90% of my interviews are as a solo operator, and a few things that have greatly helped me is using a mannequin head (cheap hairdressers practice head) on a stand, since I often arrive much earlier than the talent. I can set up the dummy head and frame my shot and roughly light it so that when talent sits in, I'm only doing minor adjustments. Also, providing a clear cable-free walking path to the set is quite helpful for the talent, especially in darker rooms or when you've already turned off house lights. Whenever possible sand bag your stands, but most importantly any boom stand that is close to talent. In a pinch, taping down the legs can be helpful if you want to minimize weight. In a very dark room such as this, I would have incorporated a tiny on-camera light pointed at my face so that the talent could actually see me. They are in a blinding light, so having a good eyeline can help them feel at ease. Final..but crucial piece of kit is oil absorbing rice paper sheets to reduce the shine on the face. Next best thing to having a mini makeup kit. Making your talent look and sound their best is a challenge that we take on with every interview.
What I hadn't seen from other tutorials was the fact you mention very valuable points, for example, get the person to repeat the question when they answer. Great job!!
This is a complete overview video on how to shoot an interview as a one man band. Jackson: you covered everything: lighting; audio; cameras; camera angles; what the subject should bring to the interview to wear and why; 4 tips for doing the actual interview (these are very useful tips that I had not come across yet in my research) and so much more. I also love that you shared the actual interview with all the final edits done. I love how detailed yet not too detailed you got with the equipment. As a novice TH-cam Podcaster, I really appreciate that because some tutorials I've watched get too technical (I'm not ready for that yet: too overwhelming) and some are not technical enough. I just really love the overall balance you struck in this helpful video. Thank you!!!
Why not shoot into the L of the room to create leading lines and possibly could have used the overhead lights as simply practicals while still lighting with your key and hair. Better than just flat black wall in the back. Just my thoughts
Totally agree. Never shoot into a wall if you can help it. With that big room, it's a given to shoot into the L. I liked seeing the overhead practicals on the B camera, so shoot in the L of the room for the main camera, and use a hair light or overhead to match the look of the motivating light from the practical lights. Maybe light the back wall to give it some contrast and make it more interesting is possible to add layers to your frame. Use the framework! This is the way!
i come back and watch this video all the time to refresh myself with all the steps. i record on my own all the time and this video is great. i now set up all my interviews like this. This wont be the last time i watch this video. keep up the great work
a very methodical approach - which is required when you only have one chance. I have a checklist written out on paper next to me that I refer to. To be sure. To be sure.
Hope you find this useful. This is my first tutorial of this kind, and I tried to cover as much as I can, as quickly as I can. It's by no means an advanced lighting tutorial, so please don't kill me for putting the egg crate on the wrong side ;) Let me know what you think and what other topics you'd like to see covered in the future!
This was great. I've watched a lot of these tutorials so far, and you've struck a good balance of giving all the details someone familiar with a camera would need (e.g. f 2.8, colour temp) while keeping a nice pace and not going too extraneous. Loved it!
Very well done my friend!! The only thing I would change is to separate her from the background as your backlight is too weak and only lights her shoulder. Her hair just blends into the wall so make it a stronger light and make sure it lights up her hair more!
Nowadays people are looking for the best and ultimate camera and equipment, but you don't need the latest version in order to get a great job like yours!
Good video. I would have white balanced with the house lights off. Also, you might want to put the grid on the outside of the diffusion. By putting it on the inside you've rendered the grid useless. I always put the hair light higher and center it over the top and a few feet behind the subject to get good, even coverage. Another important tool that is absolutely indispensable for a one man band is a Foldit collapsible utility cart. That thing is worth its weight in gold.
One thing I’d like to add: Fill light has to be softer (bigger in size) then key. Turn on each light individually to see what they do to your subject on their own. Key light is supposed to create shadows on the subject and fill light lifts those shadows up. Smaller harder fill light might create secondary shadows which is unnatural. Thanks for the video
Not a word about the most important thing about a one man band shooting interviews: carrying all the gear. Interesting choice putting the grid inside and difussion outside. Nice video. Thanks!
@@jamskof the grid filters the diffused light and directs it, preventing the soft box from spilling light everywhere. when you put the grid first and the diffuser in the outside, my guess is that you diffuse the light again, making the grid useless, and you also lose some light intensity
That was really good! Couple of points, Younger business ladies don't have pockets in their dresses, how do you deal with that? Also sound can be tricky in that even when you do a sound check, they don't stick to that level.
