Carrying out an interview is not easy . It’s great that you’ve been given the opportunity to interview a notable individual , . However , without a little organisation , something engaging to say and the competency to make your subject feel comfortable , then there won’t be more interviews in the future . Listen closely : here’s one or two things that might come in handy .
What you must realise is that your interviewee is only human . Yes they may have featured in the new Batman film and yes , they did once have lunch with the Prime Minister . What's often forgotten is that they almost certainly have the same or similar strains as you . They’ve chundered in a waste paper basket, they once forgot to bring their bag for life to Tesco , they’ve had a speeding ticket and they have , at some point in their life , been just as nervous as you . Possibly . Unless you're interviewing a sponge. .
Easily , my favourite interview is Mila Kunis talking to Chris Stark from the Scott Mills show . It’s not exactly your typical interview , actually everything about it should have rendered it a failure , but by getting to know his subject he’s able to break the rules . If you haven’t seen it yet , then here it is , Stark seriously says the words “my mate Dicko…”:
Why does he come off so well ? Just for a minute, picture that you're Mila Kunis , when promoting a new blockbuster , there is going to be hundreds of interviews , and the material is more or less going to be precisely the same . If there’s been ten interviews in one day the questions are consistent , then it’s going to be rather boring . It’s obvious in this particular interview that words have been said before they’ve even started to film , efficiently constructing a pleasant interview environment . He also makes himself quite approachable when he starts by informing us that he’s nervous , which spurs encouraging words from his subject helping her to feel less susceptible to the penetrating stare of her interviewer , and maybe even stimulating more detailed responses .
The whole interview is rendered into an entertaining chat and not just a series of incessant questions - and we’re likely to have learnt more about Mila Kunis because of it . It transpires that because Stark is willing to disclose his own personal information , so that the interview isn’t entirely one sided , then his subject is far more likely to respond in greater detail . Would we know that Mila’s favourite colour is purple had Chris not suggested she wore a yellow Watford FC jersey ? A significant part of conducting a successful interview is adding personal flourishes , people can’t empathise with a robot .
We might not have learnt much about Mila’s latest film , but we know more about our interviewee and how to get 12 million hits on YouTube . All you need to do is offer your subject a steak and ale pie .
A really good video to watch is this Lambda films blog , a video production company in Norwich , entitled How to conduct an interview. It looks at some really basic techniques you can use when interviewing . Simple things such as the way seating is arranged can make all the difference .