Purposes
I will conduction two different interviews in two similar but different locations. They differ, because one is a TV interview that shows both me (interviewer) and the interviewee, and the other is a radio interview. The purpose of these interviews is to educate the audience about the problems with homelessness. I also hope it will raise awareness for this growing issue.
Interview Planning
Location:
As I have said, they are both being done in a similar location because they are both being recorded at college. The TV interview will take place in the large studio, where we will set up two different cameras to film different angles and get as much content as possible. Filming in this space allows us to control the lighting and sound, resulting in a much better final production.
The other interview will take place in the sound booth. Because this is a radio interview we won't need cameras, only the mic that is permanently in the sound booth. This will make the sound quality very good, and there will be no background sound.
Date and Time:
The TV interview will take place on the 23rd of April at around 10AM. This will allow plenty of time to film before we hand in. The Radio interview will be on the 25th April at 11AM. This is quite close to the hand in but will still allow time to make sure the interviews audio levels are OK.
Appropriate Setting:
The setting for the TV interview will be the studio because I can control the light and backdrop. This is accessible for the people I will be interviewing because they will be at the college anyway. The setting for the audio interview won't matter because you won't be able to see what the area looks like. The only impact the setting will have, will be the accessibility of the quality equipment.
Recording Methods:
The recording methods will differ between the two productions. The Radio interview will be done using a microphone connected directly to a computer outside of the audio booth. This will allow for the Best quality sound available to me at the college. The TV interviews will be recorded on two separate DSLR cameras which will allow for different viewing angles. We will use a tie mic to record the audio. This will only be attached to one of the cameras, so editing will have to be done to link up the footage to the audio.
Ambient Consideration:
The noise is a big consideration, and I have chosen the locations based on where the audio will be the best it can be. Recording in the audio booth will mean there will be no noise other interference. The TV interview will be done in the studio using a tie mic which will pick up sound very well. The location will mean there isn't any unwanted sound or interference. The only issue might be that people walk into the studio so I will have to make sure that there is a sign to warn anyone that there is filming going on.
Talent Liaison Consideration:
I will make sure the the interviewee is aware of the questions that they are being asked, however I don't want them to have prepared answers to the questions, as this would make it seem very fake and practised. The talent have already agreed to be filmed and are aware of the topic of conversation. This has not wavered their interest in participating in filming.
Structuring
Question Formulation
When considering how to construct the interview, I wanted to make sure that all the information that was needed would be included. This is why I didn't follow a classic structure that allowed the interviewee to feel at ease and comfortable with the interview. This wasn't meant to be an intrusive or combative interview so there was no need for them to feel uneasy. The whole purpose is to be informative, which is why I made all the questions interesting and informative for the viewer or listener. This was the same for both the Radio and TV interviews. I did ask the interviewee to introduce them self so that the audience would be aware of who was speaking, but also because it is a very standard introduction to any interview.
Scripting of the Interview Input
When creating the interview, I made them all open questions, so that the interviewee could expand on the question and their own points. It also allowed me to ask a follow-up question that directly links to the one before. The purpose of this is to make it seem much less scripted from me, the interviewer and make the production more light hearted.
Consideration of interview style:
I intend to make the interview very light hearted and informative for the viewer. Very formal and scripted interviews can detract from the points that are trying to be made which is why I would like to avoid that. I also intend to keep the same interviewing style in both interviews so the audience will get similar vibe from both productions.
Definition of Structural Progression:
The intensity of the interview will not change throughout. As it isn't a combative interview or hard news, i think the interviewee doesn't need to be eased into the key questions. This means that, while some of the questions are more hard hitting and could be used in a sound bite, but there isn't going to be a definitive structure to the interview. The interview might develop into more of a discussion if a good point is made and it leads onto that, however it isn't crucial.
Preparation
Client Liaison
I will talk to the director before filming to make sure I know what he is expecting from each of the interviews and if there is anything he would like me to address or bring up without the interviewee knowing in advance. It would also be good to know what stlye he wants me to go with for the interview.
