How to Learn to Interview and Film

[emind]

Hi guys. I hope you´re all doing well. I´ve been contemplating about my life purpose and exploring different potential domains in which I could exercise my work. I came up with interviews. One of the things Ive always dreamed of has been to interview important people on relevant political and philosophical matters. Despite knowing a good deal about the aforementioned topics, I have no formal training in journalism to be able to carry out interviews on these matters competently, let alone to film them. Do you guys happen to be acquainted with any resources I could utilize to educate myself informally (as a newbie) on how to properly interview people, and how to film interviews. 

P.S. I am basically a complete ignoramus when it comes to cameras, cinematography, etc. All I know is a bit of Adobe Premiere. 

 

Thank you so much in advance!

[Quaker]

This is an interesting question. Interviews are cool, and generally people like being interviewed because it makes them feel important and, if their words are published, gives them something of their own to exist in perpetuity. While I don't have filmmaking experience per se, I do have an abundance of journalistic and interviewing experience. And I can say this much: editing is your best friend. Filmed interviews, both those used in documentaries as well as journalistic interviews on YouTube (such as for GQ, Vogue, or Entertainment), are heavily edited for length as well as for content in order to be optimally informative and entertaining. But, of course, it's meant to give the appearance of continuity. So with that in mind, don't feel like you have to be a perfectionist when it comes to finding the perfect questions. For every hour you spend interviewing people, you're lucky to get 10-20 minutes of good content. That means that only one or two of every ten questions you ask will make it in, and you get to decide which those are. You as the filmmaker have a say over the final cut and which parts of the interview you want to keep depending on what you want the thematic focus to be. In my experience, the hardest part is actually finding someone willing to let you interview them. It can be easier than you imagine, but to me it's still the hardest part to me. 

In terms deciding which questions to ask, they should come from a place of natural curiosity on your part. What is it you (or audience members) would truly want to know about a particular person? Also, thinking of one good question will likely spark more that are along the same train of thought. Likewise, you may spontaneously have another followup question based on an answer the respondent gives you. Getting into that rhythm is a matter of practice. So you should treat it a bit like a conversation ideally, as long as you stay on track. In fact, an interview is really a type of conversation, just one that is a bit more contrived and artificially focused on one person for the purpose of them sharing information. 

Edited May 17, 2019 by Quaker

[emind]

@Quaker Thank you very much! I will follow your advice!

[Wyatt]

@Quaker great information and advice.

@emind If you have no experience with interviewing, you will need to start to educate yourself and practice. Study some of the best interviewers that are popular now: Joe Rogan, Howard Stern, even the Ellen Show. Find what makes the great talk shows similar, and how yours can be different. I think to make a great interview channel, it boils down to 3 factors: The interviewer asks great questions (and is entertaining!), the conversation is fun and interesting, and the guest is comfortable to say what's really on their mind. 

The other great way to improve your interviewing abilities is to interview the people closest to you. Your family, friends, or even coworkers. Get experience with asking questions and creating a conversation. Film the interview. Watch it again and see where you went right, and where you went wrong. Let experience be your teacher

You also need to answer a few questions: What is the purpose of the podcast (entertain, inform, opinion piece)? What types of people do you talk to (scientists, politicians, entertainers, business people, etc.)? Who is your audience? Can you make a profit doing this? 

Best of luck!

[emind]

@Wyatt Yes! Thank You! I have been considering some of the questions you mentioned, and, not coincidentally, am a big fan of Joe Rogan! I guess I might be more at a disadvantage in the technical aspects of conducting interviews (filming, editing, publishing) than in the interview itself. Which is not to say that I don't have to work on both! This is really valuable advice! Thank you!