INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES Zoe Midwinter TECHNIQUES USED IN INTERVIEWS

INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES Zoe Midwinter

TECHNIQUES USED IN INTERVIEWS Body Language – In a TV interview you can clearly see a persons body language, and this can show comfortable they are when being asked questions. If a person is comfortable, their body language is likely to be more open. Eye Contact – Eye contact is important in any kind of interview, but whilst you watch a tv interview, if the person is looking everywhere but at the interviewer they become less believable and harder to really focus on. Language - Some interviews are more formal than others, so the language used could be different. For example, in a late night talk show the interviewee could be a bit more open with their answers, or they could swear/be more graphic with their answers, whereas this would not be possible in a morning show. They might also be likely to speak with their own colloquialisms, making them either easier or more difficult to understand. On the flip side, they might be more formal for the interview, making sure they are clear and well-spoken to be more understood. http: //emsincorporated. com/5 -tips-for-successful-tv-interviews/ - Last Accessed 09/02/2016 http: //www. prdaily. com/Main/Articles/How_to_speak_body_language_during_an_interview_13860. aspx - Last Accessed 09/02/2016

EXAMPLE – PINK FLOYD AT ABBEY ROAD, 1972. The first interview I looked at was Adrian Maben’s interview with Pink Floyd at Abbey Road Studios in 1972. From the start it is clear that this interview is not professionally filmed. The camera is clearly hand-held and is very shaky. The very first shot of this part of the interview is extremely close up, so you can only see eyes and a nose. Following this, the shot is zoomed out and the rest of the band is in shot. They’re all lounging around and eating food, which gives the interview quite a casual, laid back feel. In the individual shots of the band, they are drinking, smoking and laughing whilst answering the questions. The band the interviewer seem to be having general, fun conversation, which keeps it quite light hearted. This light hearted banter between the interviewer and the band coupled with the shaky amateur-ish filming makes for a more intimate piece of work. The whole interview is filmed in a studio, so there is no directional light for the interviews. Rather than this, the lighting is simply that in the room. This adds to the notion that it was almost spontaneous and the band are all relaxed and happy. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Hte. BBGz. AVOs – Last Accessed 09/02/20

EXAMPLE - TIM MINCHIN ON JONATHAN ROSS, 2010 The next interview I looked at was Tim Minchin on The Jonathan Ross Show from 2010. This interview is set in a studio with a live audience, and is filmed in a more professional manner than the Pink Floyd interview. The interviewer is sitting behind a desk and the interviewee sits on a couch. The studio they are in is lit with brighter lights, but there also more ambient red and blue lights. This gives the whole thing a warm, relaxed feel, which in turn makes it more pleasant to watch. In this interview, Minchin sits quite comfortably on the couch, often leaning back with his arms draped over the back. This shows that he is comfortable in the situation. When answering some questions, he leans forward. This shows his interest in the interview, which further holds the attention of the viewer. Similarly to the Pink Floyd interview, this is still a very relaxed interview, but because of the format of it, some of the same intimacy is lost. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=h. H 6 Rstv. Ik. VY – Last Accessed 09/02/20