Talent management
The talent knows where filming will be taking place and will be within the vicinity when we need to film which will make filming and timing much easier. They will be warned in the morning that they will be needed so they aren't surprised. I will speak to the interviewee to make sure they are conformable with the question and are ready to be filmed. If there are any last minute issues, it is better to know before we start filming. They will have been given a copy of the interview questions before filming so they know what to expect from the me when the interview starts. They will also be aware that the editing will be minimal as I am aiming to make it a close to the real interview as possible so the audience doesn't think they are being deceived.
Sunday, 7 May 2017
Unit 36 - Task 2
Purposes of research
Identify key facts about the topic:
The idea behind the documentary is to create awareness for homeless people in my home town of Tunbridge Wells, and what problems might be faced in middle class areas. The two different interviews will be about different peoples attitudes towards homelessness and whether they think it is a huge issue in today's society. I will then compare what they say to the facts that I have found. This will be done in both a TV format which will also be included in my final factual program, and a radio format. They will be done with different people that have no connections or outside knowledge of homelessness.
Potential issues:
The issues that might occur are mainly about arranging the interviews with the different people, and finding space for us to conduct the interview, with as little background sound as possible. Fortunately there is a lot of different types of equipment that can be used at college, including cameras with microphones. This will allow for recording the radio interview with a standard camera if need be. The plan is to use the audio both in college, which will allow for no background noise at all. However this can be busy at this late stage of the year.
Areas of interest:
Homelessness is the main topic of conversation in this interview so it will revolve around that. I will be focusing on how being homeless in middle class areas differs from others. Either by the local council taking more or less action towards it, or the money that people get is more or less because of peoples incomes.
Areas of interest or concern surrounding the topic:
The interviews themselves will be between me, the interviewer, and a member of the public with no link to homelessness. The shouldn't be any concerns around the topics covered that might be to intrusive to a homeless person if we were interviewing someone without a home. This will make the points that can be covered easier to distinguish.
Relevant matters in background of interviewee:
I will be using the question, 'do you think enough is being done', in both interviews to get the opinions of both my interviewees. I think this is a very important question, especially when interviewing people with very little knowledge on the topic. Their ignorance makes them the best people to ask this question to.
Preparatory Research:
Identify key facts about the topic:
The idea behind the documentary is to create awareness for homeless people in my home town of Tunbridge Wells, and what problems might be faced in middle class areas. The two different interviews will be about different peoples attitudes towards homelessness and whether they think it is a huge issue in today's society. I will then compare what they say to the facts that I have found. This will be done in both a TV format which will also be included in my final factual program, and a radio format. They will be done with different people that have no connections or outside knowledge of homelessness.
Potential issues:
The issues that might occur are mainly about arranging the interviews with the different people, and finding space for us to conduct the interview, with as little background sound as possible. Fortunately there is a lot of different types of equipment that can be used at college, including cameras with microphones. This will allow for recording the radio interview with a standard camera if need be. The plan is to use the audio both in college, which will allow for no background noise at all. However this can be busy at this late stage of the year.
Areas of interest:
Homelessness is the main topic of conversation in this interview so it will revolve around that. I will be focusing on how being homeless in middle class areas differs from others. Either by the local council taking more or less action towards it, or the money that people get is more or less because of peoples incomes.
Areas of interest or concern surrounding the topic:
The interviews themselves will be between me, the interviewer, and a member of the public with no link to homelessness. The shouldn't be any concerns around the topics covered that might be to intrusive to a homeless person if we were interviewing someone without a home. This will make the points that can be covered easier to distinguish.
Relevant matters in background of interviewee:
I will be using the question, 'do you think enough is being done', in both interviews to get the opinions of both my interviewees. I think this is a very important question, especially when interviewing people with very little knowledge on the topic. Their ignorance makes them the best people to ask this question to.
Preparatory Research:
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-homeless-teens
While there isn’t a national figure for the number of
homeless people in Britain, government street counts and estimates suggest that
around 4,100 people slept rough across England every single night in 2016. This
is a 16% increase compared to the previous year and more than double the amount
in 2010.
Around 80% of homeless youths aged between 12-21 use drugs
and alcohol as a means to self-medicate to deal with the traumatic experiences
and abuse that come with living on the streets at such a young age.
https://www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/about-homelessness/
The average age that homeless people die at is 47 years old.