If someone's wearing a dress I tend to sit them down, connect the lapel, then put the transmitter on the floor or chair behind them. Just keep an eye on them walking off! As for sound levels, it comes with practise. If they're talking softly then ask them to speak up for the mic check :)
Note; he sets the frame rate to 25 as it’s a division of 50hz,m the frequency of the room lighting (UK, would be 60hz in US, check for your country). So in US you might use 30fps and a 60 shutter speed. If you aren’t synced to the room lighting, you will get bad flicker from them.
So appreciative of this interview. This is exactly the thing I've been struggling with. I am often able to get help but really struggle if it ends up being me flying solo
great video. 2 more tips: use a clapper board or get your interviewee to clap (right in front of their face) to help sync audio in post. also dont forget to turn on the recorders!
The only thing I dislike about this video is your key light. By placing the Grid on you direct the light……. But then you place a diffuser on the outside which quads the light again. The point of a grid is to stop spill (which isn’t necessary in this setup) which is irrelevant by adding the diffuser after the grid. The only thing this actually achieves is to reduce the power of the light since some of the light is absorbed by the black grid prior to being scattered again. If using battery lights all you’ve achieved is wasting battery power. Aside from that it was a pretty well presented video Well done
If you put a diffusor after the eggcrate, then the eggcrate doesn't make too much sense. It should direct the already diffused light to prevent spilling.
Nice tips and video, All well explained! ...yet the final image from A cam is lacking. IMHO the face is underexposed has unflattering harsh shadows and shines on skin. Also could use a fourth light placed on the side to add some texture to the background instead of crushing it to black. Those 3d stripes are quite interesting.
Seen quite a few videos about shooting interviews, and this is surely one of the best. Straightforward, pragmatic, and a lot of valuable information within a short amount of time. Thank you very much, this is much appreciated and helped me a lot!
I’m in my way to film my first ever interview and I only have my IPhone 12 Pro and I don’t know the place yet. A bit anxious but your video reminded me the fundamentals for an interview and helped me stay confident. Thank you 🙏🏾
Fantastic video. This piece should be linked to by every reseller in the world. I'm an editor by trade, but have done a good amount of "one man band" interviews in the past few years and you gave me quite a few procedural pointers I have been missing. I particularly liked the order and methodical approach to all the steps necessary to get a good interview. I might consider a checklist based up this time efficient presentation. Good work and I hope the word spreads about this demo.
Some good tips here. I would say that the selection of a true "shotgun" vs a super or hyper cardioid pencil mic is ill-advised indoors. Additionally, your have the mic placed too far from the subject... 8-14 inches is recommended. All that stated, a good start-to-finish explanation on how to get started.
Good video. Two things I found a bit odd: You put the egg crate on the soft box before the diffuser. I've always done it on the outside for more control of spill. Next, the shotgun mic seemed a bit far away, although I assume that's because you were leaving room for the "B" cam to get the shot without the mic being seen.
Had to come to the comments to see if anyone else noticed that, putting the egg crate before the diffusion defeats the purpose and you can see there is lots of spill
Great video still today! I used my kit lenses on my FS5M2s for years and recently purchased faster lenses and it has completely changed my impression of the camera. It is such a fantastic studio camera for interviews. Great explanation and personally, I liked the black background better than the long room and white ceiling lights as suggest in earlier comments.
Very good video! One thing I dont think makes sense is to put the Diffusion over the honeycomb on the light. First diffusion, then honeycomb. If you do it like you did you basically cancel out the effect of the honeycomb
Oh man, imagine the shot if he used the whole room as the background. That location is golden, look at the tubes on the ceiling perfectly lined out! But he just uses a black wall that you can find in almost any house / office. What a bummer.
Fantastic video. Very descriptive, explaining the who, why, and thought process is extremely helpful. The visual on equipment placement is very helpful. Having 2 cameras is such a great idea that I hadn't thought of. Thank you for sharing this. 9/23 is when I watched this video, and it is helpful 2 yrs after posting
this was great, lucid and concise.. and a fortuitous discovery, bc I've been looking for someone who focuses on the business side of things, as well. subbed!
