The Interview Questions

I’m going to share with you my five steps for creating a fantastic interview, which in my mind, is all about you, the interviewer. 

It’s okay if an interview is well-lit and shot, but if the questions you’re asking aren’t good or you’re not interviewing effectively, then who cares. You’ve just shot a beautiful but meaningless documentary interview.

In this blog post, I will discuss what can best be summed up in a quote by Michael Rabinger: “Interviewing at its best is a form of displaced authorship. It is the midwifery of testimony and heartfelt eloquence.” Whooo! So put on your rubber gloves, and let’s get started!

How to Shoot an Interview: Five Steps for Creating an Amazing Interview

Step 1: Pre-Interview

Step 1 to a great interview is doing a pre-interview with your subject. 

Besides the research you do, this is one of the most important things you should do before your shoot. It’s important to follow these simple rules for your pre-interview.

The questions you ask should be non-intrusive. You’re trying to get to know your subject rather than do a lighter version of your interview. Discuss things, in general, to get to know each other. And most importantly, look for stories or anecdotes you can ask in more detail about when they’re in front of the camera.

Step 2: Develop Trust

Step 2 is to develop trust between you and your subject. Take some time with this. 

Building rapport and trust with your subject will go a long way toward creating the opportunity for a great interview. Be honest and share your vision of the project. Allow the person you’re interviewing to ask their questions. If possible, spend some time with your subject before you set up the lights and turn on the camera. 

Bonus

Step 3 is a bonus tip. The bonus tip is to ask the person to incorporate your question into their answer. 

So, for instance, you ask, “Tell me about the time that grizzly bear attacked you on the Appalachian trail?” Rather than answering something like, “It was horrible. All of a sudden, I smelled something like rotting salmon, and before I knew it, my tent had collapsed around me, and I was being dragged through the forest…”. Your subject would answer…” When that grizzled attacked me, it was horrible…etc.”

Step 3: Interviewing is an Exploration

Step 3 is to make sure your interview is an exploration. You do this by asking open-ended questions (no yes or no answers) and asking your questions in a specific order. 

Start with easy questions – these are the basics, name, where they’re from, basic information about them, and the subject you want them to discuss. Then go into specifics. This is where you ask them about particular stories or anecdotes. 

And finally, near the end of your interview, you get into the emotional and/or confrontational questions. This is where you bring your interviewee into areas they might be uncomfortable discussing.

So the ARC of your questions goes like this:

• Facts to Emotions
• The Familiar to the Unfamiliar

Step 4: The Value of Silence

And this brings me to Step 4, which is the value of silence! 

Take your time with your questions. Don’t just rattle them off as quickly as possible. When you leave some silence and take a pause before asking the next question, this will encourage your interviewee to go deeper. 

You don’t do this for every question; that would be creepy, but when you get into the more unfamiliar questions, give your subject space and let them take you deeper into what they have to say.

Step 5: Looking for Privileged Moments

And that takes me to Step 5 on my list of steps, and that is cultivating privileged moments. 

A privileged moment is when your filming and your interviewee confront something unfamiliar to them. You and your camera are witnessing them thinking or feeling something new. 

These moments are what you are creating space for in your interview. And at their best, these are moments when your subject also learns something new about themselves.

In my mind, the best interviewing is exploring that leads to understanding. The best interviews are the ones I’ve done where the person I’m interviewing and I learn something. That is when you have the confluence of testimony and heartfelt eloquence.

Get Started 

Now that you know the importance of finding the right locations, you can start location scouting for your film. 

If you are serious about a career in the film industry, San Francisco Film School offers multiple degrees and certificate programs to get you started!