People sleeping rough are 17% more likely to be victims of
violence. More than one in three have been deliberately hit, kicked or
experienced some other kind of violence whilst homeless.
Homeless people are over 9 times more likely to take their
own life than the general population.
Some of the main reasons for people becoming homeless are
the rising prices of housing, unemployment, leaving prison, care or the army
without a place to stay.
A lot of homeless women become homeless when they escape violent
relationships.
While rough sleeping is the most visible form of
homelessness, many homeless people still live in housing that isn’t securely
theirs, and might be at risk of being kicked out at any point. This can be
through people that they know or by the council or local charities. To get
housing from the council, there are strict criteria that you have to meet. Families
with children and people with disabilities are much higher on the list for housing
making it more difficult for normal people.
86% of homeless people reported some form of mental health
issue. 44% have been diagnosed, compared to 25% of the general population.
68% of the total homeless population said they take or are
recovering from a drug or alcohol problem.
Interview with a homeless many in Dublin. Shows the cycle
that homeless people get into, which makes it so hard to get out. This man is
trying to turn his life around by going back to college, however it is
difficult because he has nowhere to live. This creates more problems than just
having nowhere warm to sleep. This man is homeless because he fell out with his
girlfriend which is quite a common reason for people being homeless. Breaking
up a relationship is one of the main reasons for homeless women in Britain.
This could be included in our interview.
The ongoing cycle of homelessness might be an interesting
topic to focus on or at least include in our questions. This interview also
includes talk of drugs and alcohol and how it is obvious when you’re on the
streets.
Methods of Research:
Primary Research
My primary research was very basic, and involved me asking my friends and family questions about what they knew about homeless people. This helped me to find out how little people knew about homelessness here. It also helped me to come up with ideas for questions by asking them what they would be interested in knowing regarding homelessness. I could also asked them what they thought of the questions I wrote up, and if they would find it interesting and informative. They could put in their own ideas as well all in an effort to create a great documentary.
Secondary Research
My secondary research mainly came from sources that I knew I could trust such as government websites and homeless charity information formats (websites, pamphlets .etc). I have included some of the information above. I also looked at BBC documentaries that showed homelessness. Whole its not directly applicable to Tunbridge Wells, it was still interesting and informative.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-20704588/banker-sleeping-rough-in-par
Thursday, 4 May 2017
Unit 36 - Task 1
Interview Styling
There are 6 different interview styles that every interview will conform to or fall into. They are as follows;
Hard news is very fast paced. It would normally be on the front page in a paper or the leading story in a news report as it will interest and captivate the audience, and will encourage them to continue to watch/read. Stories that would normally be considered hard news may involve business, politics and international affairs. However this will depend on the medium that is reporting them. The Times newspaper always has huge stories that entice the audience in. They do this with captivation headlines that give a very brief outline of what the rest of the story will involve. You can see that from the front page of 'The Times', on the left. It also uses an image of the queen. This may attract an entirely different demographic of people who are interested in her.
Combative
A combative interview is considered to be very aggressive, and is almost always targeted towards the interviewee. While this often means that the interviewer has strong feelings about the subject being discussed. It is a very common method for interviewing, especially if the interviewee is reluctant to give out information. One of the most well known and successful combative interviewers is Jeremy Paxman. He is feared by politicians because of his forward and aggressive interview styles. Here are some examples of his most famous interviews with celebrities and politicians;
Paxman vs Russell Brand - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YR4CseY9pk
Paxman vs Micheal Howard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwlsd8RAoqI
Paxman vs Boris Johnson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4ldiXhDrHw
Light-hearted
A light hearted interview is an interview that is conducted in a light and casual manner, and while this doesn't mean the topic isn't serious, but the people involved are talking about in it a casual way. The aim of this interview is for the interviewee to be relaxed and at easy with the interviewer so that they open up and are willing to talk about all the points raised. While this can be unsuccessful, the aim is to make the interviewee talk, without being too hostile towards them. This interview style is more popular with chat shows that political interviews;
Jimmy Fallon & Donald Trump - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0BYqzdiuJc
Entertainment
Interviews are meant to inform the audience. In an entertainment interview the information that is being received often isn't very useful or helpful to the audience, but will still get huge audiences because the content is interesting. It is normally an interview with a celebrity or other well known person, so the audience can learn a little bit about them. The interviewer will ask questions that might be of interest to the audience or might be considered gossip
Investigative
This interview style is designed to find out as much information about a person or event. It's a similar style to hard news, as they are both used in political interviews. Investigative interviews are also used on the public to find out their opinions, as well as when investigating criminals, celebrities or anybody with information that could be useful. The interview questions are typically closed questions instead of open ones. This is to gain facts and figures, instead of the opinions of the interviewees.
