Working with directors, producers, & DP’s

There are different roles involved with filming interviews as a video production crew. Everyone needs to know their place in the hierarchy of a crew and there is never room for ego if you want to continue working together. This video covers some basic information that every crew member should know including director, producer, and DoP roles.

Before Filming the Interview

When I initially sit down with a subject to interview, it’s important for me to run through the basic guidelines of how the interview will be conducted. In addition, I always want to make sure my subject is comfortable before we start so we can concentrate on a natural and real conversation without any distractions.

  • Eye line – I want to make sure she looks at me and not the camera or lights.
  • Restating the question – Letting her know that my voice will not be used in the final edit.
  • Checking for hot spots – Simple trick to take the shine away from the shiny skin and hot spots
  • Comfort – The most important thing is to allow your subject to feel comfortable so they can be themselves

Conducting an Interview on Camera

My method of interviewing is based on curiosity. With only a few questions in my head, I enjoy starting to dig from there and listening to what the subject says. Each answer leads me to be curious about another follow up question. This is when a real conversation takes place instead of a robotic person asking questions off of a piece of paper. Our job as interviewers is to get the best performance out of the interviewee and extract story while steering the conversation.

17 Powerful Tricks to Get Better Interviews on Camera

After doing many interviews during my career, I’ve learned many tricks that help ensure a better interview experience. Here are 17 tricks that I have learned over the years that have helped me get better interview results as a producer.

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