Ep. 41 How to mastering pre-interviews with talent before you go into production

This episode is all about pre interviews – Mike and Sue break down what they are, how to conduct one and why they think they’re so helpful for developing your documentary film.

A pre-interview is an essential step towards crafting a well-told, engaging film story.  And it’s exactly what it sounds like, it’s an interview you do with someone before you ‘officially’ interview them. They’re beneficial because it allows you to familiarise yourself with the interviewee’s story – and it also helps them become more comfortable with you (and your crew if you invite them along). Which will will make for a far better interview when it’s time to roll camera for your actual film.

In part 6 of the 'How to make a documentary' series, you'll learn how to conduct an amazing pre-interview.

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Transcript

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Hello everybody! Today I am talking about mastering the pre-interview, and I cannot believe that I am up to part six in how to make a documentary. Time really does fly when you're making movies, and we are still focused on development, so that just goes to show how much is involved in developing a documentary project. This episode is all about pre-interviews, and I'll be breaking down what they are, how to conduct one, and why I think they are so helpful for developing your documentary film. And you may be surprised to learn that there are two types of pre-interviews. But before I get into that, let me introduce myself. I am Sue Collins and I'm part of the team behind Moonshine Agency, an impact film production house producing films that have a positive social impact. Impact films are films that are designed to take an audience from passive viewing to being an active participant. It gets them doing something, getting involved, or being part of a solution. I've recognized that learning how to craft films is a challenging process, and when I was starting out, it was really hard to find information and learn about filmmaking without formal study or without being under the wing of a mentor. Avoiding the pitfalls, being pigeonholed, running out of funding, or simply not understanding the business side of the industry has meant that over the years I have seen many people, and I'm talking about people with a lot of talent. I have seen them give up or simply move on to more stable work. So my hope is to see the industry thrive here in Australia and beyond, and I recognize that to do that I have to be more open with sharing skills. So I have decided to share more of what I've learned through many years of filmmaking through this podcast, Moonshine Moonshot, and with online courses at the Moonshine Communications Academy. So make sure you check out the Academy, particularly the resources section, where you can access free downloads like check sheets and ebooks. Okay, let's get into it. First up, what is a pre-interview? A pre-interview is an essential step towards crafting a well-told, engaging film story. And it's exactly what it sounds like. It's an interview that you do with someone before you officially interview them. They're beneficial because it allows you to familiarize yourself with the interviewee's story. And for the interviewee, it helps them become more comfortable with you. And that will just make for a far better interview when it comes time to roll camera on your actual film. Now here's a curious tidbit to get you going. There, as I said in the beginning, are two types of pre-interviews. The first type is all about research. So I'm going to call it the research pre-interview. I know it's extraordinarily creative that name, isn't it? But loyal readers will know I am a huge fan of research and this passion really comes into its own during pre-interviews. Research-based pre-interviews are an excellent avenue to get familiar with an expert in your film's subject matter. They might be a working professional in the area that your film's about, or it could be someone with relevant lived experience. You can really pre-interview just about anyone who is relevant to your project. Anything or anyone goes. The second type of pre-interview is a little bit more like a casting exercise because it's all about testing the waters to assess if the person that you're speaking with can sing on screen or connect with your audience. And no, I don't literally mean sing on screen unless you're making a musical. I just simply mean how will they come across as a character on screen in your film. So let's go back to the research pre-interview. When you are getting started with this type of an interview, I absolutely recommend keeping things casual in the beginning. I suggest chatting over a coffee or on the phone or you know meeting up on a platform like Zoom or Microsoft Teams because a flashy camera and recording device can make people feel pretty uncomfortable or on edge. So don't put them under the spotlight too quickly, particularly if you're just researching. Now these types of pre-interviews are a really excellent way to really get to know what their mannerisms are like and the way they express themselves. Go with your gut when it comes to these things. As a filmmaker, you'll likely know when you find someone who will shine in your documentary. And don't lose heart if the person you're pre-interviewing doesn't quite have that je ne sais quoi that you were looking for, because that's exactly what this activity is for. Finding the right on-screen talent for your film. Providing they're a genuine expert in your film's subject area, they will no doubt help you expand your knowledge in the topic area. I've had 45-minute conversations with people that have taught me more about a particular topic than what I have learned in an entire month of research. So whatever you're doing in your pre-interviews, whether it's purely for research or whether it's more of a casting exercise, it doesn't matter. They are going to be incredible goldminds for you in learning about your topic. So what if I'm keen to unpack my gear and conduct my pre-interview with the cameras rolling? I'm not sure, I mean I'm not sure if it's really still a pre-interview if the cameras are rolling, but if you have a willing and ready interviewee, then I would absolutely go for it, especially if you have traveled a long distance to go and interview this person. But always be guided by the person you're interviewing. If they prefer to start casually without an intimidating red light recording, honour that and leave your gear packed away until it's time for the actual shoot day. However, if you're in a position when you can roll camera during the pre-interview phase, then you have just scored some incredible bonus content that you could then weave through your proof of concept video on your teaser, or even it could make the documentary itself if it's shot in a quality good enough. And I have been fortunate enough to capture many pre-interviews on camera, and the footage rarely ends up on you know a drive somewhere or cutting room floor, so to speak. You