Promotional
A promotional interview is often set up to advertise a new film, programme or product without the production company having to pay to advertise it. It is normally done on chat shows, as there isn't a script. In some cases, the interviewer doesn't want this to be a promotional video and will try and stop the guest talking about irrelevant topics and making points that don't relate to the question, just to advertise. In England, on programmes such as the BBC, they aren't allowed to advertise, so they try very hard to stop guest doing that.
Michelle Pfieffer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY3dRHJVb0c
Open Question
An open question allows the person being asked the question to expand on their answer so that the interviewer gets more content than he asked for. These are common of most interviews because they get the best content for the audience. They can also be written in advance and planned for without any improvisation. This is why they are the most commonly used question type in interviews.
Closed Question
Closed questions are much more prominent in paper questionnaires than in live and recorded interviews. Closed questions really allow the interviewee to answer with a yes or no answer without them having to expand. This is why it isn't very well used. A yes or no question would be good if you were collecting statistics because the results can be shown very easily. But this wouldn't interest and audience that can't see those sats.
Multiple Questions
Multiple questions are a series of questions that are all linked together and are all related. An interviewer might expand on one question because the answer they received was very strange or interesting. These questions might have already been written down, or might be improvised by the interviewer. This is an important skill that journalists should have. These types of question can come in any type of interview, but informal and chatty interviews are where they are normally included, as the interview develops.
Direct Questions
Direct questions are very hard hitting and sometimes intrusive questions that are normally asked in Hard news, combative and investigative interviews. Their purpose is to get a clear and detailed answer from the interviewee. They can be used a lot when interviewing political figures, and they have to be very skilled to avoid answering it. These can also be used to make the interviewees feel uncomfortable and defensive.
Suggestive Questions
Suggestive questions are used to make the interviewee think the same thing as the interviewer that is asking the questions. They will do this by including their own opinion in the question, or suggesting the answer to them. This will hopefully get the interviewer the answer they want. While it can be fairly easy for the audience and experienced interviewees, some people might not be aware and give an answer they weren't expecting to.
Introduction
The introduction of the interviewee always happens so that the audience understand who they are hearing from. This will typically be done by the interviewer, but can sometimes be done by a voice-over in the introduction to the interview. The person that is being interviewed will also be a huge factor in the type of interview that will take place. A politician would have a much more formal and possibly investigative feel, whereas an interview with a comedian would be light-hearted and funny.
Developmental Questions
These are the first couple of questions that are asked by the interviewer. They would be quite light-hearted and intrusive to make the interviewee seem more at ease in the situation because some people might be nervous. This might also allow the interviewer and interviewee to create a friendly relationship, which would set the tone for the remainder to the interview. This can be very important, especially if the interviewer intents to ask some more important and controversial questions.
Confidence Building
These are similar to the Development questions, however they are more about the interviewee as a person to make them feel confident about what they do and confident enough to answer the key questions later in the interview. They will also be about what the person is well known for, so they are able to answer the questions comfortably.
Key Questions
These questions are what the whole interview and build up have been about. Their purpose is to get all the information that the audience and the the interviewer want to know. The interviewee will need to get as much information as possible from them which is why confidence building before the key questions is very important. The key questions will always be open so that the interviewee will include a lot of their own content.
