The Heart of the Matter
I was recently watching the Middlemarch Films production of "The New Medicine," which aired on PBS. I was struck by the quality of the interviews and wondered how Muffie Meyer and Ron Blumer (director/producer) achieved their results.
I do a lot of video interviewing at the March of Dimes and have evolved strong ideas on how to get good interviews.
The mistake I often see, and one I used to make myself, was knowing too clearly what I wanted the subject to say. It is common to write the interview sound bites in a documentary script before shooting and then try to get the subject to give those quotes. I have seen directors, out of frustration for not getting the words, give the subjects the exact lines and ask them to repeat them. The result is usually stiff and embarrassing. But that's the extreme case. A slightly more benign transgression is to keep repeating the question and reframing it in order to get the pre-ordained response. That approach often makes the subject uncomfortable which is game over, as far as I am concerned.
One important aspect of evolved interview technique is that it is more important how a person says something than what they say. For example, if a person says the exact words in the script: "The March of Dimes saved my baby's life," in a straight forward, maybe stiff manner, it won't be effective. It is much stronger if they say, "Wow.... (shaking their head) the March of Dimes!" The enthusiasm in their voice conveys the emotion and I can get the information across by putting the sound bite in the appropriate context.
There are a few techniques I use to keep the subject relaxed and spontaneous. The main idea is to make it a conversation and to listen.
If you can engage the person in a conversation, they will be less distracted by the crew and camera because they will be involved with their ideas, thoughts and feelings. When they start thinking about what they should say, about what they think the interviewer expects them to say, the interview becomes deadly.
And, the most important thing is to listen, to hear when they are excited about something, when they are touching on what's important to them. That's where the gold is. What I want, as the interviewer, is the person, I want their heart and soul. They usually give me a clue. It's quiet and subtle but if I'm attentive, I can hear it. Then I tease it out of them. Not with a question but with an "Oh?" or a look, like 'tell me?' They want to talk about it because it is important to them. That is when they are their most animated, their most real.
The Story Corps book is entitled, "Listening Is an Act of Love." I enjoy listening to people, enjoy finding out what's important to them and enjoy the pleasure they feel when they are being listened to.
So, tell me, what do you think...?
