CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF AN

INTERVIEW

CINEMATOGRAPHY

The interviewee should be framed left or right so that there is space on one side of them for them to speak in to.

The shot is generally medium close up or close up so that we can see their body language and close up if we want to see their expression if it emotional so that we are drawn in more.

The interview generally has a shallow depth of field because the interviewee should be the focus and they get it so that the background is out of focus but is obviously relevant to the subject matter.

They should be shot using the rule so that the person is left or right of the frame and there eyes should be one third of the way down the screen.

All interviews should be filmed on a tripod because the footage will look unprofessional and unplanned otherwise.

EDITING The cuts are generally straight cuts to keep it simple and have the

focus on what is being said not the editing techniques. There are cutaways to relevant material, archive or your own,

during the answer from the interviewee in most cases. The questions are edited out because when the interview is put in

with the rest of the documentary it is in context and generally speaking the viewer can get the basis of what the question might be.

Graphics are added after the interview has happened. There is a sound bed also added in underneath the speech of the

interviewee and it is usually instrumental but it is normally a song that has some relevance to the topic.

MISE EN SCENE The background should always be relevant to the subject matter of

the documentary or it could even be in the home of the person because it makes it personal to them.

High key and low key lighting can be used to set the mood of the documentary as well as to draw the focus on to the interviewee because they will stand out from the background.

Clothes can link in to the subject matter if necessary but this is not always the case because some subjects are not related to clothes and therefore has no relevance.

The interviewee must be seated in a static chair so that the framing is consistent in the interview and there will be no jump cuts when it is edited afterwards.

GRAPHICS The graphics generally introduce the person and tell us what their

relevance is to the subject matter. The name is normally the biggest font size and even in bold The subtext is a smaller font than the main text, the name, and is

not bold but is the same font. Sometimes the graphics have a colour scheme or a banner that

will anchor the topic.