Excellent Interview QUESTIONS...

[<SENOR JUMPCUT>]

I need your help...

I'm looking for ways to improve my Q & A skills.

I was wondering what other Photogs do out in the field when they are "solo" shooting a vo/sot or an anchor pkg.

Are there certain tried & true questions that You tend to rely during an interview?

I usually begin with the standard:
"Please say your name and spell it."
(so we have it correctly)

Hopefully, this loosens them up -- with a question they know they can easily answer...

After that it's...

"So, what do we have going on here?" or "Why is this important to our community?"


I've been told to be sure to get the 5 "W's."
-Who
-What
-Where
-When
-Why

I know every situation is completely different --

Please share your wisdom!

Thanks

[photogguy]

First, just talk to the person. The more conversational your discussion is, the better the sound bites will be. I begin by saying something like..."I have a lousy memory. Can you say your name on tape for me?" It seems to work well.

Second, as you posted, start with "What's going on?" That will lead them into the basic information you will need when you get back to the station and the producers ask YOU what happened.

Third, listen to the answers you get. That will lead you to new questions. Some of the best sound bites come from asking a question thought up from listening to a previous answer. It also lets the person you're interviewing know that you ARE listening to them, not just pointing a camera at them.

Fourth, end your questioning with "Is there anything you'd like to add that I didn't ask?" There will probably be things that you don't know to ask questions about, and this gives them a chance to tell you about those things.

There are more, and I'm sure others will give more advice, but this will get you going in the right direction.

[ July 29, 2004, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: photogguy ]

[<SOLO>]

I think photoguy covered the main points pretty well, I will just add two things. The first is, that you must avoid questions that can be answered with a yes or no answer. I have seen many interviews start off well, but quickly fell into a yes and no rut.
#2 Be conversational, and as soon as the subject begins to speak SHUT UP. It sucks when a great soundbite is ruined because the interviewer talks over the begining. This is a true sign of a green reporter. It takes some conscious effort, but the urge to finish your thought can be overcome. :)

[<Ask leading questions....>]

One thing that really works for me is asking a leading question. I know some people will say it's putting words in people's mouths, but when you need a specific byte, it helps. Ask "How much do TV ads influence you?" Or "How scary was it?" You cannot answer that with a y or n.

Also I find interviewing kids to be challenging. Public schools do such a good job of educating the little ones...asking them leading questions forces them to spit out at least a complete answer instead of the weak little hum they will otherwise give. Catholic school kids are the only ones I know that speak confidantly as early as 2nd grade.....

[<interrogator>]

You can ask yes or no questions. In fact I've found they lead to some of the best bytes, if you follow up correctly.

"Do you like this?"
(yes)
"Why?"
(soundbyte)

[<JeffSpicoli>]

Don't go in with any "set" strategy...because then it sounds/ends up staged. My theory is this: We're naturally curious people, right?? So--just ask the guy questions that you as a "regular person" would ask. Let it all flow. Remember, it's not brain surgery we're doing. Nobody's gonna die. Just ask some questions off of replies.

[Lenslinger]

Go Spicoli! Who said burnouts weren't perceptive?

Ditch the game plan. Lose the diagrams and flow-charts. Just be friendly and courteous. Quietly set up your equipment like it's the most natural thing in the world, roll tape and ask what questions come to mind. And for the love of God, don't start talking about star filters, shutter speeds and deep compression. You'll confuse your interviewee and look like a putz in the process. Just have a conversation, preferably in focus and properly white-balanced. While the camera is of utmost importance to you, you want your subject to forget about it and just....talk.

Over the years I've grown increasingly adept at interviewing friends and strangers all by my lonesome. Rarely am I stumped. About once a week someone will say at the end of an interview, "Oh - that was it? We were on? I thought we were just talking!" Nothing pleases me more, for I know I've captured a conversation, not staged an interview. Of course that smug feeling dissipates thirty minutes later when I realize I've left my wireless mic attached to their lapel and they've left town for a three day seminar. I hate when I do that.

[2000lux]

Here's a couple of good recent threads on B-roll worth re-reading. One was called spot news interviews (http://b-roll.net/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=006342#000000) and the other was shooting interviews by your self (http://b-roll.net/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=006282#000000).

Usually I start with "What's going on here?" or "What happend?" Remember that emotional answers are the ones that are going to be used. Don't hesitiate to ask a fire fighter, "What did you think when you saw the house in flames?"