Making the backlight more like a toplight would prevent her black hair melt into the background. And I think using such a long lens is having some disadvantages, You will "squeeze" the background and the subject more, what will cause less depth. And you are on an uncomfortable distance from your interviewee. Since a lot of people are not used to be in front of the camera, making them feel comfortable is very important for having the most natural answers. And doing the exposure and white balance with all the house lights on, is not very effective. I do a lot of interviews for news, and in 90% of the cases we are not in a conference room with a lot of space and the ability to control the lights. Mostly in an office, outside or in a small living room with no space to set up multiple lamps. And as a one man band you have to carry all the stuff alone followed by a reporter who wants to leave and go to the edit room a quarter of an hour ago. So time is a big issue, and still they expect a nice shot. A good soft box or bouncing the light and making use of the existing light often do wonders. So most of the time, it is like entering the room, do a very quick scan of the room, the lights , the back ground. And when the reporter is explaining what we will do , I have 10 min time to set up the interviewsetting. Doing interviews for news or documentary is not about getting the absolute best shot, but creating the best out of the situation. But I still love my job😂
You should take the time to make your own video and post it to TH-cam. This was clearly directed towards someone who needed to have a quick guide to making an interview video, whereas your video would be that high level, professional to professional video. Looking forward to seeing it.
@@donaldbishop923 hi thank you for your reaction. My reaction was not to attack the one who made it, but to give some additional and practical information out of the field. My interviewshots are mostly not always highlevel because in 90%of the time, also the people who need a guick guide, the situation is far from perfect and you have to deal with it. And that was what i was trying to say to people who needed a quick guide. You dont need a lot of time and a conference room to set up an interview. Just do it and some tips might help you to get the best out of the situation. Unfortunatly making tutorials is not one of my talents thats why i am glad that there are people who are very good in it. And even I still learn
Thanks for your comment. I found the video interesting but was of course adapting and comparing what he does to what I do. The video is already quite long so trying to cover every base is not practical so if people are very inexperienced then it’s important for them to watch many of these videos in order to figure out how it relates to what they do. I tend to do a wide variety of shoots in very different locations. My equipment is lower quality (I seem to specialise in doing things ultra cheap for people which is not a great area of expertise to be in 🤣) so my cameras are in between the quality of his, less choice for lenses and my lighting equip is a little less effective. Typically I have to train the people who are conducting the interviews but as it’s not their main focus in life so that can be challenging. I have less control over the environments and sometimes just have to make the best with the location I’m given which can have audio problems or be in a cramped room where it’s hard to get far enough from the subject let alone place lights. There is a lot to think about but like yourself, I watch these videos to see how other people do things and to hopefully pick up some tips for how I can adapt when needed.
I agree and bravo for giving more insights, he is way too far to make them comfortable ;) Just get closer, and get more depth in the field with a small light or whatever.
Great video! It is very informative and not saturated with unnecessary theory. I did it wrong for a long time and wondered why the light was not right, why the interlocutor was looking the wrong way))
Thank you so much for the tips man, these are golden value to our work. Especially the backlight 😍However, I'm just hesitating about how to use my shotgun mic; is it better if it is on the camera in telescope mode? By the way, I am using two shotgun mics in different spots sometimes. What do you think? Anyways, I think you are a real-deal one-man band, thanks again for the tips!
Mic is always going to be better closer to the subject. If you have the luxury of being able to mount it on a stand above the subject, go for it. If you don't have the time to do that, then I would recommend prioritising a radio mic. A camera mounted microphone is rarely ideal except as a backup. Thanks for the comment :)
Roger Deakins would say if you are shooting an interview you should have the come close to the person being interviewed because that way it's more personal for you and for the audience
Thanks for this; I really learned a lot! I'm planning an interview style documentary and although I won't be shooting it, this has taught me some questions to ask whomever I hire.
