Formal Interview Assignment
A formal interview (that is not live) is like a pre-packaged story that begins with an anchor lead on camera introducing the source, the newsworthiness of the interview and the first question. The edited interview then starts with the first answer. From then on you switch between question and answer using cutaways as necessary. The interview ends on the last answer and is followed by an on camera tag.
The main point of this exercise is to learn how to prepare questions for a formal interview, how to shoot a formal interview, including various cutaways, and how to edit the q and a into a 2:00 package. You will also write a script for the anchor lead and tag and turn that in on 10/31. You will read this lead/tag in class when we review this assignment on 11/14. Your edited interview should be 2:00 (if less than 1:50 or more than 2:10, -10 points). Second formal interview (re-do) due Dec. 3.
Here are some tips for this assignment as well as elements that need to be included:
1. You need to interview someone on campus about something newsworthy. It cannot be another student. If you are not sure about the news value of the interview, check with me.
2. Contact the interviewee for a pre-interview to help you formulate your questions.
3. Right before your interview, explain to your interviewee how long the interview will take and that you will need them to stay for reversals. Chat them up to warm them up.
4. Do a sound check to make sure you have good audio for both you and the interviewee.
5. Make sure your interviewee and you are both well framed with the rule of thirds in mind. Don’t forget about shooting in front of an interesting background as well as proper head room and talk space.
6. Your first question should be: “Can you please say and spell your name and say your title for the record?” This way, you will never have a mistake on a person’s name or title!
7. Your last question should always be: “Is there anything else you’d like to add?”
8. Once you are satisfied you have enough material for a 2:00 interview, you will need to do the reverses (ask the questions) while the interviewee is still sitting there to get all four different kinds of cutaways. (close-up of you asking the question, two shot over the interviewee’s shoulder as you ask the question, a two-shot from your side of you asking a question or the source answering, a two-shot of you sitting together from the front).
9. Be sure to ask your questions in the reversals exactly as you asked them in the interview. Look interested. You can smile. Nodding is ok as long as it’s not something controversial.
10. After shooting, log your interview to see which questions and answers you want to use. Questions should be short and answers no more than 20 seconds for good pacing.
11. Decide which answer you want to start with and what will follow with the TRTs ahead of time.
12. Edit the interview to maximize the number of questions and content. Be sure to use cutaways as needed.
13. The edited interview is due in the drop box before class on the due date with your name in the slug.
A formal interview (that is not live) is like a pre-packaged story that begins with an anchor lead on camera introducing the source, the newsworthiness of the interview and the first question. The edited interview then starts with the first answer. From then on you switch between question and answer using cutaways as necessary. The interview ends on the last answer and is followed by an on camera tag.
The main point of this exercise is to learn how to prepare questions for a formal interview, how to shoot a formal interview, including various cutaways, and how to edit the q and a into a 2:00 package. You will also write a script for the anchor lead and tag and turn that in on 10/31. You will read this lead/tag in class when we review this assignment on 11/14. Your edited interview should be 2:00 (if less than 1:50 or more than 2:10, -10 points). Second formal interview (re-do) due Dec. 3.
Here are some tips for this assignment as well as elements that need to be included:
1. You need to interview someone on campus about something newsworthy. It cannot be another student. If you are not sure about the news value of the interview, check with me.
2. Contact the interviewee for a pre-interview to help you formulate your questions.
3. Right before your interview, explain to your interviewee how long the interview will take and that you will need them to stay for reversals. Chat them up to warm them up.
4. Do a sound check to make sure you have good audio for both you and the interviewee.
5. Make sure your interviewee and you are both well framed with the rule of thirds in mind. Don’t forget about shooting in front of an interesting background as well as proper head room and talk space.
6. Your first question should be: “Can you please say and spell your name and say your title for the record?” This way, you will never have a mistake on a person’s name or title!
7. Your last question should always be: “Is there anything else you’d like to add?”
8. Once you are satisfied you have enough material for a 2:00 interview, you will need to do the reverses (ask the questions) while the interviewee is still sitting there to get all four different kinds of cutaways. (close-up of you asking the question, two shot over the interviewee’s shoulder as you ask the question, a two-shot from your side of you asking a question or the source answering, a two-shot of you sitting together from the front).
9. Be sure to ask your questions in the reversals exactly as you asked them in the interview. Look interested. You can smile. Nodding is ok as long as it’s not something controversial.
10. After shooting, log your interview to see which questions and answers you want to use. Questions should be short and answers no more than 20 seconds for good pacing.
11. Decide which answer you want to start with and what will follow with the TRTs ahead of time.
12. Edit the interview to maximize the number of questions and content. Be sure to use cutaways as needed.
13. The edited interview is due in the drop box before class on the due date with your name in the slug.