clothing. You'll want to instruct your subjects not to wear
pure white, black, or red clothes since they tend to be too bright, dark, or saturated.
Also, thin stripes and tight patterns can cause a rainbow-like moire pattern to appear
on the screen. Lastly, if it's possible for a subject to take off any sunglasses or prescription
glasses, that can help you to see their eyes better and avoid reflecting light back to
the camera lens.
Lastly, you'll want to consider using makeup if your subject's skin is shiny or has visible
defects. A bit of powder can go a long way in making skin appear less shiny and having
different colors of foundation can help cover skin defects. You can also use diffusion filters
and higher angles to make wrinkles less visible. Using tools like these makes sure that every
subject looks good on screen and is happy with your product.
Though there's a decent amount of prep work required for any good documentary interview,
it's always worth the effort. By doing this work you can be sure that you'll have a relaxed
subject, a great shot, and a documentary that's informative and compelling.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZyJipLbJRs