Introduction to Television Reporting

5. Interviews

(This is the Fifth article in the Ten part series on 'Introduction to Television Reporting', this series is part of an online course taken by CBA)

Who to interview?

Interviews are a vital part of any news story or news feature and they should be chosen with some thought. Ask yourself which person or people would add an important element to the story.

·         Were they a witness to an event?

·         A person who could provide useful background?

·         A person who could provide an official view?

Always think about providing balance in your interviews. For example if you are covering an election, you might interview a candidate from each party. Or interview the candidates on successive days. Think about this kind of balance for all stories.

Try to choose a person who is a good talker and can shed some light on the situation for your audience. Which key interviews would your audience want? What is the message that you want your audience to take away with them?

Never stop asking yourself these questions.

Different Types of Interviews

Just as there are all different types of news stories, there are different types of interviews.

Some interviews are informational; these could be interviews with officials and police. Some interviews are opinion interviews; asking someone about their choices in an election perhaps. Other interviews are emotional such as talking the survivors of an earthquake. Interviews can also be analytical such as asking an agricultural expert about farming conditions. Other interviews can be purely entertainment as with a celebrity or a sports star or actor.

You should approach each type of interview slightly differently in terms of both style and content, and your manner.

(There is also the "vox pop" which means "the voice of the people" which we will be discussing in the next module.)

Before You Start an Interview

Get in the habit starting an interview by recording the subject stating their name and job title. And And don't forget to write this down as well to check you have the correct spelling. Also confirm their consent to film if that is necessary.

Choose a background that is both interesting and appropriate. For example, if you are interviewing a cattle farmer, shoot him out in his fields. Or interview a shopkeeper in his shop showing the sort of things he is selling. Be creative!

Interviewing officials and politicians can be tricky as they often want to remain sitting at their desk.

You must try to get them to come out from behind their desk. Suggest they perch on the front edge of their desk for a more interesting shot. Or put them in a chair in front of their desk for a better depth of field.

If that is not possible, try to put something interesting in the background such as a flag or something with a bit of colour. And don't forget to explain to them why you are doing this – to get a more interesting shot. They might be very happy to cooperate with you and make some good suggestions themselves.

How to Ask Good Questions

First of all have a good idea of the questions you want to ask – that must be clear in your mind. Then always remember to be conversational with interviewees to get a longer response.

Use active listening skills to encourage better answers. That is, listen carefully to what the interviewee says - and what they don't say. Use your ears and eyes! And remember that active eye contact with the interviewee will improve an interview. Look at them with interest and respect and they will respond.

At the end ask if there's anything else she/he would like to say. You never know...they might tell you something useful, unexpected – or even an exclusive!

Another useful tip is to keep the camera rolling after the final question. This is often a time when the interviewee feels the need to

provide that candid comment. An expectant gaze and silence may elicit a candid comment which makes the story.

Set up Shots & Cutaways

Always try to have the shots to set up your interviewee in the edit.

There is not always time to do this in a short news story, but you can in longer features.

Always discuss interesting and different cutaway shots with your camera person. We are all tired of seeing shots of their hands for cutaways – so be a bit imaginative.

You can never have enough cutaways in the edit room. And remember to hold shots of interviewees during questions and at the end for use as setup shots or cutaways.

Difficult Interviews

There will be times when you are interviewing somebody who doesn't want to tell you the information you are asking. The best policy is to stay firm and remain polite – and never give up. Think of different ways to ask the key question they are avoiding.

Sometimes for a big political interview you may be asked to submit questions beforehand. First of all, see if you can avoid this. But if you can't, ask the first few agreed questions then start with the questions you really want – this technique often works. Also you can explain to the interviewee that your story will offer an opportunity for them to speak to the audience directly.

Anonymous Interviews

Sometimes you might want to interview somebody who cannot be identified. First check whether the policy of your television station will allow this. Then decide the best way to present this interview.

When the interviewee needs to be anonymous, make sure your technique is fool proof. A life may be put at risk. Possibly show them by using their silhouette, their shadow on a wall, the correspondent listening, or their feet or lips. Check if their voice needs to be concealed or changed as well.

If a person trusts you to conceal their identity, you must make sure that you have done so properly. Discuss this carefully with your camera operator.

How long for an Interview?

The length of an interview used in your piece is dependent on several things: first of all the length of your story and, second, the style of your news broadcast. There are no hard and fast rules about interview lengths.

A news story of less then two minutes would obviously use a shorter clip of an interview – but probably not the super-short style of 4 or 5 seconds that seems to be common in America. Most people find that too short. Ten to twenty seconds would be a good length.

If you are producing a news feature between 3 and 5 minutes, or even longer, your interview can be longer. Twenty to forty seconds could be used if you feel that it is appropriate. Or you can break up a sound bite of forty seconds – which is long – and use it in two parts of the story.

Sometimes if you have a very prestigious or unusual interview, such as interviewing your prime minister, for example, you might well use much more. Just remember to trust your instincts and always think about what your audience wants to hear!

A Few Tips

·         Remember to ask members of the team if they have any other questions that you may have overlooked before you turn off the camera and end the interview

·         Make good notes as you are shooting to speed up editing – sound editing takes longer than editing pictures

·         Check your chosen sound bite back at base and give your editor the time code