Are you planning an interview and are unsure which camera to use, how to ask the questions, which lamps you need? Or has the interview already been filmed and somehow... does it look different than you had imagined? We have a few solutions for you. While at Jojomoto we mainly animated explanatory films We often produce and work with live film material — whether for interviews in case studies or as a basis for Social media content.
Here are our 7 tips for shooting an interview!
Even though we are a studio for motion design and animation, we produce interviews more frequently during the year. On the one hand, it's because we come from the film industry and have been doing it for many years. On the other hand, it is also wonderful to combine interviews with motion design. Many may now be thinking of classic belly bandages or even more modern versions of them. However, it certainly goes further. But we'll get to that.
By the way, the principle also applies to animation: Good interviews can be the basis for training videos serve or in Explanatory films be integrated to make complex topics more tangible through expert statements.
Before you start, 2 important questions:
Is my interview partner used to cameras?
What are the technical requirements for the interview?
These two points could also be clarified later, but in our opinion they are so essential that you should address them first. Because two pillars are important in planning: content preparation and technical preparation. If the interviewee is not used to camera teams, more must be communicated beforehand and the process and the result (!) More will be discussed. Otherwise, the shoot becomes a lucky bag, because there are definitely natural talents, but the normal initial reaction looks more like this:
Most interviewees are not experienced in giving interviews in front of the camera. So let's try to alleviate the fear a bit in advance.
The first concern is always that the text must be learned by heart. It is important to make this clear as quickly as possible that it is important NOT to learn it by heart. Because we want to have a natural result where an honest and interesting message is conveyed. It's easier with documentation, because it usually relates to things that have happened to you personally.
On the other hand, it is a bit more difficult when it comes to interviews in which facts are explained or structures are described. Here, it is important to work out a list of keywords with the partner that is internalized by both sides. In this way, it is clear in advance what the structure and length of the text should be and what the message is. This encourages both interviewees to pull in the same direction (important to prevent nervousness).
The second concern is that the camera is an important point. She isn't. Not for the interview, at least. In 99 percent, we don't want the interviewee looking at the camera. Except for speeches, where the viewer is addressed directly, such as in the Tagesschau, for example. Or the chancellor for the New Year. As a result, the camera is only relevant for the cameraman during the interview and the interviewees can completely forget the camera.
So in summary:
Unfortunately, the best tip is not always the cheapest.
It would have been too nice too. But what technology is needed? camera (s), lights and sound. Plus a bit of grip, stands, monitors and powder!
And that's also where we come to the most important tip: use your own technology. Our team has been shooting interviews for over 7 years and has to realize time and time again that you simply have to master your technique while you sleep. There are excellent rental companies where you can borrow the best stuff, but not recommended for small team interviews. If an image film, advertising clip or is to be realized, it is natural to rent equipment and technology, because many and different things are required there. But interviews in particular always require very similar technology.
In order not to experience any unpleasant surprises on site, you should not rely on what the customer says, but either look at the room beforehand or have photos taken. Be sure to remember the direction of the compass! If the sun is behind the wall of the house during construction and then shines directly on your set when shooting, you usually have a problem. To predict this in the best possible way, we can only use the Photopills app (link) recommend. There, you can calculate in advance exactly when there is sun and when there is shadow. The app looks even more complicated, but the internal wiki helps a lot.
The camera is, of course, the heart of technology. And that's when it quickly gets emotional. For the last 3 years, we have been shooting exclusively on the URSA Mini 4.6k (Pro) from Blackmagic, which we are very happy with. This is because the image aesthetic is very appealing, the price remains affordable, and it's an incredibly efficient workflow. Handy size, lots of ports and all important codecs. Writing to SSD or overpriced CFast cards is easy.
Since an end product in HD is usually still required, the remaining pixels can also be used when recording 4k to zoom in later. In this way, sentences can be cut out later without an aperture. The better option is, of course, a second camera. But it really has to match very well, preferably even be the same camera. With URSA, the new Pocket is of course a good idea, even though there is a clear difference. But with the included DaVinci, that's no problem. In addition to the camera, we usually have a TV logic with us for the director to better judge and verify. The lenses vary according to the task at hand. Normally, a 50mm is a good choice, usually an 85mm and a 16-35mm and 24-125mm zoom.
If you have poor lighting, the best camera won't help you. If we were to sign, it doesn't mean that it has to be a lot and expensive. Here, too, we tried a lot and decided on a set.
First problem: electricity. It is not so rare that there is no power outlet nearby. In addition, long cable routes usually don't look good, because we want to leave a clean and orderly impression and the cable sometimes makes quick changes in position not easy to implement. That is why it is important to us to have a solution that works with batteries.
The second problem: space. Very often it is necessary to shoot in small rooms so that there is barely any room left for the lamps. So we need lamps that create a soft light at short distances. More about that later. We are absolutely satisfied with the Aladdin Bi-Flex 1&2 (link). These are LEDs attached to a type of carpet that are bright, dimmable and variable in Kelvin value (link) are. This means we have low power consumption (for the batteries) and can adapt well to the lighting conditions. However, we don't use Aladdin's softbox, but from Profoto (link) together with a matching speed ring and eggcrate.
The sound is quite unspectacular. We use RodeLinks (link) to plug in and a Sennheiser ME66 shotgun (link) for the atmosphere. If we only used the wireless clip-on microphones, two things would be negative: if there is interference or unexpected scratches on the microphone, we cannot compensate for it and in addition, the sound without atmosphere is usually a bit unnaturally close and somewhat undifferentiated in the high frequencies. The recording device can prove to be the biggest cost, as recording the sound directly on the camera is not recommended. Of course, a sound device (such as the here) a dream, but a zoom H6 is probably enough for interviews (link).
In our setting, we need little grip. We don't need 2-3 stands (C-stands) for the lamps, 1 steel stand for the shotgun with rod, swivel heads, etc. because we have a speed ring.
Whether it's a live film, animation or a combination of both — we are happy to advise you. Schedule a free initial consultation.
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