Codes and Conventions of Interviews

Interviewee positioned to the left or right of the frame

A lot of interviews also shift positions so there is a mixture of left and right and it does not get boring.

The interviews are filmed in a medium close up or close up. Although big close ups are sometimes used.

The interviewee is looking at the interviewer instead of looking directly into the camera. So the position of the camera is therefore crucial and the interviewer should be on the same eye line as the interviewee.

Interviews must follow the rule of third which means that the eye line of the interviewee must be 1/3 of the way down the frame.

The mise-en-scene reinforces the content of the interview, or is relevant to the interviewee providing more information about them in terms of occupation, personal environment etc.Chromakey can be used to create mise-en-scene

Interviewee`s must be seated on a “immovable” chair. Filmed with

the light source behind the interviewee

Questions are edited out so the audience can only hear the answer to the question

Cutaways are edited into interviews for two reason:• To avoid jump cuts• To break up an

interview and illustrate what the interviewee is talking aboutCutaways are either:

• Archive material• Something

suggested by what the interviewer said and is filmed later.

Sometimes aspects of an interview are filmed with another camera. For example an extreme close up of eyes, mouth and hands( which are later used as cutaways

Open questions are asked because it forces the interviewee to give a detailed answer

Graphics are used on screen to anchor who the person is and their relevance to the topic of the documentary.