Increasing the ISO level does not change the sensitivity of the sensor. Sensors have a fixed sensitivity, set when they are developped and manufactured, and that remains the same until the sensor eventually fails... hopefully years after. ISO is the amount of amplification the camera circuitry applies to the signal created by the light hitting the sensor surface. The lower the light intensity, the higher the ISO level needs to be adjusted... and vice-versa. The higher the amplification (when available and/or added light are unsufficient), the more distorsion occurs during the processing. And in photo/video, this distorsion is the "digital noise" we can see on screen (and prints too) in the form of black/grey/purple spots or randomly moving shapes (in squares, or dots, or pixel combinations). All this is similar (to a certain degree) to what happens in sound processing : when input signal is too low, more amplification must be used (by rotating the "Volume" knob, for instance), creating more (harmonic, in this case) distorsion. This notion must be understood clearly, for everyone to understand why such "digital noise" occurs when ISO levels increase, and why modern cameras handle this step way better than the ones we had only 10 years ago. And also why it is important to master all other parameters of filming, such as adding the right intensity of light or choosing the right place to film. Maybe, some day, we may have sensors with variable sensitivity. But we probably shall have to wait until "bionic" circuits are a common technology, not anymore an experimental one.
Great video. The one thing I'd say is that I think it would it have made more sense to turn off the house lights before doing the color balance. Some of that overhead is bound to sneak into the exposure. (He says from unfortunate experience.)
This video was very helpful thank you I am a filmmaker who wants to do interviews this video broke down a lot in a way that was easy to digest. thank you!
Hey. I do shot interviews as a one man band for many years and I found this useful. The problem you haven't mentioned is how to carry all this gear on your own 😂 Also you have a comfort of setting the scene up according to you taste - often clients insist to have certain objects or skyline in the background visible, then 2.8 often doesn't work. Today I shot with the London skyline inside one of the skyscrapers and had to go up to 6.3 and set my nd filter to compensate the difference of the outside vs inside. Anyways I've enjoyed your video and actually I've never tried the rode lapel mic stickers - need to check this out.
Get a cart of some sort. I use a convertible hand truck and lay everything on a collapsible table. I also use aluminum light stands with sand bags since they're much smaller and easier to transport than C-stands.
For anyone learning. That is not how you set up the egg crate on your softbox. Crate goes after diffusion otherwise you are simply reducing the level of you light.
90% of my interviews are as a solo operator, and a few things that have greatly helped me is using a mannequin head (cheap hairdressers practice head) on a stand, since I often arrive much earlier than the talent. I can set up the dummy head and frame my shot and roughly light it so that when talent sits in, I'm only doing minor adjustments. Also, providing a clear cable-free walking path to the set is quite helpful for the talent, especially in darker rooms or when you've already turned off house lights. Whenever possible sand bag your stands, but most importantly any boom stand that is close to talent. In a pinch, taping down the legs can be helpful if you want to minimize weight. In a very dark room such as this, I would have incorporated a tiny on-camera light pointed at my face so that the talent could actually see me. They are in a blinding light, so having a good eyeline can help them feel at ease. Final..but crucial piece of kit is oil absorbing rice paper sheets to reduce the shine on the face. Next best thing to having a mini makeup kit. Making your talent look and sound their best is a challenge that we take on with every interview.
Thanks
Great comment, thanks!
Truly great advice. Thank you
This is why I love TH-cam, A1 content by talented hardworking people - open source.
What I hadn't seen from other tutorials was the fact you mention very valuable points, for example, get the person to repeat the question when they answer. Great job!!
This is a complete overview video on how to shoot an interview as a one man band. Jackson: you covered everything: lighting; audio; cameras; camera angles; what the subject should bring to the interview to wear and why; 4 tips for doing the actual interview (these are very useful tips that I had not come across yet in my research) and so much more. I also love that you shared the actual interview with all the final edits done. I love how detailed yet not too detailed you got with the equipment. As a novice TH-cam Podcaster, I really appreciate that because some tutorials I've watched get too technical (I'm not ready for that yet: too overwhelming) and some are not technical enough. I just really love the overall balance you struck in this helpful video. Thank you!!!
Why not shoot into the L of the room to create leading lines and possibly could have used the overhead lights as simply practicals while still lighting with your key and hair. Better than just flat black wall in the back. Just my thoughts
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@plank.rec709the cowards reply.
Totally agree. Never shoot into a wall if you can help it. With that big room, it's a given to shoot into the L. I liked seeing the overhead practicals on the B camera, so shoot in the L of the room for the main camera, and use a hair light or overhead to match the look of the motivating light from the practical lights. Maybe light the back wall to give it some contrast and make it more interesting is possible to add layers to your frame. Use the framework! This is the way!
Remember this is not master class, please do not confuse the beginners.
