Filming Interviews The rules

Choosing where to shoot Avoid shooting in front of a window! Even on overcast days, the lighting coming through the window will be brighter than the light in the room. This will cause the interviewee to be silhouetted.

Choosing where to shoot Avoid shooting right up against a wall! Often what makes an interview visually interesting is what is happening behind the subject. Besides running the risk of casting shadows, placing your interviewee directly up against a wall stops you from selective focus. A good rule of thumb is to get your camera as close as you can to the subject, and the background as far behind your subject as possible. When looking at the room you’re shooting in, mentally divide it in half and make sure you, your camera, and your subject are all on one side of the room.

Framing When filming your interviews, it is important that you spend time framing your shots properly. The best way to do this is to follow the ‘Rule of Thirds’. When framing your interviewee, it is best to position them to the left or right of centre.

This also allows the background to be seen properly, adding context to the interview. The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally If your camera has a ‘grid’ option then use it! It will help you when you first start filming!

Interview building blocks https://youtu.be/ZCCSEVtkY7E?t=212

Shot-Reverse-Shot ‘A film technique where in one character is shown looking (often off-screen) at another character, and then the other character is shown looking "back" at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer unconsciously assumes that they are looking at each other.’ Bordwell, David; Thompson, Kristin (2006). Film Art: An Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill.

180 degree rule

How to guide for 180 degree rule http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdyyuqmCW14 How to guide for 180 degree rule