Ep83 Conducting a Great Interview: Tips for Indie Filmmakers

Are you producing a documentary film?  You'll need to interview people, lots of people from all different walks of life.  Interviewing can be something that people find as scary as public speaking.  Something many people say they would rather die than do.  So don't let a fear of conducting an interview be the thing between you and realising your dream film. In this week's episode host Sue Collins shares her top 3 tips on how to conduct a great interview that will have your interviewee sharing deep and meaningful stories.  Sue has interviewed hundreds of people - everyone from Dr Tedro Ghebreyesus, Director General of the WHO to children in preschool.  Sue is sharing some simple things you can do to improve your own skills.

Interviewing is an art in and of itself.  And you can master it. Tune in to find out how.

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello and welcome to this week's episode of the Moonshine Moonshot Podcast. This podcast is all about the business of filmmaking, what goes on behind the scenes and how to craft your film. There's just so much that you don't get taught in film school, and I am not digging into the craft of filmmaking, you know, things like lighting and shot selection, etc., but more the nuts and bolts of how to get films made and your role as the filmmaker. I was reflecting just the other day on how much of the work that I do isn't really strictly filmmaking. For example, writing copy for websites, creating social media posts, booking airfares, housekeeping, bookkeeping, HR, office maintenance, ordering, equipment, marketing, business management, this podcast. But if you want to make your own films, this is all the stuff that eventually you're gonna have to do. And I don't say that to put you off filmmaking or as some kind of ominous warning. Just as a matter of fact, this is just part and parcel with the work of running a production company and making films. But you also do get to do some pretty amazing thing. Welcome to the Moonshine Moonshot Podcast. I'm your host, Sue Collins, and if you've landed here, it means you're wanting to find out more about how to make filmmaking a sustainable career. And you're also curious about how to make meaningful work that fills your cup. You're ready to learn how to make movies that matter, build a sustainable career, and have a positive impact on your audiences. So you are in the right place. Filmmaking has so many parts, and I'm sharing what I've learned over the past 15 years producing impact films that reach their intended audience and support real-world change. So let's get started. Earlier this year, we traveled to the USA to film for a documentary on cervical cancer elimination. And part of that journey, we ended up in New Orleans. Now, seriously, how fun is that? The places that you get to go when you make documentaries. And I was reminiscing that experience just last night as I was watching the new Disney movie, The Haunted Mansion. It's got loads of what it really is a really fun film. And um, especially having been to New Orleans earlier this year, it was fun to see the locations where we'd actually been on screen, and some of the touches from the ghost tour that we went on were actually in the film. And I'm a big fan of Disneyland, and I have been to the Haunted Mansion ride. I've been on it a few times, and I could recognize parts of the ride from within the film. So it was really good nostalgia, great cast, and lots of good gags. So I highly recommend it. And I've gone totally off track, but I just wanted to let you know it's a really fun film if you're looking for a kid-friendly watch. But on to interviewing, because that is actually the topic of today's episode. Because when you're making a documentary, you need to interview people. Lots of people, specialists, subject experts, everyday folks, people from all different walks of life, backgrounds, education levels, and nationalities, and some will be highly decorated individuals, highly regarded in their field. Some might be famous sports stars or film stars, but many will be everyday people who have directly experienced whatever it is that the topic of your film is about. So by way of example, during the filming of Conquering Cervical Cancer, which is actually the film we were in the USA to film, we interviewed specialists in medicine, doctors, researchers, scientists, including people like Australian of the Year Ian Fraser, who co-invented the HPV vaccine, which is actually a big part of how cervical cancer could be eliminated one day. And we also interviewed the heads of foundations and charities who are working towards cervical cancer elimination, places like the Cancer Council, the American Cancer Society. And I also interviewed Dr. Tedros Giabraces, who's the head of the World Health Organization, on the resolution to end cervical cancer. But importantly, I also interviewed cervical cancer survivors. No matter how much a specialist can tell you, nothing has more impact than hearing a story from a person who has lived and breathed the issue and come out the other side. So many of the women I interviewed had really tough stories and they had a long road to recovery. Many are now advocates supporting the mission to end cervical cancer, and some were simply sharing their stories so that they could help other women on their own journeys. The reason I am sharing all of this with you is because I want you to understand that as an interviewer, you need to speak to many different people from many different backgrounds. So you've got to be prepared with great questions and the ability to listen if you want to conduct a successful interview. It can also be really nerve-wracking to interview when you haven't had a lot of experience doing it. It's almost like public speaking. You just feel really self-conscious and you focus on yourself, how you feel, and the questions you're going to ask. And when you're new to it, you forget that the interview is actually not about you at all. It's about the interviewee. Oh, I was just looking for a place where I could learn everything I need to know to make an amazing film that changes the world. It's such a shame that that place doesn't exist. Oh what? Hang on. It does. Oh, if you're looking for inspiration, ideas, tools, and ways to learn how to make movies that matter, head to Moonshine Communications Academy over at Instagram and all your problems will be solved.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

Warning, results may vary depending on the questions, and success is not guaranteed. Always read the label.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

