Today we were focusing on the interview-part in a documentary, sound and framing.
To VOX or not to VOX
Generally - don't.
VOX POPS - aka 'Voice of the People - are best used:
- News (clip)
- Quick 'survey' of people's views/representative/reactionary.
- Not very representative, broad brush views. Often low production values, poorly shot and do not really add to the story.
- Characters/interviewees can't be carefully chosen - therefore often irrelevant or vague.
Types of interview
-The tone and style of your interview depends a lot on the subject matter involved.
- As a very basic rule, if your story is a hard news story you need to tackle it in a 'hard nosed' way, if it's a softer/lighter story your approach should match this.
Three basic types:
- Hard exposure (investigative)
- Informational (putting the audience in the picture)
- Emotional (engaging with and revealing the subject's emotions)
Why do we need (proper) interviews
-They add colour and context
- They add personal experience and expertise to your film
- Emotional engagement
- Provide personal testimony (evidence)
Who do we interview
- Experts (e.g scientists, doctors, lawyers (use their professional expertise and opinion.
- Ordinary people (interested parties - relevant to subject)
- Officials (appointed representatives e.g politicans, company executives etc)
What do we ask them?
Questions which:
- Allow us to explore the subject we are tackling
- Enable the viewer to get to know the interviewee and engage with them
- Sometimes which create tension/drama
(The audience want answers too)
How do we choose interviewees? What makes a ‘good’ interviewee?
How we choose interviewees is dependent on the subject we are looking at. You tend to consider the following criteria:
- Their relevance to the subject
- Charisma/character
- Good talker/Engaging
- Prestige/Importance
- 'Headline' appeal
- Exclusivity
- Whistleblower
- Expertise
Preparing for an interview
Prepare your questions - logically structured - PRIOR to your shoot.
Know your subject inside out.
Work on how/where you’re going to shoot the interview beforehand:
- Its location (here the person will be sitting/standing etc)
- Props (you can dress the interview setting)
- Camera position/Framing
- Lighting and sound
- You can work this out during your research meeting/s
Scripting interview questions
- Ask open questions, not ones that can be answered simply by 'yes/no'.
- Allow room for a conversation to develop naturally when asking the questions.
- The first question is often the simplest one and least likely to cause difficulty of offence.
- Be brave, ask the questions we really want to hear.
Interview essentials - Set up sequences
- Every interview need a set up sequence - this should be worked on in the shooting script
- This is a sequence of shots introducing the interviewee visually which can sustain the time needed introducing your character in voiceover/interview clip.
- You will also need to think of actuality, sequences and GVs which can match your interviewee's answers to provide visual illustration and also to cover the many edits to their interview sync.
Interviewer - in vision or out
- You need to decide whilst scripting whether the interviewer is going to be visible in the film or not.
- If the interviewer is visible in the film they automatically take on a role within it and you need to keep them 'active' throughout the film in relevant sequences.
Interviewer out of vision
- If they are out of vision again decide whether the person asking the question is also the narrator.
- If they are bot you will need to ensure that the interviewees give whole answers which refer to the subject - i.e avoid anonymous references such as 'it' and 'they' so that your questions will not need to be left in the film.
Actuality or sit down interview?
Actuality interviews:
- Conducted in situ
- Allow you to keep the action going (and thus maintain interest)
- Questions react to events
- Helps understand subject - relevant
- Time specific
Sit down interviews:
- Good for covering lengthy and tricky/emotive interview subjects
- Controlled environment (clean sound)
- Timeless
Shoot day - The interviewer
- Just prior to beginning the interview ask the interviewee to spell out their name for the tape and their job description. This is useful information when editing.
- Whilst crew are setting up, spend time with your interviewee. Keep them calm and happy.
- Listen carefully to the answers. If not, you could miss something important that could change the whole course of the interview.
- Ask the questions clearly and allow time between the answer and your next question. This will allow space to edit the interview.
Shoot day - The producer/director
- Brief your camera OP regarding your vision for the interview - communicate quietly during the shot.
- All crew/cast to turn off/control all external sources of sound where possible (phones, radios, machines) Good clean sound is needed from sit downs.
- Watch the shots as they’re recorded on a monitor.
- Motion to the camera op when you want the camera to move to BCU/ECU (discuss in advance).
- Monitor answers to select potential reverse questions (if interviewer is visible in the film).
- Keep your eyes on your crew through the interview, be prepared to cut at an appropriate moment if either indicate a technical problem.
- Listen for answers which indicate shots and sequences need to shoot.
- Listen for problems with the answers e.g not self-contained or litigious etc or if cross over with questions.
- Place interviewees in an interesting/relevant setting.
Shoot day - The Sound OP
- Regardless of whether the interviewer questions are going to be in the final piece, try to get a clean recording of them.
- Do sound checks prior to beginning the interview.