Agree
In a crowded field, this is one of the best instructional videos I've ever seen.
totally agree - there is so much noise and this is clear
i come back and watch this video all the time to refresh myself with all the steps. i record on my own all the time and this video is great. i now set up all my interviews like this. This wont be the last time i watch this video. keep up the great work
a very methodical approach - which is required when you only have one chance. I have a checklist written out on paper next to me that I refer to. To be sure. To be sure.
Hope you find this useful. This is my first tutorial of this kind, and I tried to cover as much as I can, as quickly as I can. It's by no means an advanced lighting tutorial, so please don't kill me for putting the egg crate on the wrong side ;) Let me know what you think and what other topics you'd like to see covered in the future!
Looking forward to the follow up.
This was great. I've watched a lot of these tutorials so far, and you've struck a good balance of giving all the details someone familiar with a camera would need (e.g. f 2.8, colour temp) while keeping a nice pace and not going too extraneous. Loved it!
Good Stuff!
I honestly was wondering if that was a new technique in putting the diffuser outside of the egg crate, but I really appreciate your honesty!
By far one of the best and simple tutorials. Just followed!
Very well done my friend!!
The only thing I would change is to separate her from the background as your backlight is too weak and only lights her shoulder. Her hair just blends into the wall so make it a stronger light and make sure it lights up her hair more!
He’s just demonstrating basics- he doesn’t wanna give all his secrets away!
WOW. I can't believe it took me 4 years in University for 17 mins worth of information
Nowadays people are looking for the best and ultimate camera and equipment, but you don't need the latest version in order to get a great job like yours!
Good video. I would have white balanced with the house lights off. Also, you might want to put the grid on the outside of the diffusion. By putting it on the inside you've rendered the grid useless. I always put the hair light higher and center it over the top and a few feet behind the subject to get good, even coverage. Another important tool that is absolutely indispensable for a one man band is a Foldit collapsible utility cart. That thing is worth its weight in gold.
Facts! I've never seen anyone put the egg crate first. Cutting the house lights would have been better.
Same.
One thing I’d like to add:
Fill light has to be softer (bigger in size) then key. Turn on each light individually to see what they do to your subject on their own. Key light is supposed to create shadows on the subject and fill light lifts those shadows up. Smaller harder fill light might create secondary shadows which is unnatural. Thanks for the video
A large white panel to reflect the key is another way.
Man, this was insanely useful to watch. Thank you for all the effort in presenting this!
Not a word about the most important thing about a one man band shooting interviews: carrying all the gear. Interesting choice putting the grid inside and difussion outside. Nice video. Thanks!
..the grids supposed to be on outside surely???
@@jamskof the grid filters the diffused light and directs it, preventing the soft box from spilling light everywhere. when you put the grid first and the diffuser in the outside, my guess is that you diffuse the light again, making the grid useless, and you also lose some light intensity
This is such a great find for me! I’m starting a mini documentary project soon and professional interviews are critical. Thanks!
That was really good! Couple of points, Younger business ladies don't have pockets in their dresses, how do you deal with that? Also sound can be tricky in that even when you do a sound check, they don't stick to that level.
If someone's wearing a dress I tend to sit them down, connect the lapel, then put the transmitter on the floor or chair behind them. Just keep an eye on them walking off! As for sound levels, it comes with practise. If they're talking softly then ask them to speak up for the mic check :)
Note; he sets the frame rate to 25 as it’s a division of 50hz,m the frequency of the room lighting (UK, would be 60hz in US, check for your country). So in US you might use 30fps and a 60 shutter speed. If you aren’t synced to the room lighting, you will get bad flicker from them.
Yes exactly. Good point to make and worth keeping an eye on
This is the best video on this topic. EXCELLENT WORK! I learned so much from this! YOU ARE THE MAN!
So appreciative of this interview. This is exactly the thing I've been struggling with. I am often able to get help but really struggle if it ends up being me flying solo
Thanks for taking the time to explain it all simply. will def. apply these rules and hope to achieve better results.
great video. 2 more tips: use a clapper board or get your interviewee to clap (right in front of their face) to help sync audio in post. also dont forget to turn on the recorders!
The only thing I dislike about this video is your key light.
By placing the Grid on you direct the light……. But then you place a diffuser on the outside which quads the light again.
The point of a grid is to stop spill (which isn’t necessary in this setup) which is irrelevant by adding the diffuser after the grid.
The only thing this actually achieves is to reduce the power of the light since some of the light is absorbed by the black grid prior to being scattered again.
