Create Great Looking Television Interviews

Conducting a television interview may sound easier than it actually is.  Yes, you need an interview subject, a camera and a microphone.  But if you want your interview to look professional or at least not be distractingly bad, you’ll have to take a few things into account.

• Lighting –  Lighting is perhaps the most crucial element to creating a nice looking interview. If you are shooting indoors, you’ll want to have a couple of sources of light that you can manipulate.  A key light is aimed at the interviewee to make them stand out from the background.  A fill light can add shadow and depth to the interviewee’s face but is not always needed. A back light adds depth and texture to the background.  A poorly lit interview will look drap and murky.  If you are shooting outdoors, be aware of the sun position.  The noon day sun can sometimes be too bright and cause harsh shadows.  An overcast day can be just right for a cleaner look without shadows. A nice white board or silver shiny board can help you manipulate how the sunlight plays on the interviewee’s face.
• Wardrobe – What is your interview subject wearing?  If it is a sitdown interview and you’ll only be shooting from the shirt up, make sure the shirt is a plain shirt. Blue or bright, solid colors work best. Stay away from all black, all white or busy patterns.  They make the camera do funny things.  Let the interviewee know ahead of time if their pants or shoes will be seen so that they can dress accordingly.  A nice outfit with scuffed up shoes can be distracting.
• Make-up – Let your interviewee know if you will be providing make-up and/or hair services.  If not, bring some translucent powder or oil absorbing sheets to keep the shine down.  Use powder on bald heads too.
• Angles – Do not set your interviewee against a flat wall.  It makes the interview look flat and therefore visually boring.  If you only have a flat wall, say a brick wall for example, positional the interviewee at an angle that will allow the wall to veer away from the subject in one direction or another.  Shooting the interviewee from a bird-eye (from above) or worms-eye (from below) can be fun and interesting.
• Backdrops – Interesting backgrounds can say a lot about your interviewee.  You may want to keep it simple for quick, information interviews. But for documentary style interviews, consider placing the interviewee in the surroundings that apply to their storyline.  For example, a basketball player may be placed in a gym or teacher placed in a classroom.  Sitdown interviews in offices or living rooms can get boring.  Try adding some interesting props to the background or foreground.  Lamps, books, computers and flowers or plants are pretty standard and easy to come by.  Trophies, hats, pictures, statues and toys can often help convey the theme of the interview.  I’ve even used the corner of a chair to break-up a plain-looking space.
• Comfort Level – Don’t forget to make your guest as comfortable as possible.  If they guest is uncomfortable, it will show on their face.  A comfy chair is a must-have for long interviews. Make sure to have some water on hand to keep the interviewee hydrated.
• Chairs – In addition to a comfy seat, a stationary seat is recommended.  Seats that roll around or swivel allow your guests to move all over the place within the frame.  Also, if the chair back is too high, it may make your guests to look stiff.  Too soft and the guests may slouch.  That said, stand-up interviewees can help boost the interviewee’s energy. But I never have guests stand for more than 30-minutes.
• Be Prepared – Write down your questions before the interview.

Also remember to have fun. You’ll get more out of your guests and your shoot that way.

Field Etiquette

Field shoots are always hectic.  A lot has to go on at the same time in order capture the best footage to make the best show possible.  The audio, visuals, crew, talent, paperwork, set pieces, wardrobes, scripts, equipment and any number of other things all need attention.  It is easy to forget to do something small that could have a big impact on the production. 

I asked some of my production buddies for their most important dos and don’ts while in the field.  Here is what we came up with:

• Use a checklist to help keep track of what needs to get done.
• Label the tapes (with the date) as soon as you are done with each tape.
• Pay equal attention to the audio as you do the video.
• Turn off your cell phone while the cameras are on. You don’t want to be the one person whose phone rings or vibrates during the shoot.  Even phones on silent mode and affect audio quality.
• Always record “one more” for safety.  It is sometimes hard to tell if a take is good during the intensity of a shoot. An extra take will increase your changes for getting just what you need.
• Don’t forget bars and tone.  Yes, your editor really does use these things to help ensure that the color and sound of your footage is legal.
• Don’t forget room tone.  Your editor will love you.
• Bring water and healthy snacks.
• Put a lunch break in the schedule. Crews like to see that. Yes, schedules are tight but if your crew sees that you are considering their food and hydration needs, they will work that much harder for you.
• Be on time. Promptness is the first thing to consider if you want to be hired back again.
• Bring extra copies of every document.  Scripts, schedules, releases and log sheets often get lost in the shuffle.
• Bring pens.  You can never have enough.
• Come with more tapes or hard drive space than needed.
• Be prepared. The most important field work starts before you hit the field.
• Relax and have fun! This is TV not brain surgery.