Workshop with John Foltz

When looking at how to interview subjects we learned many ways of shooting the best possible interview that we can. Some advice that John gave was to always set up and pick the right location before you start rolling the camera. We saw that once we picked to do an in studio interview we had to move tables, set up lights, put the subjects chair in the right place, and make sure that the cameras were set up in the right place. The Interview is all about the location and a good way to pick a location is by making it fit your subject. For example, if it’s a sports figure interview in a gym, a teacher in a classroom, or the chief of police at the station, and so on. This technique helps to keep the audience’s attention on the subject as well as the theme of the documentary. The lighting is also a key element in interviews. You want the subject to be clear and well lit, however you do not want it to be so bright that the audience cannot see the background. Color temperature affects what color the light will look like, and because of the sun, fluorescent lights, and incandescing lights, the lighting can appear as different colors then you intended. You have to be aware of the amount of light you let into a shot. There are a number of tools used to help with light, like barn doors, which are metal flaps that can be attached to lights and then opened and closed to control the shape and amount of light. The cookie is a cut-out pattern used to cast shadows that add texture to the background of scenes. It may also help the pattern of light shining through a windows or blinds. Another lighting technique is done by bouncing the light using a disc.
John said that he tries to build the subject around the location and always treat it as something that can be fixed. Looking at the two practice interviews that John did with AJ and Rebecca, the class was able to see how a proper interview is conducted and the way that you need to treat your subjects. The technique that John chose to use when he talked to AJ was to ask questions, listen to the answer, and respond to that keeping in mind his goals. To help loosen the subject up John said it’s important to have lead in questions and make the begging of the interview very light and not too pushy. We saw this in action when he asked AJ about his trip to Disney and eventually led into a deeper discussion about his favorite ride in the park. Doing this was a great way to hit the interview subject’s buttons and John was able to find a topic that they could go in depth on. While some subjects will have easy buttons to find, some subjects make it difficult and you must be patient and help make them feel comfortable so they open up.