If using battery lights all you’ve achieved is wasting battery power.
Aside from that it was a pretty well presented video
Well done
excellent comprehensive coverage of the topic.
If you put a diffusor after the eggcrate, then the eggcrate doesn't make too much sense. It should direct the already diffused light to prevent spilling.
Nice tips and video, All well explained!
...yet the final image from A cam is lacking.
IMHO the face is underexposed has unflattering harsh shadows and shines on skin.
Also could use a fourth light placed on the side to add some texture to the background instead of crushing it to black. Those 3d stripes are quite interesting.
Seen quite a few videos about shooting interviews, and this is surely one of the best. Straightforward, pragmatic, and a lot of valuable information within a short amount of time. Thank you very much, this is much appreciated and helped me a lot!
Very informative content, got my first interview shoot tomorrow
I’m in my way to film my first ever interview and I only have my IPhone 12 Pro and I don’t know the place yet. A bit anxious but your video reminded me the fundamentals for an interview and helped me stay confident. Thank you 🙏🏾
How did it go?
Fantastic video. This piece should be linked to by every reseller in the world.
I'm an editor by trade, but have done a good amount of "one man band" interviews in the past few years and you gave me quite a few procedural pointers I have been missing. I particularly liked the order and methodical approach to all the steps necessary to get a good interview. I might consider a checklist based up this time efficient presentation.
Good work and I hope the word spreads about this demo.
Thank you very well done step by step going over the basics of 180 and thirds.
You are very good , excellent and fantastic. Keep it up, working to humanity.
Some good tips here. I would say that the selection of a true "shotgun" vs a super or hyper cardioid pencil mic is ill-advised indoors. Additionally, your have the mic placed too far from the subject... 8-14 inches is recommended. All that stated, a good start-to-finish explanation on how to get started.
Thank you. The only thing I disagree with was the wide angle on the second camera. It should be the same framing as the direct-on front camera.
Good video. Two things I found a bit odd: You put the egg crate on the soft box before the diffuser. I've always done it on the outside for more control of spill. Next, the shotgun mic seemed a bit far away, although I assume that's because you were leaving room for the "B" cam to get the shot without the mic being seen.
Had to come to the comments to see if anyone else noticed that, putting the egg crate before the diffusion defeats the purpose and you can see there is lots of spill
Many thanks, Jackson, this is what I was looking for in one place!
Great video still today! I used my kit lenses on my FS5M2s for years and recently purchased faster lenses and it has completely changed my impression of the camera. It is such a fantastic studio camera for interviews. Great explanation and personally, I liked the black background better than the long room and white ceiling lights as suggest in earlier comments.
very practical and straight forward. Good job.
Very good video! One thing I dont think makes sense is to put the Diffusion over the honeycomb on the light. First diffusion, then honeycomb. If you do it like you did you basically cancel out the effect of the honeycomb
My man, THIS is so helpful. Thank you!
Oh man, imagine the shot if he used the whole room as the background. That location is golden, look at the tubes on the ceiling perfectly lined out! But he just uses a black wall that you can find in almost any house / office. What a bummer.
Awesome! Also keep in mind leading lines pointing towards your subject as well as a sense of balance that there isn't too much negative space.
Nice! Never thought of putting the grid on first before the diffusion.
Got your email that directed me here. Valuable video since I'm still learning. Thank you much!
this video has everything. wow.
Fantastic video. Very descriptive, explaining the who, why, and thought process is extremely helpful. The visual on equipment placement is very helpful. Having 2 cameras is such a great idea that I hadn't thought of.
Thank you for sharing this.
9/23 is when I watched this video, and it is helpful 2 yrs after posting
this was great, lucid and concise.. and a fortuitous discovery, bc I've been looking for someone who focuses on the business side of things, as well. subbed!
Thanks for sharing, currently learning filmmaking @Raindance: London. This post will come in handy!!!
Awesome, glad I could help and good luck at Raindance!
Excellent production presentation!
Very useful video. I am starting to interview subjects and these pointers will help me a lot! Many thanks, Rob
So good! Great to hear instruction from someone who has actually spent time in the field.
Thanks! Best video ive seen out there explaining the important points.
