video interviewing techniques

[Bansaw]

Has anyone got any tips or website where I can learn interview techniques.
ie: camera positions, lighting, but also techniques of asking the right questions etc?

Any ideas?

[jimmalenko]

Depends a lot on resources, budget and the scope/feel of the project.

If we're talking at some sort of university project level, then a simple method is to have just the one camera (preferably on a tripod) focused on the subject, with a boom microphone or alternatively a multi-directional microphone sitting on a table in the immediate vicinity. Audio (both you asking questions and the subject answering them) and the vision of the subject are the two most important factors at this level IMHO - with some decent editing you can always get footage of yourself with choice facial expressions / body language reactions to the subject's answers later and edit them in where appropriate.

It depends a lot on the "look" you're trying to achieve also. If you want it to look like a casual chat between two people, then a camera out the front with both parties in shot may be good enough. Alternatively, if you want to give the impression that the subject is talking to the viewers, then set the camera up so that it is looking over the interviewer's shoulder. That way when the subject makes eye contact with the interviewer, it looks like they are looking straight down the barrel of the camera.

[zoobie]

I usually just brainstorm questions off the top of my head and write them down. I then give this to the interviewee so they can go over it and be thinking of answers or stories they're going to give. That way, there's really no surprises. Most talk shows use the same method.

I try to also get light on their hair somehow. Then, I can slightly shoot down and the top of their head shows.

[mikel]

A couple of years ago I helped a friend do something similar.

You might google "oral history"

a place like this may also be helpful:

http://www.dohistory.org/on_your_own/toolkit/oralHistory.html

It leans toward audio documentation, but was still useful for interview techniques...etc

[pijetro]

Google 3 Point Lighting techniques...

[snapware]

try to be yourself, and have a natural feeling conversation, use the person's answers to help develop and think of the next question, a lot of times during on camera interviews you end up not listening to the person talking and only think about what you are going to say next, LISTEN, very important in having a more comfortable interview, and watch other interviews to see how people do it, Oprah does great interviews, so does Barbara Walters

[SingSing]

Try http://www.mediacollege.com/video/