[Memo]

If you ask ' was it scary?'
you will get a yes or a no for an answer
but if you ask
How scary was it?
then you will get ... " it was very scary..."

[Currentchief]

When interviewing kids, avoid yes or no questions, because they will answer yes or no.

[Priam1998]

why is this important? has helped me out many a time

[<Whoolz>]

At an event: "Tell me what happened here today?"

I usually avoid asking a person's name first. I think that tenses a person up more, e.g. they begin to think "This is an interview!" I usually ask questions beforehand, find out what I can about the story, then after getting a general idea of what the person knows/doesn't know, I'll ask them the questions they will seem most knowledgeable about.
I let the person know just before I roll that "we are just going to talk about what we were just talking about" to let them know that it's going to be very easy and conversational. Then I get there name on tape, or ask for a business card when it's all over.

That's just me tho :)

[Terry E. Toller]

Since I am a stringer and the station very rarely uses my voice, I usually ask the person to make statements and not just answere; "Because the fire was coming fast!" Doesn't make a good sound bite...

photoguy has it down! as in the case above, just aske the guy to explain what it was like when he first saw the fire and you should get a great bite.

[ July 30, 2004, 02:44 PM: Message edited by: Terry E. Toller ]

[Gedy]

I go for the, "how does it make you feel?" that’s usually a winner. and when listening and you think somebody isn’t going to talk. just sit back and wait. People don’t like Silence and it makes them feel they have to talk.. Some of my best bites where when I just sat back and nodded my head (waiting) you may feel stupid.. But it works wonders...

[SHOOT TO KILL]

I see a lot of those fail-safe NPPA ideas here, and of course they work quite often.It's all on a case by case basis. Sometimes it's no work at all 'cuz they have a lot to say, but more often than not it's pulling teeth. I believe you resort to any tactic that works 'cuz without the sound you have NOTHING....

[<togger>]

wait till the end of the interview to get names. nothing freezes a guy up more than when they realize the cameras rollin. just walk up to someone and start talking to them you will get great stuff. they should ask "were you rolling on that? when you are done.

[<I shoot, therefore i edit>]

Q: "WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS?"

(Works great with Cops, Troopers, & Firefighters)

Car ax scenario --

A: "Well, this is a perfect example of how seat belts save lives....."


Every story has a beginning, middle, & END!

[<NWBND>]

Ask...Are then real?

[Eye of a Tiger]

Sometimes I'm doing the same vosot that I did the last few years or I've seen our newsroom do over the years. After I've gotten the brief facts I'll ask them if they can tell me something that most people may not already know.

Subject:

"Walking for Warmth"

Reason:

To raise money and awareness for the poor
who have no electricity for heat during the cold months.

I told the woman we've done this subject many times and I asked her, politely, if she could tell me one thing that most people don't realize about the situation. She paused for a few seconds and then said,

"People don't realize that these people often turn on their gas stoves for heat and that can create a hazardous situation."

BINGO! This actually happened. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. This was just one example.

[scott abing]

Here are my favorites...

-So what does it mean to you personally?
-What do you think people who believe (opposing viewpoint) need to understand?
-What does this mean for the people of (this town, business, ect...)?
-Why is this important to you?


A cheap one to get good info that the competition or the newspaper doesn't have (if its some ongoing thing).

-What information hasn't been reported yet that you feel is important? (or relevant to the situation)

[2000lux]

"WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS?"

tell me one thing that most people don't realize about the situation. Those are two great ones that I'm going to add to my repetoire. :D

[<Photog pimp>]

I've learned (the hard way) that Chiefs & ND's DON'T like for you to ask this question:

"YO, BABY -- WHAT'S YOUR PHONE NUMBER?"

[<NYshooter>]

Describe the nature of this fire.

That one will get you the nitty gritty from fire dept. officials.

At the end of a presser -

I know you just explained everything in great deal, but in a nutshell... WHY (this today)?

You'll get your sound bite in much shorter form.

[<Suncoast Shooter>]

"What is the meaning of life?"

-- and please keep it brief

[addixicon]

Here's a sidebar string...
How do you get people to STOP talking in a tactful and unoffensive manner?

[BoomDrive]

Originally posted by addixicon:
Here's a sidebar string...
How do you get people to STOP talking in a tactful and unoffensive manner? Verbally step on their toes. Works for me! Most subjects tend to suddenly get quiet when they see you're trying to say or ask something.