Excellent!! Please keep posting videos
Making the backlight more like a toplight would prevent her black hair melt into the background. And I think using such a long lens is having some disadvantages, You will "squeeze" the background and the subject more, what will cause less depth. And you are on an uncomfortable distance from your interviewee. Since a lot of people are not used to be in front of the camera, making them feel comfortable is very important for having the most natural answers. And doing the exposure and white balance with all the house lights on, is not very effective. I do a lot of interviews for news, and in 90% of the cases we are not in a conference room with a lot of space and the ability to control the lights. Mostly in an office, outside or in a small living room with no space to set up multiple lamps. And as a one man band you have to carry all the stuff alone followed by a reporter who wants to leave and go to the edit room a quarter of an hour ago. So time is a big issue, and still they expect a nice shot. A good soft box or bouncing the light and making use of the existing light often do wonders. So most of the time, it is like entering the room, do a very quick scan of the room, the lights , the back ground. And when the reporter is explaining what we will do , I have 10 min time to set up the interviewsetting. Doing interviews for news or documentary is not about getting the absolute best shot, but creating the best out of the situation. But I still love my job😂
man ... this man has had all the time he needs , all the day ,, i think this interview is for digital feature film but for sure it is not for news
You should take the time to make your own video and post it to TH-cam. This was clearly directed towards someone who needed to have a quick guide to making an interview video, whereas your video would be that high level, professional to professional video. Looking forward to seeing it.
@@donaldbishop923 hi thank you for your reaction. My reaction was not to attack the one who made it, but to give some additional and practical information out of the field. My interviewshots are mostly not always highlevel because in 90%of the time, also the people who need a guick guide, the situation is far from perfect and you have to deal with it. And that was what i was trying to say to people who needed a quick guide. You dont need a lot of time and a conference room to set up an interview. Just do it and some tips might help you to get the best out of the situation. Unfortunatly making tutorials is not one of my talents thats why i am glad that there are people who are very good in it. And even I still learn
Thanks for your comment. I found the video interesting but was of course adapting and comparing what he does to what I do. The video is already quite long so trying to cover every base is not practical so if people are very inexperienced then it’s important for them to watch many of these videos in order to figure out how it relates to what they do.
I tend to do a wide variety of shoots in very different locations. My equipment is lower quality (I seem to specialise in doing things ultra cheap for people which is not a great area of expertise to be in 🤣) so my cameras are in between the quality of his, less choice for lenses and my lighting equip is a little less effective. Typically I have to train the people who are conducting the interviews but as it’s not their main focus in life so that can be challenging. I have less control over the environments and sometimes just have to make the best with the location I’m given which can have audio problems or be in a cramped room where it’s hard to get far enough from the subject let alone place lights.
There is a lot to think about but like yourself, I watch these videos to see how other people do things and to hopefully pick up some tips for how I can adapt when needed.
I agree and bravo for giving more insights, he is way too far to make them comfortable ;)
Just get closer, and get more depth in the field with a small light or whatever.
Really helpful practical tips Jackson - all clearly and concisely explained. Thank-you.
Great video! It is very informative and not saturated with unnecessary theory. I did it wrong for a long time and wondered why the light was not right, why the interlocutor was looking the wrong way))
Thank you so much for the tips man, these are golden value to our work. Especially the backlight 😍However, I'm just hesitating about how to use my shotgun mic; is it better if it is on the camera in telescope mode? By the way, I am using two shotgun mics in different spots sometimes. What do you think? Anyways, I think you are a real-deal one-man band, thanks again for the tips!
Mic is always going to be better closer to the subject. If you have the luxury of being able to mount it on a stand above the subject, go for it. If you don't have the time to do that, then I would recommend prioritising a radio mic. A camera mounted microphone is rarely ideal except as a backup. Thanks for the comment :)
Roger Deakins would say if you are shooting an interview you should have the come close to the person being interviewed because that way it's more personal for you and for the audience
Jackson! Many Thanks! Yeah!
Jam-packed video. Well done.
Thanks for this; I really learned a lot! I'm planning an interview style documentary and although I won't be shooting it, this has taught me some questions to ask whomever I hire.
This was very informative m, I watched a few of these and yours was the most helpful especially since I’m a one man band too
You’re a great instructor. Keep up the great work.
Increasing the ISO level does not change the sensitivity of the sensor. Sensors have a fixed sensitivity, set when they are developped and manufactured, and that remains the same until the sensor eventually fails... hopefully years after.