always find a way to use it. In fact, one pre-interview Mike and I captured several years ago with the awe-inspiring Dr. Raja Gapel actually spawned a feature film. So that pre-interview ended up being the opening sequence in a feature film, a biopic about Dr. Raj called Hippocratic. So you can go and check that out if you don't believe me. We originally met Dr. Raj for a completely different project, but his story was so captivating. We just knew we hadn't needed to get more, and we needed to get a biopic about him on screen, and we did. So it's called Hippocratic 18 Experiments in Gently Shaking the World. Alright, now the next question is how many subject experts would you pre-interview? Well, how much time have you got and how many stories do you want to share? You can conduct as few or as many pre-interviews as you feel is necessary. But just remember to be respectful of people's time and be sure to explain what you intend to do with the interview. And by that I mean don't tell someone that they're going to be starring in your film as some sort of carrot to dangle in order to secure time with them. If you're really not intending to cast them in a major role, you've got to manage expectations. People will prefer you are clear about what you want to do with the interview and how you'll use what they share with you. And what I mean by that is if someone's going to give you their time, bet half an hour, an hour, two hours, and you've told them that they're going to be the starring person in your film, and then they either don't end up getting in the film at all, or you use one 20-second comment from them, they're going to feel probably a little bit dejected by it, or they might simply feel like their interview wasn't any good, or you've you've got to really, you know, work with people. You've got to tell them, you know, it's a pre-interview, you're fact-finding, you'd like to film it because, you know, you think it does have potential to end up on screen, but don't tell them that they're gonna be, you know, 45 minutes of screen time all about them if you you don't really know that they are. So that's my little lecture there. But you know, there's also this other thing about the pre-interviewing phase that I really love. And it is a networking effect. I can't count how many times I have organized a pre-interview only to have the person mention another person to me that I simply must speak with. And as a result, I've had people feature in my films who I would never have even known about during the initial development phase. And what's more, some of the folks I've pre-interviewed have even connected me with potential funders who have gone on to sponsor my films. So, all in all, never underestimate the power of a pre-interview and always try to establish strong rapport with the person that you're speaking with. And you know, as I said before, strong rapport is built by being up front with people and being really open with what you're trying to do and what you're trying to achieve and what you intend to do with the interview they're giving you time for. You never know what or who they might know, so be respectful of their time. Now, this could be really, really helpful for you. Tips on how to conduct a pre-interview. Look, interviewing is a fine art, even the pre-interviewing kind. These are a few tips to keep top of mind before you meet with your subject, whether you've got a camera rolling or not. My very first tip, and this is probably pretty bleedingly obvious, but make them feel comfortable. The word interview makes most people want to duck for cover. So reassure your subject that there are no mistakes or right answers, and let them know that they have plenty of time to get their point across. And just remind them it's a pre-interview, it is not necessarily the real deal, there will be editing and you're not looking for perfectly scripted answers. That will help them to relax. Second, let them know what you're hoping to get out of the conversation. So set up really clear expectations, particularly if you're filming the interview, so that they know, for example, how long their answers should be, where they should look, as in are they looking, are they barreling the camera or are they looking to you as the interviewer? And how to go beyond yes or no answers. Also, praise goes a long way. It will make the interview feel much more comfortable and relaxed. So be encouraging and tell them that they're doing a good job or if they've given you a really impressive answer. It does that feedback really can help people to give you better interviews. Number three is be flexible. While you should definitely come prepared with a few key questions, don't be afraid to go off script if conversation veers into an interesting but unexpected direction. Be sure to listen carefully to your subject's answers and pursue questions that come to you in the moment. If the person you're interviewing struggles to answer a particular question, pick a different question and just move on. Listen for what your subject truly wants to talk about and go from there. Remember you need to keep them comfortable and relaxed so that they can give you good information. Now, this next one, avoid yes or no responses. So this means you need to avoid asking questions that might result in a simple yes or no response. You need your subject to speak at length and with passion. So always ask open-ended questions. For example, rather than asking something like, Did you like that film? You'd ask something more along the lines of what was the film, what was it about that film that resonated with you? Or can you tell me a story about the time you experienced? Blah blah blah. Always questions that they can, you know, get into, not just simply say yes or no. And now number five, disarm people by asking a surprising question. Now this often stops them focusing on feeling nervous. It gives them an unexpected pause where they stop and think and then answer. And this alone can really help to calm interviewees' nerves down. So ask a surprising question, not something completely random and off topic, but just something that you know they wouldn't necessarily be expecting you to ask. And that can lead your interview in quite a lot of different directions as well. So I hope these pointers and this bit of information about pre-interviewing has helped you understand why they could be really important and how they can assist you when it comes to crafting an impactful documentary. Now don't forget if you're interested in learning more about how to take your idea for a film and turn it into a ready-for-release motion picture, make sure you subscribe to this podcast because each week I am coming back every Tuesday to share with you a little bit more detail about how to produce your own documentary film. And next week I am sharing five key things you need in order to create a winning proposal that you can use to pitch for funding because finance is essential if you want to get your film made. So please come back for that next week. Hit subscribe on whatever podcast platform you're listening on, and I will be back next Tuesday.