Interview—Crisp video and sound
Focus for Depth of field
Make interviews stand out with depth
of field.
Ever notice formal interviews on television when the background is
blurred and the subject is in focus? Really makes them pop out doesn’t it? Here’s how to do that.
Place your subject at least 6 feet in front of the background items (plant, picture on the wall, etc. The camera
needs to be 10 feet from the subject. Zoom in tight on the subject and pre-focus. Zoom back out and frame the shot. Since the camera is set to be
in focus at 10 feet, the more distant background will be out of focus. Lock the focus.
Use a microphone
A lavaliere/lapel microphone is the
best choice for an interview. Attach the microphone breast bone height to the subject's
clothing. Hide the wire inside their clothing and tape it down so it doesn’t
rustle during the interview. Or, set up a hand-held microphone on a stand and
place it on a table about 2 feet from your storyteller. This will assure that the
audio is strong and clear.
Transcribe and Log
Audio
recordings need to be transcribed and logged so you can piece the video
together in a video editing program. Play the recording and write every word
into a text document. Set up the document so you have a 2 inch margin for notes
(right side if right-handed, left side if left-handed). Write the name of the
storyteller and date of interview at the top of the page. Put spaces between
stories.
In
the note margin, handwrite the (1) category or story title, (2) people in the
story, and (3) when it happened. This will make it easier to assemble if you
plan to write a book or captioned album.
Log
video clips in a similar way, but add a (4) video description, (5) timecode (in
and out points) for the section, and (6) reel title.
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Getting Good Interviews
Videotaping the interview
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Copyright September 2009 Family History Coach All rights reserved Last update April 27, 2010