ISO is the amount of amplification the camera circuitry applies to the signal created by the light hitting the sensor surface. The lower the light intensity, the higher the ISO level needs to be adjusted... and vice-versa.
The higher the amplification (when available and/or added light are unsufficient), the more distorsion occurs during the processing. And in photo/video, this distorsion is the "digital noise" we can see on screen (and prints too) in the form of black/grey/purple spots or randomly moving shapes (in squares, or dots, or pixel combinations).
All this is similar (to a certain degree) to what happens in sound processing : when input signal is too low, more amplification must be used (by rotating the "Volume" knob, for instance), creating more (harmonic, in this case) distorsion.
This notion must be understood clearly, for everyone to understand why such "digital noise" occurs when ISO levels increase, and why modern cameras handle this step way better than the ones we had only 10 years ago. And also why it is important to master all other parameters of filming, such as adding the right intensity of light or choosing the right place to film.
Maybe, some day, we may have sensors with variable sensitivity. But we probably shall have to wait until "bionic" circuits are a common technology, not anymore an experimental one.
Excellent video with practical tips. This should have a million views already.
This was fantastic information and done very well, I appreciated all aspects of it. Liked, Commented and subscribed! Thank you
Wonderful video brother. Thank you for taking the time to make this brilliant educational material🙏❤️💚💯
Great video. The one thing I'd say is that I think it would it have made more sense to turn off the house lights before doing the color balance. Some of that overhead is bound to sneak into the exposure. (He says from unfortunate experience.)
Thanks. And yes I agree, I’ll take note for future videos :)
This video is so under rated .. thanks so much for the information
Fantastic video, clear, concise and full of great tips. Thanks for the help.
Thank youuuu! Your explanation is very comprehensive. Exactly what we need
This video was very helpful thank you I am a filmmaker who wants to do interviews this video broke down a lot in a way that was easy to digest. thank you!
Very insightful, thank you
Thanks for the comment 👍
Awesome video. Thanks a ton for all the valuable information you provided.
This is a very well done tutorial,well demonstrated...reqrds from Nairobi, kenya.
Great stuff Jackson! You have an excellent way about you. Thank you
Thanks for that. I put my grid outside the diffusion layer. Do you always place inside?
You must be shooting at like f11 on these, background seems very sharp for shooting at 100mm
REally really well done! Congrats
So goood! Thank you Jackson!
You're welcome! Thanks for the comment 🙏
Great video, but I have a question, where does the interviewee need to be positioned? In the center or in the rule of thirds?
Well done sir. A very interesting and informative video.
Was very helpful
I'm shooting with a smartphone
Watched it only partially and without sound and its already damn useful to me. Definitely going to get some light and practice. Highly recommend!
Amazing tutorial, thanks!
Excellent video. Thank you.
Amazing! I have an interview tomorrow and this has alleviated my nerves! Brilliant video thanks 😊
This video is fantastic.
Excellent tutorial. This was super informative.
Hello This vow is really Helpful , please share the link about lenses used in interview filmmaking? Thankyou
Hey. I do shot interviews as a one man band for many years and I found this useful. The problem you haven't mentioned is how to carry all this gear on your own 😂 Also you have a comfort of setting the scene up according to you taste - often clients insist to have certain objects or skyline in the background visible, then 2.8 often doesn't work. Today I shot with the London skyline inside one of the skyscrapers and had to go up to 6.3 and set my nd filter to compensate the difference of the outside vs inside. Anyways I've enjoyed your video and actually I've never tried the rode lapel mic stickers - need to check this out.
Get a cart of some sort. I use a convertible hand truck and lay everything on a collapsible table. I also use aluminum light stands with sand bags since they're much smaller and easier to transport than C-stands.
airport bag?
@@thepropolys Instead of carrying heavy sandbags, we use rubber hot water bottles. There’s always water available.
Thanks for the tutorial!
Great info. Thanks for sharing.
Great tutorial, when are you uploading the video you mentioned ie interview video and what questions to ask. Thanks
Would love a link to those sticky things for the lapel microphones
Depends where you’re based, but if you Google Rycote Stickies, undercovers, and overcovers. The last one is for outdoors
For anyone learning. That is not how you set up the egg crate on your softbox. Crate goes after diffusion otherwise you are simply reducing the level of you light.
Learn a lot, thanks Jackson!
Excelllent job!