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Figure 5.32 When conducting an interview in a public place, be mindful of other people and noise in the background.

location? Does it provide more information or context to the viewer? Would you interview a basketball player in a conference room, at the gym, or in his home? Which makes the most sense for your story?

Resist resorting to clichés when choosing environments for shooting interviews. For example, lawyers will often be interviewed in front of rows of legal textbooks in their office. This kind of shot is dull, lazy, and ineffective. It is likely the viewer already knows that the lawyer has read quite a few law books; the setting and props provide no new information.

Positioning. You must carefully position the camera, your source, and yourself during the interview.

The camera should be at eye-level with your interview subject. Never put the camera above or below the subject’s eye-level. If your camera is positioned too high, then you will produce an image that is condescending: the camera and the viewer are looking down on your subject. If the camera is placed too low, then you will shoot up your subject’s nose, an unflattering and unnatural angle. It is important that you adjust your tripod for each interview subject to match their height and meet their unique eye lines.

It is important to use a firm, stationary chair or stool for interviews. Chairs that swivel or have wheels will allow the source to move about

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during the interview. It is critical to keep your source stationary, focused, and in the frame. Overstuffed and soft furniture should also

be avoided if possible. Sources may slouch or slide down on a couch or sofa that is not firm.

Figure 5.33 Be sure that the camera is at eye-level with your interviewee.

Figure 5.34 Be sure to use firm, stationery chairs for your interviews.

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Your sources should never be placed directly against a wall. They should

be positioned as far away from the background as possible to achieve the appearance of greater depth and distance in the frame. If the interview location is big enough, you can use selective focus (shallow depth-of-field) to blur out the background to isolate and highlight your source. Make sure that the background is not busy and there are no background objects distracting the viewer from your subject.

Figure 5.35 In this interview, the subject is sharp while the background is blurry.

Figure 5.36 Be sure to remove distracting objects from the background.

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During the interview, you should be sitting eye-level and directly across from the subject. Avoid standing during the interview. This will cause the subject to look up, producing an unusual image.

Figure 5.37a The interviewer should never be higher than the subject.

Figure 5.37b If the interviewer is higher than the subject, the subject will tend to look up during the interview.

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Framing. The most common interview framing technique involves using the Rule of Thirds. As discussed in the section on composition techniques, the Rule of Thirds is executed by dividing your frame into nine equal segments with two lines running vertically and two lines running horizontally, similar to a tic-tac-toe board. Rather than centering your interview subject, your source should be placed at one of the top two points of intersection. Be sure not to place your subject at the bottom two points of intersection or in the center of the frame. This will make your composition look awkward.

Figure 5.38 Frame your subjects using the Rule of Thirds.

Figure 5.39 Do not put your subject in the center of the frame.

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Figure 5.40 Make sure that your subject looks into the frame, rather than out of the frame. This framing is incorrect.

Figure 5.41 Subjects can look off- camera or directly into the camera, depending on your aesthetic choice.

Traditionally, producers have instructed the sources to look at the interviewer, rather than directly into the camera. If you are using this style of framing, make sure that your interviewee looks into the frame, rather than out of the frame. This framing style requires the interviewer to be sitting just left or right of the camera.

Some videographers prefer to have the subject look directly into the camera. This style has been popularized by filmmakers such as Errol Morris and in films such as The Imposter. Looking into the camera can create a feeling of deeper intimacy between the subject and the viewer. However, some sources are not comfortable looking into the

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Morris uses a special camera set up called the Interrotron to keep his sources looking at the camera. If you choose to have your source looking directly at the camera, you have the option of framing him in the center or using the Rule of Thirds as a guideline.

Adjusting the focal length of your shot can create or reduce tension and drama in your interview. Wide-angle and normal-angle lenses result in a moderate distance between the interviewee and the viewer. Telephoto lenses can create images that are very tight and intimate.

Figure 5.42a Wide interview shots keep the subject at a far distance.

Figure 5.42b Medium interview shots bring the viewer close to the subject.

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Figure 5.42c Close up interview shots give viewers an intimate look at the subject.

If it is not distracting to your subject or yourself, adjust your focal length throughout the course of the interview. Your interview framing does not have to be fixed during the interview. Be sure to experiment with different focal lengths before you interview to see what results you can achieve. Stay wider for general questions. Get close ups for intense or dramatic moments. Shooting interviews with multiple focal lengths will result in more editing options later.

Microphone placement. Audio quality is largely based on three factors: microphone quality, ambient noise, and microphone placement. Shooters should rent or buy the highest quality microphones that they can afford. A good microphone will work for decades. A cheap microphone can eventually cost you more money and headaches in the long run. It is very difficult to fix low-quality audio in post-production.

Eliminating ambient noise is also crucial for your interview. When selecting an interview location, always remember to listen for external audio sources that can interfere with your recording. You cannot delete or scrub out most ambient noise from an audio recording. If your shooting environment becomes too noisy, pause or stop your interview. Do not proceed with your interview with the hopes of fixing the audio problems later. You will not be able to remove this noise. Take a break and resume the interview once the ambient noise has been eliminated.

The microphone should be placed about 5 to 6 inches away from your subject’s mouth. If the microphone is placed too close to the mouth, then your audio will be muffled. If the microphone is placed too far