Sound Bites
These are the most interesting and content filled parts of the interview that would interest the viewers. They are the highlights of the interview, and might be used to show a preview to a potential audience, or might be played instead so that there isn't any unnecessary content that will bore the viewer. The best sound bites contain heated debates and conflict between the interviewee and interviewer, and the key questions and content from the interview.
Summary
The summary of an interview is what is used to indicate to the audience and the interviewee that the interview is coming to an end. This might be done to relax them or just to inform them. The question will normally allow the interviewee to conclude on their main point throughout the interview, as a final statement to the audience.
Wind-up
This is where the interview is brought to a close by the interviewer. This is normally done by thanking the interviewee for their time, regardless of the disputes and disagreements that there were throughout the interview. This is so that it ends in a positive or at least a calm way. If the interview has been cheerful and happy then it might end in a much more friendly way like with a hug or handshake. If the interview was in front of a live studio audience then the interviewer might invite them to applaud the interviewee to show their appreciation. This would then lead onto something else.
Building a rapport
This isn't always important in interviews. It depends on the style and content of the talk. In a friendly discussion, where there is no conflict, it is easy to build a rapport because there shouldn't be any misgivings about the interview. There can be jokes and funny anecdotes to make the interviewee at ease. The questions that are typically asked at the beginning of an interview are there to build a rapport between the interviewer and interviewee. They allow the interviewee to fell comfortable in the company of the interviewer. This is done regardless of the topic of the interview. In some cases, the relationship between the people involved is bad. This can be very clear throughout, but it is the interviewers job to get all the information needed by trying to build a relationship with the interviewee.
Active Listening
Active listening is done predominately by the interviewer so that they can adjust the questions they answer based on what has already been said. If the interviewer doesn't do this, it might annoy the interviewer because they are clearly not listening to what is being said and means there will be repeated points in the interview which are unnecessary.
Body Language
The body language of both the interviewer and interviewee are very important as they can show to the audience what they are thinking and if they are being made uncomfortable by the questions.
Print
Print interviews are very common in newspapers and magazines because they are a great source of information and are often of interest to the audience. What a print interview does differently is that it might not contain all the questions that are asked, only the answers, or there is only one long answer included in the print. This is so that the audience don't get bored with hearing from the same person. Magazines often don't have this problem because the content can be quite revealing and interesting. Their interviews are also with mainstream celebrities that a lot of people are interested in.
Television
Most television interview come from factual programs such as the news and documentaries. These will happen very regularly and with an interviewer asking questions to the interviewee so there is a more personable touch. This is what we are doing for our factual programs.
Radio
Radio interviews are also very common and radio stations will often get a expert in or a celebrity to talk to their audience to get more interest and listeners. Radio interviews with experts will often follow a set script and while they do often branch of to include other conversation, the main questions will however be the main topic of conversation. On radio stations such as BBC radio 1, there isn't a set script, there might be a list of topics that are relevant and will interest the audience. Celebrities and musicians will often appeal of radio stations to promote something and raise awareness for it.
Sport
Sport broadcasts also include interviews with the players and managers so the audience and the presenters know what the people involved in the match are thinking. This is often of great interest to fans because they often notice certain things that the audience don't notice because they aren't professional players or coaches. There might also be interviews in the studio between former players. An example is match of the day, which always has at least 3 people in the studio to discuss the different matches. These could be considered interviews because they ask each other questions and get responses.
Purposes of Interviews
There are five different purposes of interviews. The first is research, and is used often by companies and individuals to gain knowledge. This can be done on the streets, where the interviewer asks questions of the public, which can get a very detailed insight into the public opinion of a matter. This is a style that is often shown and used during the news and occasionally during a documentary. These interviews don't have to be filmed or record either, and some are used purely for statistics and to reference later. Another research interview method is through focus groups. These are small groups of people that can give detailed information from their point of view. This can also be linked to the next purpose, which is 'increasing public awareness'. This can be done through broadcasting other peoples opinions through TV and radio. Having well known and popular people discussing information and giving their own opinions is a very popular way of getting information out there. The public are more likely to listen to celebrities and politicians because they are supposed to be people we trust.