So I wanted to share sort of three things to keep in mind if you're preparing to do an interview for someone for your own documentary or film. Now the first one's going to sound really, really um, really obvious. And it's be organized, turn up on time with all the gear you need. Now, as obvious as that sounds, you'd be surprised. Maybe you didn't pack spare batteries. There's not enough lapel mics, not enough room on the card that your camera's recording to. Look, I've seen it all, I've experienced it all. In fact, I was on a shoot as recently as yesterday, and we needed three battery operated lights. And we had 12 batteries, so that's two sets of batteries per lights. And it was only about an hour and a half's worth of filming. So should have been ample. Eight of the 12 batteries went flat during the very relatively short time we were on set. They hadn't charged properly. It happens, and that's why you need to make sure you have backup power. So backup power cable and powerboard just in case. It's not actually helpful at all to have a power cable if you're shooting outdoors, but it'll definitely get you out of a jam when you're inside. But the moral to this story is it's best to charge all the batteries and check that you did it before you get to the shoot. So that's why I'm saying be organized, make sure you've got all the gear you need prepped before you get to the shoot. It will make you feel way less stressed knowing that everything's good to go before you get there. The second point I have is do your research and do your research at least at a minimum a few days before the shoot so that you have time to think about the questions. What do you need answered by this person you're interviewing? Is it a personal story? Is it more technical information? You want to have at least an overview of the person's background and the topics that you want them to speak about. Often people are going to ask you for interview questions ahead of time, and I I actually don't recommend giving people specific questions as you can find that they write them down and try to use memory recall to answer them, which is never actually looks very good on camera because their eyes kind of shift upwards as they try to recall the information, or they'll sound a bit stilted and robotic as they try and deliver, you know, pre-written scripts that they're trying to call from their memory, and it just feels unnatural. So instead, what I recommend is that you give them some topics that you would like them to speak to, and your questions on the day should help them answer without feeling like they've been put on the spot. So, what I mean by that is ahead of interviewing cervical cancer survivors on their personal stories, I might tell them that I want to ask them about the experience of having cancer, the story of how they were diagnosed and the type of treatment that they received, the impact that that had on their life and how their life has changed since going through the experience. This will give them a really good sense of what the purpose of the interview is and the types of things that I'm looking to have answered. But I would not give them a specific list of questions like, how old were you when you were diagnosed? What symptoms did you have, etc.? I might ask those questions during the interview, but you don't want people to have things that concrete that they're going to pre-script and answer because it makes it really hard when you get to the actual interview. And should you have any specific questions, try not to share them with the talent in detail before the interview, just the topics. The third one is about when they get to the set. Now you've got to make sure they feel welcome. Offer them water, let them know how the shoot will run, how much time you anticipate the interview will go for, introduce them to the crew. And I definitely find having an informal chat often disarms people and helps them to relax before you turn on the camera. Because you've got to remember it is all about them. It is all about the interviewee and it's all about their answers, and how you make them feel is going to have a big impact on how they respond to your questions. So make sure you listen to their answers and don't be completely focused on the questions and what you want to ask next. Often interviews jump all over the place. So the order you drafted your questions in is probably not the way the interview will actually roll out on the day. I often write out my questions and let the person know that if I'm looking at my phone, it's it's because I'm checking my questions, not sitting on my email. And once we're up and running, I often find I don't even need to look at them as a prompt because I've already thought about the interview and what it's about and what I need to ask. So the questions at that point are really just a prop. And I'll definitely check them towards the end of the interview to make sure I haven't missed anything key or really important. But that's about it. Now I have been doing this for quite a while, so I don't find it as daunting as I once did. My co-producer Mike Hill has years more experience than I do, and I have watched or listened to him conduct hundreds of interviews. So that's definitely given me a solid base. But midway through our last film that we were producing, which is actually the one I kept talking about on cervical cancer elimination, I was the presenter on that film. And throughout that film, we produced a course where Mike shared his many years' experience as an interviewer and broke down his whole system for how he goes about conducting interviews. And I learned so much from that course, it just blew my mind. And I began implementing a lot of those techniques in my own interviews as we were producing the film, and my work improved a lot. So if you're interested to check out that course, head over to Moonshine Communications Academy and have a look for the course on interviewing for media production. It is so worth the time to undertake. And if you're serious about conducting interviews for your own work, I'll also put the link in the show notes so it's easy for you to find. Because yeah, if you if you're in if you're serious about conducting interviews for your own work, you've really got to get really clear on how to conduct a great interview. And you can never know too much on this. And to be honest, I don't think I've ever actually been taught how to do interviews. I just kind of went with my instincts and then learning from Mike. So look, there's a lot to conducting a great interview that gets your talent to open up and share really important stories that will make your project all the better. But if you do at least as a minimum, the three things that I have outlined in this episode as a baseline, you're going to be on your way to becoming a strong interviewer. So to recap, first step, be organized. Turn up on time and with all the gear that you're going to need. Second, do your research at least a few days before the shoot so that you have time to think about your questions. What do you need answered by this person? Is it a personal story? Is it more technical information? You will want to have at least an overview of their background and the topics you want to speak to them. Do that research before the interview. And third, when the interviewee arrives on set, make sure they feel welcome. Offer them water, let them know how long the shoot will run and how much time you anticipate the interview will go for. Introduce them to the crew and have that informal chat, which can really help to disarm people and get them to relax before you turn on the camera. So that's it. That's all I've got for you today, and I will be back next week on more of the stuff that you need to know about filmmaking beyond what you learn at film school. Speak to you then. Thank you for joining me today and every week here on the Moonshine Moonshot Podcast. If you're wanting a deeper dive into the topics being discussed on the show, then I would encourage you to head over to Moonshine CommunicationsAcademy.com and sign up for the weekly drop of moonshine via your email. Being on our newsletter community means we can support your filmmaking journey in a more tailored way as well as keeping you up to date with the resources we share on how to make movies that matter and so much more that we deliver inside your inbox every single week. So head over to Moonshine CommunicationsAcademy.com and at the bottom of the homepage you'll see a little box to add your email address and as a thank you for signing up, we'll also send you a bonus ebook to support your messaging. So voila, you'll be on the way to receive all the best content weekly.