The first part of the interview process is finding the right person to talk with. Once I start calling people, they tend to lead me to others who have knowledge on the same topic. It is a good idea to ask people if they know anyone else who might be helpful to talk with. Sometimes you have to "Social Engineer" your way up the ladder until you get referred to the "boss" or the real expert on the subject. In my Apollo 11 documentary "DID WE GO?". I went to local bars near NASA Space Centers, with my big TV Camera ( Sony DSR300), hung out and asked people if they knew anyone who worked on the Moon missions...one person lead to another, to another... until I finally ended up in the house of the former Director of Information Systems at Kennedy Space Center. He turned out to be an ex-Nazi who built Rockets for both Hilter and our country. This discovery changed the whole subject of my documentary.

The first thing I do is find a background to film the person in front of. Never film a subject right up against a wall, allow at least three to five feet distance between them and the wall. This help's prevent the person's shadow from appearing on the wall or surface behind them. The Background should enhance what the person is saying. If it is a doctor, use books behind him..a race car driver interview in his garage etc. Frame the person using Negative space..which means have the face fill roughly one third of the screen, while the background fills the other 2/3 of the screen. See photo on top of this chapter for an example. The camera lens should be at the same level as your subject's eyes. The interviewer should be asking questions from right next to the camera lens, at the same level as the lens. ( MTV Breaks these rules all the time).

Lighting the interview can range from a full light kit, or sungun on top of your camera to available light. Sometimes natural light from a nearby window can work. Make sure the light source is coming from behind you (don't film the person in front of a bright window) and watch for reflections in their glasses. Some camera guys bring a clear or textured shower curtian and put that in front of the Natural light source (window) to create a nice lighting effect. If you are using your on-camera light (sungun) make sure you put some diffusion on it to soften it. My favorite Diffusion looks like tissue paper and is called "Tough Spun", I use Half spun which does not cut down too much light from the source...and if the source is too bright I "double up" my spun ( fold it on top of itself).

A light kit is best for all important sit-down interviews. I use Three point Lighting. Key Light, Back Light, Fill Light ( use a large White Bounce Card opposite the key Light). I also add a Background light to light the background pehind the person. My favorite Key light is a Chimera Soft box ( see photo on top of this chapter). This provides a nice even light. Always use a back light ( lowell Pro light) and attach a dimmer to it in order to quickly control it's output level. I also use an Arri 650 with barn doors on the Background, and a white Bounce card to fill in shadows on the person's face. If you are shooting in a mixed light environment ( outdoor and indoor light mixed) you need to put Blue Color Correction gels on all your lights ( I use half blue, because full blue cuts too much light from my sources). If you are in a white room, and your lighting looks too "Flat" with no DRAMA, use BLACK WRAP ( looks like black aluminum foil) to wrap around your lights and create a "Snoot". This will focus the light and give the image a more striking and dramatic look. If you are using a Chimera, you will need to remove it and wrape the Black wrap around the light element itself ( I use a Lowell Omini Light). Put diffusion (tough spun) on all your lights when using Black Wrap "snoots". When I was a cameraman at E! Entertainment in Los Angeles, we would shoot all the interviews for "Mysteries and Scandals" with our lights "Snooted".

Use a clip-on Lavalier Microphone for all important interviews. I own a wireless Letrasonics with a Countryman Lavalier (Tram also makes great lavaliers for wireless systems. I like wireless mics because then I can walk and talk with someone instead of making them sit in the same position for the whole interview. Click on the link below to see my "walk and talk" interview with the man who closed the capsule door on the Apollo 11 capsule right before take off. Sunheisser has a new $500 wireless system (100A) which is the Best Cheap wireless I have tested. Letrasonics cost around $1,500 with a good lavalier mic. You can always buy a "hard wired" (non-wireless mic) for around $100. I like the Sony ECM 44B and 44A ( the Sony 44B is pictured above. The difference between the two is the connection to the camera. The 44B has a pro audio connection (XLR) and the 44A has a consumer Mini Plug). If you can not afford a wireless system you can always just have someone hold the wire of a hard wired Lavalier as the person walks around. I love bringing a person into an environment where something happened, and conduct the interview as we walk around.

I always try to develop themes for all my interviews....try and fiqure out the three or main themes you want to explore with the person you are going to interview. Then I come up with three or four questions for each theme. Questions should be "Open Ended" and elicit a well developed response. Never ask a question that can be answered by "Yes or No". Try using phrases such as " Can you describe?"...Tell me about...How do you feel.?". I also like "Contrast and compare questions". For example: "Can you describe the difference between Today's Building materials and those of the past?".

Once you are in the middle of the interview, never get "Trapped" to the questions you wrote down prior to the interview. I always "Build my Questions" from the subject's Answers. An easy way to do this is to simply repeat the last few words the person has just said. For instance" I love fishing at the river". " Love fishing at the river?" is what I would ask next. This "feedback" technique helps to insure that you are not "Leading " the interview..that the person is finding their own direction and resposnses. Never "Step" on a person's answer...always wait for the person to finish talking before you ask a question or "Feedback". You should also be a good listener and try and build questions from new ideas and subjects that arise during the interview. At the end of every interview ask the person, " Is there any question I missed, or something else that you would like to talk about?". This last question often prompts new and interesting information.

It is important to get a signed release from everyone you interview. There are some circumstances where you do not need a release. News crews almost never get a release, and if you film someone in a public place, and do not libel them...there is a good possibility you do not need a release. For instance I was making a documentary about a City Tow Driver in San Francisco...while filming on a public street he and the Meter Maid were attacked and I got it all on tape. I later sold the footage to Judge Judy and they never requested a release form from me. The same for Real TV, Hard Copy, Maximum Exposure and KNBC news in Los Angeles who all purchased non- exlusive rights to the Tow Truck Attack footage from me.

Click on the Release form above to get a look at a standard on-camera release. You can also print it out.