Information can also be presented through interviews. This is often done by politicians that want to show what they have been doing, or tell the audience about developments in society. The whole purpose of and interview is however to provide and present information in different ways. When presenting information to an audience you would talk directly to them. Telling the audience what you know and what they should know instead of directing questions at a guest. This is the style that most news platforms take, and while it isn't really an interview, it is presenting information directly to the audience. During news broadcasts, the presenters are meant to be impartial and not show emotion to the audience as they are merely reporting and not trying to influence the viewers own opinions. During interviews, often the interviewer will be directly combating the interviewee because they don't agree with something they have said, or they just want them to explain their own opinions. Sometimes the interviewer will have the same opinion as most of the audience which will allow them to ask questions on behalf of the audience, and it's down to the interviewee to justify what they have said.
Finally the last interview technique is evoking emotions from the interviewee. Their job is make the person open up, and give out all the details that the people watching and listening want to know. Different interviewers have different ways of interviewing, which will get different emotional reactions from the subject. Jeremy Paxsman is very aggressive and forward talking. He uses confrontation to get the response that he wants to hear. This often works because the interviewee is on edge, and doesn't have time to compose themselves and think of a better answer. They might even get emotional and flustered as they aren't being given time to say what they want. This is all so that the audience can know the real information, and to understand their knowledge of the topic. Other interviewers try to be friendly and lull their interviewee into a sense of security and safety. This can also get information out to the audience, but it isn't always the correct information. The interviewer doesn't force questions that aren't welcomed, which can frustrate audiences, as they appear deceptive.
There are 6 different interview styles that every interview will conform to or fall into. They are as follows;
Hard News
Hard news is very fast paced. It would normally be on the front page in a paper or the leading story in a news report as it will interest and captivate the audience, and will encourage them to continue to watch/read. Stories that would normally be considered hard news may involve business, politics and international affairs. However this will depend on the medium that is reporting them. The Times newspaper always has huge stories that entice the audience in. They do this with captivation headlines that give a very brief outline of what the rest of the story will involve. You can see that from the front page of 'The Times', on the left. It also uses an image of the queen. This may attract an entirely different demographic of people who are interested in her.Combative
Paxman vs Russell Brand - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YR4CseY9pk
Paxman vs Micheal Howard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwlsd8RAoqI
Paxman vs Boris Johnson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4ldiXhDrHw
Light-hearted
A light hearted interview is an interview that is conducted in a light and casual manner, and while this doesn't mean the topic isn't serious, but the people involved are talking about in it a casual way. The aim of this interview is for the interviewee to be relaxed and at easy with the interviewer so that they open up and are willing to talk about all the points raised. While this can be unsuccessful, the aim is to make the interviewee talk, without being too hostile towards them. This interview style is more popular with chat shows that political interviews;
Jimmy Fallon & Donald Trump - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0BYqzdiuJc
Entertainment
Interviews are meant to inform the audience. In an entertainment interview the information that is being received often isn't very useful or helpful to the audience, but will still get huge audiences because the content is interesting. It is normally an interview with a celebrity or other well known person, so the audience can learn a little bit about them. The interviewer will ask questions that might be of interest to the audience or might be considered gossip
Investigative
This interview style is designed to find out as much information about a person or event. It's a similar style to hard news, as they are both used in political interviews. Investigative interviews are also used on the public to find out their opinions, as well as when investigating criminals, celebrities or anybody with information that could be useful. The interview questions are typically closed questions instead of open ones. This is to gain facts and figures, instead of the opinions of the interviewees.
Promotional
A promotional interview is often set up to advertise a new film, programme or product without the production company having to pay to advertise it. It is normally done on chat shows, as there isn't a script. In some cases, the interviewer doesn't want this to be a promotional video and will try and stop the guest talking about irrelevant topics and making points that don't relate to the question, just to advertise. In England, on programmes such as the BBC, they aren't allowed to advertise, so they try very hard to stop guest doing that.
Michelle Pfieffer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY3dRHJVb0c
Open Question
An open question allows the person being asked the question to expand on their answer so that the interviewer gets more content than he asked for. These are common of most interviews because they get the best content for the audience. They can also be written in advance and planned for without any improvisation. This is why they are the most commonly used question type in interviews.
