What is an Interview? - Workshop with Peter William Lloyd

An interview can be defined as a discussion or consultation between two people as a means of extracting useful information for a given purpose. In this post, I will be reflecting on our workshop with Peter and research about interview content.

There are various kinds of interviews but the most common is a two person shot. Peter Williamson Lloyd is a renowned camera man and came to share with us a few of his techniques to ensure us quick, easy and usable footage.

THREE EASY RULES FOR INTERVIEW FILMING

The 180 degree rule is imperative when filming an interview. Considering that there will be more than one person in frame at a time you need to ensure you are on the right side of the line to avoid characters glancing awkwardly into empty spaces.

Always cover your jump cuts with a cutaway (footage used to hide awful cuts and edits). Although frowned upon out of preference a shot of the hands is always convenient or a cut to their shadow on the wall when trying to conceal identity.

Back to back shots between the Interviewer and Interviewee must be filmed on opposite sides of the frame to keep the eye contact between both characters on screen.

MINIMUM COVER - The ability to shoot a two person conversation/interview quickly and efficiently.

In addition to this minimum cover filming technique, we worked on our sound and lighting. As a group we had to determine what would be appropriate for lighting when working on a two person shoot. Given that lighting isn't necessarily my strong suit, I learnt quite a lot about three point lighting and the role of each light in this system. The image below briefly pin points the use of each light in the three point lighting system. From all I learnt in the workshop, I don't really have much of a preference. I can work ideally now in artificial lighting and natural alike.

After discussing lighting, we got to experiment more with our sound during the latter part of our workshop. We went outside to film a short clip of two people talking and had to figure out our lighting sound, angles, shots and also edit the footage within thirty minutes. All in all it was a great exercise. We learnt to work under pressure and produce something substantial for viewers. In addition to these key tips, I did a little research and wider reading to help broaden my knowledge.
What makes a good interviewer?
- expertise, charisma, relevance, confidence, understanding, articulacy etc.

The following can be considered as components that contribute to good interviewing in documentary filmmaking - beside each is a brief description:

A set up sequence - Helps to establish the setting, character and subject matter)
Actuality sequences - Footage of actual events or actions taking place without prior planning
Interviewer - Voice of God, Physical presence, Biased narrator? This sets the tone of the documentary.
A nice set up for the interview - Helps the character feel comfortable and is pleasing to the eye for viewers.

The following are concerns you must keep updated on:
Consent forms
Release forms
Half hour setting up time
correct spellings of names etc for captions on footage
Watch shots as they're being directed
Non Sync wide cutaways are always a good idea!
Legal constraints to consider when filming
Reaction shots from the interviewee (Creates a sense of communication and understanding)
Vary your shot sizes
Interviews should last at the most, 2 minutes at a time.