Shoot day - Camera OP
- Vary the shot sizes - do not stay on one shot size through the interview as this is impossible to edit.
- Use any breaks or re-takes in the interview as an opportunity to change the shot size. This will allow you to edit the piece without resorting to needless cutaways which can be distracting.
- Make the shots aesthetically pleasing.
- When the interviewee is making a really good point slow zoom into a BCU/ECU.
Picture essentials - Cutaways
- In order to edit interviews to the required duration and content you need to "cover" the edits as, every time you cut, the edit will become obvious to the viewer as it will 'jump'.
- This can be solved with simple cutaways and GV's such as close-up of hands or nearby objects. However, sequences and actuality are more interesting and keep the piece moving.
- "Noddies" - these are responses by your interviewer to questions. Vary the expression e.g smiling, concern, listening, nodding etc.
- "Reverse questions" (aka "Reverses") - get the interviewer to ask a slection of important questions again after interview finished.
- Cutaways and reverse questions/noddies can be shot after the interview has finished.
- Non-sync wides - Usually slightly de-focussed-usable anywhere.
Interviews with more than one person.
- Tricky to shoot an edit. It's essential to get good coverage.
- Plan where people are sitting to maximise the picture and sound control. Tricky when in actuality situation (continuity).
Picture essentials:
- Reaction shots - slow pan to focus on the person listening rather than the one speaking. This way you can edit the person talking or leave the move in the final edit.
- If your interviewer is in the film itself, get the occasional 2-s with your interviewee/interviewer. Often the opening shot and a couple of key questions. But keep it simple.
- Cutaways & non-sync wides.
- Sound considerations: Usually not more than two radio mics, so boom coverage is essential.
180 Degree rule
- Once you've established if someone's left or right of frame, it's important to maintain this.
- Any changes of position must be shown in camera.
- Keep the eye line in mind if you shoot a conversation between two people.
Framing - Allow 'looking room'
Framing with looking room - well balanced with a sense that he's looking towards the interviewer just 'off' camera.
Framing without - he's 'chasing' the edge of the frame drawing our eyes away from him and over his shoulder.
Eyelines
- When framing interviews, try to vary the left - right eyelines so that everyone doesn't look in the same direction. This will allow you to cut between contributors without it looking too samey or having jump cuts.
- Convention has established a sort of rule that opposing views are always shot with opposing eyelines.
- Frequently eyelines are an issue in continuity editing.
- Cutaways help if things go wrong, and cut to ws/non sync wide.
- Similarly.
Follow the "20mm/30 degree rule
The "20mm/30 degree rule means that when you cut from one shot to another, you need to vary the two shots by a focal length of at least 20 mm and 20 degrees. This may sound like a bunch of confusing numbers; it just means you need to cut between shots that are different enough in size and angle to "hide" the edit.
If you cut between shots that are too similar in composition it will feel like a jarring jump cut. If you have don't have a shot that is different enough you can cut to a complete different shot (e.g close up of an object) between the two similar shots.
If a subject is facing left-to-right in a wide shot you can't suddenly switch to a shot of him facing right-to-left in a medium shot. Switching back and forth like that can be very confusing for the viewer.
Transcripts:
- Once you have finished filming you need to transcribe your interviews.
- These allow you to create a paper edit, utilising your shooting script to create an edit script.
- You can then read the written interviews and highlight the quotes you want. This is much easier than doing so by watching and listening.
After the lesson, we had a workshop where we went together in groups of 4 making a formal 'sit down' interview. We were here focusing on the coverage, framing and sound. We were having a short presentation by Fergus who were giving tips about the sound, talking about sound strategies and showing the difference in using Røde mic and Gun mic with zoom.
"When you're working as a sound op; Look at the levels, listen for quality." - Fergus
Camera mics
- Most camera mics are not of the best quality. They tend to be "OMNI" i.e not directional thus pick up all sound around them thus difficult to get good, clear, clean sound.
- Many camera mics pick up the noise of the camera itself. In particular, may hear sounds of zoom and focus changes.
To get the best sound from a camera mic
- Always place the camera as close as possible to the source of sound and where this isn't possible plan to pick up good sound on closer shots - sound you can overlay on shots you get at a distance.
- Never talk while recording. Communicate with eachother either before or after each take, or use hand signals etc.
- Ensure your sound checks are carried out prior to recording. Use the headphones at all times.
Common problems
- Hum from mains electricity
- Hum from excessive mic gain
- Bangs, knocks and bums on set or from mic handling
- Outdoor noise level or wind excessive
- clip mics over modulating/distortion
Sound strategies
- Clip mics for sit-down interview.
- Shot-gun mic - also work for sit downs, can be used for walking sequences, but can be a bit disturbing/distracting.
- Wireless clip mics - good for walking sequences or wide shots. Don’t have to film around the sound operator, clear sound all the time.
//Images\\
No comments:
Post a Comment