Closed Question
Closed questions are much more prominent in paper questionnaires than in live and recorded interviews. Closed questions really allow the interviewee to answer with a yes or no answer without them having to expand. This is why it isn't very well used. A yes or no question would be good if you were collecting statistics because the results can be shown very easily. But this wouldn't interest and audience that can't see those sats.
Multiple Questions
Multiple questions are a series of questions that are all linked together and are all related. An interviewer might expand on one question because the answer they received was very strange or interesting. These questions might have already been written down, or might be improvised by the interviewer. This is an important skill that journalists should have. These types of question can come in any type of interview, but informal and chatty interviews are where they are normally included, as the interview develops.
Direct Questions
Direct questions are very hard hitting and sometimes intrusive questions that are normally asked in Hard news, combative and investigative interviews. Their purpose is to get a clear and detailed answer from the interviewee. They can be used a lot when interviewing political figures, and they have to be very skilled to avoid answering it. These can also be used to make the interviewees feel uncomfortable and defensive.
Suggestive Questions
Suggestive questions are used to make the interviewee think the same thing as the interviewer that is asking the questions. They will do this by including their own opinion in the question, or suggesting the answer to them. This will hopefully get the interviewer the answer they want. While it can be fairly easy for the audience and experienced interviewees, some people might not be aware and give an answer they weren't expecting to.
Introduction
The introduction of the interviewee always happens so that the audience understand who they are hearing from. This will typically be done by the interviewer, but can sometimes be done by a voice-over in the introduction to the interview. The person that is being interviewed will also be a huge factor in the type of interview that will take place. A politician would have a much more formal and possibly investigative feel, whereas an interview with a comedian would be light-hearted and funny.
Developmental Questions
These are the first couple of questions that are asked by the interviewer. They would be quite light-hearted and intrusive to make the interviewee seem more at ease in the situation because some people might be nervous. This might also allow the interviewer and interviewee to create a friendly relationship, which would set the tone for the remainder to the interview. This can be very important, especially if the interviewer intents to ask some more important and controversial questions.
Confidence Building
These are similar to the Development questions, however they are more about the interviewee as a person to make them feel confident about what they do and confident enough to answer the key questions later in the interview. They will also be about what the person is well known for, so they are able to answer the questions comfortably.
Key Questions
These questions are what the whole interview and build up have been about. Their purpose is to get all the information that the audience and the the interviewer want to know. The interviewee will need to get as much information as possible from them which is why confidence building before the key questions is very important. The key questions will always be open so that the interviewee will include a lot of their own content.
Sound Bites
These are the most interesting and content filled parts of the interview that would interest the viewers. They are the highlights of the interview, and might be used to show a preview to a potential audience, or might be played instead so that there isn't any unnecessary content that will bore the viewer. The best sound bites contain heated debates and conflict between the interviewee and interviewer, and the key questions and content from the interview.
Summary
The summary of an interview is what is used to indicate to the audience and the interviewee that the interview is coming to an end. This might be done to relax them or just to inform them. The question will normally allow the interviewee to conclude on their main point throughout the interview, as a final statement to the audience.
Wind-up
This is where the interview is brought to a close by the interviewer. This is normally done by thanking the interviewee for their time, regardless of the disputes and disagreements that there were throughout the interview. This is so that it ends in a positive or at least a calm way. If the interview has been cheerful and happy then it might end in a much more friendly way like with a hug or handshake. If the interview was in front of a live studio audience then the interviewer might invite them to applaud the interviewee to show their appreciation. This would then lead onto something else.
Building a rapport
This isn't always important in interviews. It depends on the style and content of the talk. In a friendly discussion, where there is no conflict, it is easy to build a rapport because there shouldn't be any misgivings about the interview. There can be jokes and funny anecdotes to make the interviewee at ease. The questions that are typically asked at the beginning of an interview are there to build a rapport between the interviewer and interviewee. They allow the interviewee to fell comfortable in the company of the interviewer. This is done regardless of the topic of the interview. In some cases, the relationship between the people involved is bad. This can be very clear throughout, but it is the interviewers job to get all the information needed by trying to build a relationship with the interviewee.
