Audio Interviewing Tips for recording interviews Location location

Audio Interviewing Tips for recording interviews

Location, location Pick a quiet place Avoid restaurants, coffee shops Avoid loud background noise – even air conditioners

Put your subject at ease Chat while you are setting up Tell them who the audience is Give them an idea of how long the interview will be Develop rapport before you turn the mic on Look them in the eye, instead of fiddling with equipment

The equipment Handheld microphones: Hold 4 to 12 inches from speaker, pointed at mouth Reporter should hold it steady Wear headphones to monitor sound

Be prepared Make sure your equipment works Know what you want to ask – do background research Remember to listen to the answers

Interview basics Avoid yes or no questions Encourage interviewee to speak in complete sentences Don’t interrupt but try to keep speaker from rambling Ask them to repeat if it’s unclear or if there was a distraction It’s NEVER OK to tell someone what to say, but you can rephrase a question

Starting the interview Ask for name (including spelling) and title while you have the tape rolling

Kinds of questions Describe for me … Give me a sense of … Could you tell me why… Could you tell me what it was like … What went through your mind… How does that affect you? . . .

Be quiet Remember the microphone picks up your voice Don’t say uh huh, really. Try nodding instead

It’s not about you Keep your questions short Don’t answer your own questions

Avoiding pitfalls Don’t be afraid of silence – give them time to think If you don’t understand something, ask “what do you mean by that? ” If the subject is long-winded, start questions with “tell me briefly…” If need be, remind the subject to answer in complete sentences or thoughts for audio.

The wind-up Thank them for their time Ask if there’s anything they want to add

More interview tips If the subject says something you know you’ll want to use, mark the time on the recorder

Doing voice-overs Write a script Keep it short Use simple sentences Stay conversational Enunciate Remember: You have to hook your listeners quickly

Getting better Practice – interview friends and family Listen to good interviewers Ira Glass on storytelling NPR: Soldiers cheer on football team

Ambient sound The continuous noise in the background Record at least a minute of it at each location – can use it to insert space in an edited interview

Natural sound The audio equivalent of sound effects Make sure the sound is authentic If you forgot to record a Husker band practice, you can’t simply download a DVD of the Huskers music when the story is about the band practicing

Tips from NYTimes reporter Audio tips for print reporters

Why tell audio stories? It can give your story another dimension It gives your sources a voice Brandi Kruse’s award-winning audio

How to use it? Short clips that supplement a story Listen to an NPR story – Dr. John Sound matters – Home delivery

It’s all about storytelling Scott Simon: How to tell a story