Curiosity filled the chat - 11 tips on interviewing for video production
Tips on using interviews for video production, some of them particularly relevant to Japan
1 Don’t film the interview
Do you really need the visuals from the interview? By just recording the sound, with no visuals, there will be much less equipment to distract both you and the interviewee, increasing the chances of getting a more genuine conversation going and better answers
2 Have the interviewer on screen
Making the interviewer part of the scene (reporter style or have an actor ask the questions as part of the scene) means that, instead of the interviewer and interviewee being restricted to sitting a distance away from each other, they will be able to move around together and interact more, increasing the chance of a genuine exchange and better answers.
a joint journey of discovery
The interview shouldn’t feel like an extraction but a joint journey of discovery, a collaboration.
3 Voice your emotional reactions as questions/comments
For example, instead of just asking them how many hours it took to make something, a casual genuine comment like “Wow, it looks like that must have taken ages to do - must have been exhausting” shows that you genuinely care and will be likely to get an honest emotional reply that releases tension.
4 Make yourself vulnerable
If you want to go to territory that is going to make them feel vulnerable, mention some kind of similar experience of yourself that will make yourself vulnerable. To take you will need to give.
5 Make it a conversation - usually
The most honest answers are given between trusting friends in a conversation, （https://www.stillmotionblog.com/11-interview-tips/）so try and make it feel like that. But not always. Sometimes people who are used to being interviewed just want to be told directly what you want to ask them and will put up barriers to efforts to engage them in a round about conversation.
6 Start cameras and sound rolling when they walk into the room
Start the cameras rolling early, even filming the interviewee having a pre interview chat with the director, getting their lav mics on and getting settled in. This gets the topic of all this unfamiliar equipment out into the open, acknowledged and accepted quickly. As a bonus, you can often use the casual pre interview scenes for broll if you are short of smiles and different angles
7 Be curious - and show it
If you are genuinely curious about the interviewer and subject then your questions and manner will show it and the interviewee will respond with better answers.
8 Don’t be too polite
Japanese interviewers will often thank the interviewee after each answer - don’t. It makes the interview feels like a one-sided transaction and leads the interviewee to try to answer questions in a way that they know they will be praised, rather than giving a genuine answer.
9 Don’t draw attention to the equipment
Try and have the interviewer maintain a bubble between themselves and the interviewee, without discussing the equipment with the videographer. For example, start the camera rolling before or soon after the interviewee enters the room, or have a discreet signal to let the interviewer know everything is on. No need to shout out “we’re rolling!”
10 Tap into the passion they have
You will be most likely interviewing people who are, to an extent at least, motivated, interested in and, hopefully, passionate about their job or the subject at hand. Ask questions that don’t just require answers that explain but answers that tap into that energy and get it flowing.
11 Be careful about giving questions out beforehand
It’s great to give the interviewee time to think through the answers so they can give thoughtful answers, but this can often lead to overly prepared answers. Particularly to Japan, many interviewees can feel they have to give the perfect answer so will try and memorize it word for word. Stress levels rise as they repeatably try to remember their answers, and when it is delivered as remembered it is often devoid of feeling and therefore persuasion.
