Broadcast Interview Techniques
Broadcast interviews take finesse and advanced preparation to pull off successfully. Camera angles, clear sound and proper lighting are key to capturing an interview with enough quality to broadcast. It's just as important, however, that the interviewer ask the right questions and keep the interview flowing. Showing genuine interest in the subject and asking open-ended questions are important to relaxing the interviewee and getting him to talk.
Asking the Right Questions
Do your homework before walking into an interview. You should already have your questions ready, but showing some knowledge about the subject will show your subject that you really care about her perspective. It can also help you ad-lib some questions if the subject goes off on an unexpected tangent.
After the camera starts rolling, it's best to take some short notes during the interview for later reference when you're editing. Write down your unscripted questions so you don't interrupt the person talking. Use a tape or digital recorder during the interview to back up your notes, but make sure your subject knows it's on.
Warm up your subject with some easy questions first, then move on to the hardball questions in the middle of the interview. Be diplomatic. Don't ask, "Why did you spend $100 million in public money on the monument?" Try: "Your critics say you wasted money on the monument. What's your answer to them?"
Ask open-ended questions. "Yes" or "no" questions such as "Were you scared?" are one-dimensional and will usually elicit a "yes" or "no" answer. Instead, ask: "Tell me how you felt when you saw the fire" or "What was going through your mind when you rushed into the burning building?" Similarly, don't use a statement for a question. For example, don't say, "The fire was hot that day, huh?" Instead, try "Tell me about the heat." Limit your role as interviewer to a listener and avoid talking too much. This is your chance to capture the subject's thoughts, not your opinions.
Setting Up Interview
Choose a background for your subject that isn't busy and complements their colors. For example, don't place a person with a dark-blue sweater against a dark-colored wall. Make sure the subject is relaxed, but also alert. Sit about 10 to 15 degrees to one side of the camera. This is a good point for your subject to look at and it's a nice angle for the camera.
If you don't have the technology to properly light the room, seat the person beside a large window. Don't place the window at their back. Wireless microphones work best, but make the best of what you have. Fashion a microphone boom out of a broom or fishing pole. If you don't have an external microphone, the subject should be no more than five feet from the camera.
Tags: your subject, Broadcast Interview, Broadcast Interview Techniques, during interview, Instead Tell, Interview Techniques