Active Listening
Active listening is done predominately by the interviewer so that they can adjust the questions they answer based on what has already been said. If the interviewer doesn't do this, it might annoy the interviewer because they are clearly not listening to what is being said and means there will be repeated points in the interview which are unnecessary.
Body Language
The body language of both the interviewer and interviewee are very important as they can show to the audience what they are thinking and if they are being made uncomfortable by the questions.
Print interviews are very common in newspapers and magazines because they are a great source of information and are often of interest to the audience. What a print interview does differently is that it might not contain all the questions that are asked, only the answers, or there is only one long answer included in the print. This is so that the audience don't get bored with hearing from the same person. Magazines often don't have this problem because the content can be quite revealing and interesting. Their interviews are also with mainstream celebrities that a lot of people are interested in.
Television
Most television interview come from factual programs such as the news and documentaries. These will happen very regularly and with an interviewer asking questions to the interviewee so there is a more personable touch. This is what we are doing for our factual programs.
Radio
Radio interviews are also very common and radio stations will often get a expert in or a celebrity to talk to their audience to get more interest and listeners. Radio interviews with experts will often follow a set script and while they do often branch of to include other conversation, the main questions will however be the main topic of conversation. On radio stations such as BBC radio 1, there isn't a set script, there might be a list of topics that are relevant and will interest the audience. Celebrities and musicians will often appeal of radio stations to promote something and raise awareness for it.
Sport
Sport broadcasts also include interviews with the players and managers so the audience and the presenters know what the people involved in the match are thinking. This is often of great interest to fans because they often notice certain things that the audience don't notice because they aren't professional players or coaches. There might also be interviews in the studio between former players. An example is match of the day, which always has at least 3 people in the studio to discuss the different matches. These could be considered interviews because they ask each other questions and get responses.
Purposes of Interviews
There are five different purposes of interviews. The first is research, and is used often by companies and individuals to gain knowledge. This can be done on the streets, where the interviewer asks questions of the public, which can get a very detailed insight into the public opinion of a matter. This is a style that is often shown and used during the news and occasionally during a documentary. These interviews don't have to be filmed or record either, and some are used purely for statistics and to reference later. Another research interview method is through focus groups. These are small groups of people that can give detailed information from their point of view. This can also be linked to the next purpose, which is 'increasing public awareness'. This can be done through broadcasting other peoples opinions through TV and radio. Having well known and popular people discussing information and giving their own opinions is a very popular way of getting information out there. The public are more likely to listen to celebrities and politicians because they are supposed to be people we trust.
Information can also be presented through interviews. This is often done by politicians that want to show what they have been doing, or tell the audience about developments in society. The whole purpose of and interview is however to provide and present information in different ways. When presenting information to an audience you would talk directly to them. Telling the audience what you know and what they should know instead of directing questions at a guest. This is the style that most news platforms take, and while it isn't really an interview, it is presenting information directly to the audience. During news broadcasts, the presenters are meant to be impartial and not show emotion to the audience as they are merely reporting and not trying to influence the viewers own opinions. During interviews, often the interviewer will be directly combating the interviewee because they don't agree with something they have said, or they just want them to explain their own opinions. Sometimes the interviewer will have the same opinion as most of the audience which will allow them to ask questions on behalf of the audience, and it's down to the interviewee to justify what they have said.
Finally the last interview technique is evoking emotions from the interviewee. Their job is make the person open up, and give out all the details that the people watching and listening want to know. Different interviewers have different ways of interviewing, which will get different emotional reactions from the subject. Jeremy Paxsman is very aggressive and forward talking. He uses confrontation to get the response that he wants to hear. This often works because the interviewee is on edge, and doesn't have time to compose themselves and think of a better answer. They might even get emotional and flustered as they aren't being given time to say what they want. This is all so that the audience can know the real information, and to understand their knowledge of the topic. Other interviewers try to be friendly and lull their interviewee into a sense of security and safety. This can also get information out to the audience, but it isn't always the correct information. The interviewer doesn't force questions that aren't welcomed, which can frustrate audiences, as they appear deceptive.
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